Prospective Applicants

Perfusionists must meet certain physical requirements. They require a full range of body motion including the ability to lift and/or bear the weight of 100 pounds or more while pulling, lifting, pushing and transferring patients. Perfusionists must be able to stand, walk, and sit for extended periods. Good visual acuity through normal or corrected vision to normal range. They must have the ability to work within guidelines of universal safety precautions, using protective gear. In the workplace, they must be willing to rotate 24 hour coverage (on-call) and be able to work under stressful conditions. They may be required to travel in ambulance, small airplanes or helicopter for organ procurement.

In addition, students must possess the integrity, intelligence and personal and emotional characteristics to become an effective healthcare professional. The following represent a more detailed description of the physical requirements to succeed in the program.

Sensory and Motor Skills

Students and candidates for program admission should be able to:

• Lift, pull, push and transfer patients in a safe manner.
• Lift, pull, push and carry clinical equipment in a safe and controlled manner.
• demonstrate basic clinical skills related to the use of extracorporeal equipment, circuitry, and ancillary clinical patient care devices and equipment.
• Execute quick and purposeful movements during emergency treatment of patients.

Communication

Students and candidates for program admission should be able to:

• Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills in the English.
• Speak clearly.
• Hear sufficiently.
• Produce and transmit patient information in oral and written format to members of the healthcare team.
• Communicate with patients effectively with compassion and empathy.
• Possess demonstrated reading skills at a sufficient grade level to accomplish curricular requirements.
• Provide effective care to patients.

Intellectual

Students and candidates for program admission should be able to:

• Measure, calculate, interpret, analyze, question, compile and evaluate information from various modalities to effectively evaluate extracorporeal equipment and treat patients.
• Comprehend spatial relationships of structures and models.
• Comprehend relationships between patient care parameters and anticipate cause and effect responses based on their actions and inactions.
• Learn through a variety of teaching modalities including classroom lecture, cooperative learning, small group activities, medical simulation and laboratory exercises, individual and group presentations, and the use of technology assisted learning.
• Make rapid decisions in life threatening situations where problem solving and critical thinking are required.

Behavioral and Social Attributes

Students and candidates for program admission should be able to:

• Demonstrate emotional stability.
• Exercise good judgment, prompt completion of all responsibilities related to care of patients and participation on a patient care team.
• Develop mature and effective relationships with co-workers and patients.
• Perform problem solving skills in a timely manner.
• Tolerate physically demanding workloads.
• Function effectively under stress.
• Adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in an environment of uncertainty inherent in the clinical practice of cardiovascular perfusion.
• Practice in a safe manner.
• Respond appropriately to emergencies.
• Treat all patients, families, colleagues, and other members of the health care team with dignity and respect.
• Demonstrate honesty, integrity, dedication, compassion and motivation.
• Accept constructive criticism and respond appropriately with an acceptable modification of behavior.

Observation

Students and candidates for program admission should be able to:

• Visualize information presented in images from paper and projections such as PowerPoint slides and video.
• Observe laboratory, lecture and clinical demonstrations.
• Observe patients and members of the healthcare team accurately at a distance and close.

Upon acceptance, students must provide written documentation of the following:

TB Testing
Either a 2-step TB skin test (both within 1 year, with the most recent within 3 months of start date) or a blood assay for TB (IGRA, T-Spot, QuantiFERON, etc within 3 months of start). Confirmatory testing for initial positive tests may be needed, depending on risk status as per CDC guidance.  Individuals with confirmed positive TB tests will need a chest x-ray within 6 months of your start date. Complete the TB Screening Questionnaire if you have ever had a positive (abnormal) TB skin or blood test.

Varicella
We accept proof of immunity to varicella (chickenpox) via a positive IgG blood test or documentation of two doses of varicella vaccine. Once the 2 dose vaccine series is begun, it must be completed; a blood test after only one dose of vaccine does not indicate optimal immunity and will not satisfy the requirements.

Measles
Anyone born in 1957 or later needs two immunizations for measles, like the MMR (and they need to be at least one month apart, given after your first birthday). Alternatively, documentation of a positive IgG blood test for measles will satisfy this requirement. Blood testing is not recommended by the CDC and is not routinely provided in our program.

Mumps
Anyone born in 1957 or later need one mumps immunization (MMR). Only vaccines given after your first birthday count. Alternatively, documentation of a positive IgG blood test for mumps will satisfy this requirement. As for measles, blood testing is not recommended by the CDC and is not routinely provided in our program.

Rubella
Everyone needs proof of immunity to rubella (German measles) via one rubella immunization (such as MMR) given after your first birthday. Alternatively, documentation of a positive IgG blood test for rubella will satisfy this requirement. Blood testing for rubella immunity is only provided by our program for individuals born prior to 1957 because they do not need an MMR vaccination to meet measles and mumps requirements.

Hepatitis B
The hepatitis B vaccine is offered to students whose jobs place them at risk of exposure to blood, body fluid, or human tissue. Vaccination is strongly encouraged. If you wish to decline the hepatitis B vaccine, please complete a declination form. 

Pertussis
Required to have documentation of one booster dose of pertussis vaccine in the form of Tdap. Routine adult Td boosters and the childhood DTP/DTaP vaccines do not satisfy this requirement.

Influenza
All current students must have received the flu shot by December 1 each year. New students start between November and March must have received a flu shot or have an approved exemption prior to their start date.

COVID-19
All students must have documentation of the full primary series of COVID-19 vaccines (with an FDA-approved/emergency use authorized or WHO-approved vaccine) or have an approved exemption. Students, once eligible, must also receive the COVID-19 booster or have an approved exemption.

Exemptions can be requested through VUMC if selected for the program, but they are not guaranteed. Some external clinical rotation sites require Covid-19 vaccines of all students.To request an exemption from any required vaccination, please complete the Vaccination Exemption Request Form and provide any supplemental information as directed. 

Vanderbilt policy requires Allied Health students to be fitted with an N-95 respirator to provide protection from exposure to airborne endemic diseases. This N-95 respirator fit testing will be conducted free of charge during your orientation period at VUMC. 

VUMC is not able to admit international students at this time. Green Card holders are not considered international applicants and are therefore eligible for admission consideration.

• The program considers applicants as an international student if the applicant is a citizen of any nation other than the United States of America. Applicants will not be considered as an international student if you are a dual U.S. citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, refugee/asylee, or a U.S. citizen living abroad. 
• For education obtained at a non-U.S. Institution, translation into the U.S. equivalency (i.e., equivalence of credits per course and of degree conferred) by an independent evaluation provider must be submitted with this application (translation into English language only is NOT accepted).  The following are examples of foreign transcript and degree evaluators.  VUMC does not endorse any evaluators. 
  • Foreign Consultants:  http://www.foreignconsultants.com/
  • Educational Credential Evaluators:  http://www.ece.org/
  • Educational Perspectives:  http://www.educational-perspectives.org/
  • International Consultants of Delaware:  http://www.icdeval.com/
  • International Research Foundation, Inc.:  http://www.ierf.org/
  • World Education Services:  http://www.wes.org/

The Test of English as a Foreign Language test (TOEFL) is required for students for whom English is not their first language. A total TOEFL score of at least 88 on the internet-based version and 570 on the paper-based version is required.