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The Pump RoomCardiac OR Field Guide
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Resource library

Practical tools for learning the field without guessing.

Start here when you need checklists, templates, vocabulary, program research, shadowing questions, or a structured way to compare options.

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Core tools

What readers will actually use.

The goal is not to overwhelm people with content. It is to give them the next useful action.

Start

New to perfusion or cardiac OR careers?

Follow a simple 7-step learning path.

 Programs

Program directory and applicant checklist

Compare school length, GPA snapshots, contacts, and questions to verify.

 Pathways

Routes into the field

See how different backgrounds can connect to perfusion, ECMO, OR support, and device careers.

 Templates

Emails that don’t sound desperate

Program questions, shadowing requests, interview asks, and correction requests.

 Glossary

Perfusion and ECMO terms

CPB, ECMO, VAD, oxygenator, prime, call schedule, cell saver, and more.

 Jobs

Job posting signal guide

Understand call, case mix, ECMO, new-grad language, and salary transparency.

Applicant toolkit

Use this before contacting a program.

Prereq trackerCreate columns for school, biology, A&P, chemistry, physics, math, statistics, GPA, shadowing, GRE, deadline, tuition, and contact.
Shadowing logTrack date, site, role observed, cases seen if allowed, and what you learned. Do not include patient identifiers.
Question bankAsk about cohort size, clinical rotations, board prep, case exposure, travel, and outcomes.
Verification habitSave screenshots or PDFs of official requirements for your own planning because pages change.