Perfusionist
Posted Aug 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
Behavioral
Tell me about a time something went wrong on bypass, like a sudden pressure drop or a line problem, and how you handled it in the moment.
composure and decision-making speed during an actual crisis, not hypothetical calm
Tell me about a case where the surgeon wanted something you disagreed with clinically. How did you handle that conversation?
ability to advocate for patient safety while maintaining a working relationship with surgeons
This role includes night, weekend, and holiday call. Tell me about a time you were called in unexpectedly for a complex case, like a transplant or emergency ECMO cannulation, and how you prepared on short notice.
whether the on-call demands of this schedule are something they've actually lived with
Since this site trains MSOE perfusion students, have you mentored or precepted someone new to the field, and how do you balance teaching with running a live case?
fit with the program's teaching mission and ability to multitask supervision with patient care
Technical
Walk me through how you'd set up and run the pump for a routine CABG case, from priming through weaning off bypass.
basic competence and fluency with standard bypass workflow
Tell me about your experience with Del Nido cardioplegia versus micro-cardioplegia through the Quest system, and when you'd choose one over the other.
hands-on familiarity with the specific myocardial protection equipment this team uses
Have you run ECMO cases before, and what's the highest-acuity ECMO situation you've managed?
real experience with the roughly 35 ECMO cases a year this program handles, not just textbook knowledge
What's your experience with the Terumo System 1 and the FX oxygenator specifically, compared to other systems you've used?
whether they can step into this equipment without a long ramp-up
How do you use TEG 6s data to guide decisions about blood product administration or heparin reversal during a case?
whether they actually use point-of-care coagulation data or just watch the numbers pass by
Have you worked with cell saver systems like the Medtronic Autolog, and how do you decide when to process and reinfuse versus discard?
judgment around blood conservation, a real cost and safety factor in cardiac surgery
How do you keep your documentation and electronic medical records accurate and complete when a case gets chaotic?
attention to detail and compliance discipline under pressure, not just technical pump skill
Situational
If you saw air in the arterial line during a case, walk me through exactly what you'd do, in order.
whether safety protocols are automatic and correctly sequenced, since hesitation here is dangerous
If a heart transplant and a routine valve case both needed staffing on the same night, how would you think through prioritizing and communicating with the team?
triage instincts and communication under competing urgent demands
Tell me about a case, maybe a HIPEC or Angiovac procedure, that was outside your usual routine. How did you prepare for it?
adaptability to the less common procedures this program performs beyond standard cardiac cases
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