Carrie
Whittaker '01
Pediatric Clinical Perfusionist and Researcher
Position Description:
Provide extracorporeal perfusion services and related procedures for pediatric
cardiac and respiratory patients. My duties include operating a heart-lung
machine during open heart surgery, facilitating ExtraCorporeal Membrane
Oxygenation (ECMO) for patients requiring cardiac and/or pulmonary support,
conducting intra-operative blood salvage or autotransfusion, analyzing
perfusion methods through QI database and reporting techniques, as well
as the perfusion correspondent for Clinical Research Board. I'm also an
Associate Professor with the University of Nebraska Medical School.
Necessary education or experience:
I have acquired my Masters degree from the University of Nebraska Medical
School and have rotated through many clinical sites including Great Ormond
Street Hospital in London, England.
MSOE and Biomedical Engineering
Do you think a degree in BE is a good choice?
I do believe that BE was a good choice. BE gave me a broad enough background to
excel in any technical career that I wanted post-MSOE.
Why did you choose MSOE's BE program?
MSOE is a good choice for college since it demands excellence from you. There
is no easy way through MSOE. Subsequently, you are taught to survive regardless
of the situation or environment. MSOE teaches you to be self-sufficient
mentally and emotionally. This puts you light years apart of your peers.
Additionally, MSOE's BE program was a small size and the content of the
program was rigorious.
What did you like about MSOE's
BE program?
I really enjoyed the small size of the university. It was great to be a part of
so many different aspects of the university such as sports, student government,
and resident assistant. I also enjoyed the variety of the subject matter.
Now that you have graduated and are in the workforce, are you happy with the education that you received in the BE program at MSOE?
Yes, I feel that MSOE gives you a better perspective of the workforce and gets
you ready for how to be successful outside of the university.
Key skills that are necessary to be successful in your position:
Spontaneity, confidence, trustworthyness, careful, caring, technical, and bright
A description of your path to your current position:
I began working as an analyst for Accenture working on the development of shipping
applications for United Parcel Service. After programming for one and a
half years I decided to go to graduate school and get my masters to become
a perfusionist. I studied at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and
obtained my Masters in Perfusion. Upon completion of my masters, I decided
to specialize in pediatric perfusion and went to work for Children's Mercy
Hospital in Kansas City, MO. I currently practice at Children's Mercy and
am very involved in research on top of my perfusion duties. Recently, I
had the opprotunity to go the the 4th World Congress in Pediatric Cardiology
and Cardiac Surgery in Buenos Aires, Argentina to present my research on
Deep Hypothermic Arrest.
Good (and bad) aspects of your current position:
The good aspects are that I get to help children through my specialty. The cons
are that I am attached to a pager day and night.
| For information about MSOE's B.S. in Biomedical Engineering program, contact interim program director Dr. Charles Tritt at (414) 277-7421. |