Entry Requirements and Application Process for
Masters of Extracorporeal Science
Only courses provided by education providers registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Authority (TEQSA) are eligible for accreditation by the ANZCP. The ANZCP has not yet accredited a course. However, the ANZCP recognises the Medical University of South Carolina’s ‘Master of Science in Extracorporeal Science’ (MUSC-ECS) as providing an acceptable level of the academic knowledge for competency (as described in the Competency Standards) when combined with a traineeship in Clinical Perfusion at a recognised training hospital.
There are two pathways for certification by the ANZCP: an Australian and New Zealand pathway; and one for Overseas Trained Perfusionists (see the Overseas Trained Perfusionist Policy for further information). For the Australian and New Zealand pathway, applicants for Certification who successfully complete:
- the MUSC-ECS;
- a Clinical Perfusion Traineeship at a recognised training hospital; and
- the ANZCP entrance exams,
are eligible to apply for initial certification. See Certification for further details.
If your institution is not currently recognised please contact the board directly at abcpsec@anzcp.org
Candidates must meet the entry requirements for the Medical University of South Carolina Masters in Extracorporeal Science program https://chp.musc.edu/academics/cvp/extracorporeal-science
Entry Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline with a minimum GPA of 5.0 (Australia) or B grade (New Zealand).
GPA conversion can be done here: https://applications.wes.org/igpa-calculator/
- Relevant disciplines include:
- Biomedical Science
- Science
- Applied Science
- Health Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- However, all degree types are considered including Nursing and degrees from a non-science background
- Prerequisite undergraduate subjects include:
- Anatomy & Physiology (includes lab)
- Chemistry (includes lab)
- Medical Terminology
Pre-requisites may be covered as part of an undergraduate degree and will be assessed by MUSC for eligibility. Failure to satisfy pre-requisite subjects may require studying stand-alone courses to support knowledge base. Any bridging studies would need to be complete before the course commences.
Studying pre-requisite courses may not affect an offer of employment. Any judgement would lie with the employing hospital / perfusion group.
Application documents required:
Certified copy of official academic transcript: Applicant transcripts will need to be externally verified as this cannot be done by MUSC for overseas students. Transcript evaluations costs approximately $200 (USD) and can be completed through:
World Education Services https://www.wes.org/
or
International Education Research Foundation https://ierf.org/
3 References: Applicants will need to supply email addresses of their references. MUSC will contact references independently.
TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language (may be required)
Details:
Entries close March 31st each year.
Course begins September each year.
If your GPA doesn’t meet the standard, you are not currently eligible.
Any further enquiry should be directed to MUSC as the educating body.
MUSC Course Enquiries:
David Fitzgerald, DHA, MPH, CCP, CES-A
Assistant Professor
Division Director, CVP Program
fitzgerd@musc.edu
or
ANZCP Perfusion Enquiries
admin@anzcp.org
In a bid to assist understanding the current circumstances and course with the Medical University of Southern Carolina, the ANZBP have put together a Questions and Answer style page to assist everyone’s understanding, as well as the video directly below.
Commonly Asked Questions
Since the 1990’s Perfusionists have studied the ‘Structured Course in Clinical Perfusion’ which is administered by the ABCP. Between 2006 and 2011, a Masters course at Swinburne University enabled Perfusionists to gain a higher degree. However, due to low numbers, the course was discontinued.
The ANZCP and ABCP believe that a Master’s level degree ensures Perfusionists are educated to a level that suits the requirements of the profession.
After discussing the course needs with Universities in Australasia, it was apparent that a low number of students (usually 3 – 5 per year) would not be viable. MUSC plans to take students from other countries in the future to keep the course viable.
September 2022 will be the first intake for the MUSC course. There will only be 1 intake per academic year and we will follow the northern hemisphere academic dates (September to June).
30,000USD. Approximately 40,000AUD or 42,000NZD.
(Current as of Dec 2021)
The course will run over 5 semesters taking around 21 months. Year 1 has 3 semesters and Year 2 will have 2 semesters.
No. On completion of the MSc course, candidates will be eligible to sit the ANZBP Board Exams. Candidates will need to pass both the MSc and Board exams to become certified. Candidates will also need to have completed 200 clinical cases to sit the ABCP Board exams.
The course is best studied as part of a trainee perfusionist position at a recognised training hospital in Australasia.
Applicants to the MUSC Perfusion Program require a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 from a US University (Scale 0-4 GPA). In Australia this is equivalent to a GPA of 5.0 and in New Zealand, a ’B’ grade average at undergraduate level. Head of Departments are urged to keep this GPA in mind when hiring staff, as they must satisfy the MUSC entrance criteria to commence the course.
Undergraduate course transcripts will be assessed by MUSC for eligibility. The current Master’s in Cardiovascular Perfusion (from which the new course is derived), requires a Bachelor’s degree.
See the Entry Requirements page for a comprehensive breakdown of entry requirements to the MS-ECS course
https://chp.musc.edu/academics/cvp/extracorporeal-science
No. The course is aimed at international students and isn’t accredited by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion.
Provisional course content is shown in the table below:
Curriculum by Year | |||||
Course Name | Credit Hours | Course Name | Credit Hours | Course Name | Credit Hours |
Year 1 | |||||
Fall | Spring | Summer | |||
CVP-700 Clinical Monitoring | 3 | Pathophysiology for Perfusion | 4 | Principles and Practices of Perfusion | 4 |
Perfusion Technology I | 3 | Perfusion Technology II | 3 | Cardiac Assist Devices | 2 |
Pathophysiology | 4 | Fundamentals of Acid/Base | 2 | Extracorporeal Life Support | 1 |
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| Research Methodology | 3 |
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Total Semester Hours | 10 | Total Semester Hours | 9 | Total Semester Hours | 10 |
Year 2 | |||||
Fall | Spring | Summer | |||
Research Methodology II | 3 | Advanced Pediatric Perfusion | 2 |
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Perioperative Blood Management | 2 | Research Methodology III | 3 |
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IP Foundations | 1 | Pharmacology for Perfusion | 4 |
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Quality Improvement & Informatics | 2 |
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Total Semester Hours | 8 | Total Semester Hours | 9 | Total Semester Hours |
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Yes. Course content will be delivered as an e-learning format.
The Board will continue to explore course alternatives in Australia, with the aim to have a locally delivered course
in the future, however, this is currently not a viable option due to our low annual enrolment numbers. As there is
still much fine-tuning to do, we endeavour to keep you updated throughout the progress and welcome any input
from members
Here’s a link to MUSC’s resident Master’s course in Cardiovascular Perfusion :
Contact the ANZBP for further information at abcp@anzcp.org
Cut-off date for applications is March 31st each year
