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Perfusionist sees career path reinforced by Heather Woolwine Public Relations The highlight of a health care student’s career is when one patient or case reinforces reasons for having chosen a particular discipline.   For Stuart Grant, College of Health Professions Cardiovascular Perfusion program graduate, that patient was the little boy who came to MUSC to receive a Berlin Heart. (This case was  in a previous issue of The Catalyst, visit http://www.musc.edu/catalyst/archive/2007/co4-27patient.html).   “It was a milestone event for many reasons, but for me it was also just as important that I was able to be a part of a patient’s care from the absolute worst point of his condition at the beginning, when the child was placed on ECHMO (heart-lung machine) in preparation of giving him the Berlin Heart, to him receiving a heart transplant,” Grant said. “To see him leave the hospital was so exciting. It was also a rewarding experience, because everyone involved with the Berlin Heart procedure was on the same level because no one here had done one before. We were all asking and thinking the same questions. It had this great team feeling to it and it was a very positive way to see good inter-disciplinary work.”   Cardiovascular perfusionist Stuart Grant Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Grant received his diploma in respiratory therapy and worked there for two years before moving to Los Angeles. After two years there, he spent three years in Saudi Arabia working as a respiratory therapist before returning to Canada. Grant soon realized he was interested in pursuing a degree in cardiovascular perfusion with a pediatric focus. He applied to several schools and was accepted by several of the top perfusion programs in the country, but chose to come to MUSC.   “This school offered a rich clinical experience, and it had a strong didactic component, so it really looked like the best alternative for a guy who had been out of school for 10 years,” he said. “It was also the only program that offered the opportunity to work with pediatric cases, and it didn’t hurt that the school was located in Charleston.”   “The faculty at Syracuse University is still upset about us ‘stealing’ him,” said Joe Sistino, perfusion program director and chief perfusionist. “His background in respiratory therapy from Canada has given him a unique prospective of the perfusion program. He did very well in both his clinical and academic work, and especially in his research. He has creative skills that were evident in his beautiful presentation at Student Research Day. His involvement with Presidential Scholars also sets him apart.”   Indeed, Grant found the scholars program to be  rewarding and said that learning from people in different disciplines was a good exercise in what he will encounter in the future. Valerie West, Ph.D., associate provost for education and student life, felt that Grant’s health care background in another country enriched the experience for others in the program.   “Stuart was able to bring a fresh perspective to the Presidential Scholars Program as we considered how health policy formation influences health disparities. He brought wisdom, thoughtfulness, knowledge, and a wonderful spirit of collaboration to the program,” West said.   So, do star students like Grant face challenges when they go through a health care program of study, or is it smooth sailing? According to Grant, it’s all about time management. “We half-jokingly refer to this program as an unrecognized master’s program because of the volume of work that has to be completed,” he said. “But it’s really not unreasonable when you are looking at the responsibilities of this job. You have great cases during your clinical rotations that make you feel prepared, and then you go through this natural period of time where you start thinking, ‘I don’t know this, I don’t want to hurt someone, am I going to be able to handle this?’ In addition to that, I had some difficulty adjusting to a new city where I didn’t know a single person, and I had to deal with the loss of my oldest sister, Lori, to liver cancer last spring. She was an amazing human being and a registered nurse who was always supportive and enthusiastic about what I was doing. Overall, though, managing my time and having a great support system is what kept me going.”   Grant may not have encountered many surprises in the program, having already been a seasoned health care professional at work for 10 years, but he did learn that being a perfusionist requires a great deal of humility.   “You have to be open to criticism and really learning what you need to know,” he said. “You can’t be afraid to verbalize your limitations when the time is right. This profession generally attracts type A personalities... so getting back a grade that is not what you hoped for only drives you to perform better the next time.”   Grant admits that classmates and faculty also play a large role in driving perfusion students to succeed. “Mindy Blackwell was a big help with my research, and Tony Shackleford and Jason Nance were excellent clinical teachers,” Grant said. “They shared a lot of invaluable experience.”   Stuart accepted a position with the pediatric perfusion program at the University California, Los Angeles where he says that clinical perfusion work will only be the beginning  in his new field. “Going through a career change while in my 30s has given me this sense of wanting to contribute something more than just clinical expertise to health care. I think graduate studies, research and teaching are likely to be in my future,” he said. “MUSC really primed me well. I don’t think I could have gone to a better school.”   “He has the potential to be a future leader of the perfusion profession,” Sistino said.   As he readies for the move, Grant is looking forward to being on the West Coast again, with friends he knows there, as well as only a three-hour plane ride home to visit family. He is enjoying the break in study and work, however brief it might be.   “The learning is never really over and I still have a lot of work ahead, but it’s nice to have nothing to do at the moment,” Grant said. “I woke up the other morning and my books were still spread out all over the place and instead of having to think about what I needed to take to school with me that day, I was able to smile at the realization that they were going into a box for the time being.” Stuart couldn’t have made it without: 1. My friends 2. Coffee 3. Classmates 4. Understanding and patience 5. American Idol     Friday, May 18, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.