Education of Perfusionists in Turkey

Introduction: Until the beginning of the 2000s, in Turkey, perfusionists were educated through a masterapprentice relationship. Recently, college-level training programs have been developed. In this study, the current perfusion education programs available in our country and the future of perfusionists are discussed. Patients and Methods: Based on the placement guide of the 2018 Student Selection Placement Examination, higher education programs, quotas for perfusionists and/or perfusion techniques, and training programs were examined in this study. Results: In Turkey, six government universities and 12 private universities offer college programs. In addition, 5 private universities provide a secondary education program. While the quota mentioned in the 2018 ÖSYS preference guide is 215 for state universities, 520 are included for private universities including primary and secondary education. Further, one government university and three private universities provide undergraduate education, and the total quota for undergraduate perfusionist programs at these universities is 150. Conclusion: The total quota for perfusionists at universities is extremely high to create employment constraints in the near future. Arranging conferences according to the needs of perfusionists and planning education programs concerning the future of cardiac surgery will ensure more informed perfusionists.