Perfusion programs are small, and almost all of them interview a short list of applicants in a set window. Cleveland Clinic publishes exactly what its interview evaluates. Here is what named programs say about the 2026-27 cycle, from their own pages.
From perfusion programs’ own admissions pages2026-27 cycleChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:FormatsWhat they assessPractice questionsHow to prepareFAQ
Interview formats at named programs
| Program | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | In person, Omaha | Interviews January 20-26, 2027. “Interviews consist of individual interview with admissions committee members and time to speak with current students.” Source |
| University of Utah | Virtual | “Invitations to interview will be sent by the end of December 2026. Virtual interviews will be conducted in January 2027.” Source |
| USC Keck | Faculty and leadership | Applications closed September 30, 2026. In October 2026, “a select portion of the applicants will be invited to interview with program faculty and leadership.” The class is selected in December 2026. Source |
| MUSC | By invitation | Fall 2027 applications run July 1 to December 1, 2026. “Competitive, qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.” Offers go out in March or April. Source |
| Cleveland Clinic | Interview, scored on named traits | For the 2027-2028 year: “admission to the Cardiovascular Perfusion Program is a selective process that includes an interview.” Source |
What perfusion interviews assess
Cleveland Clinic’s admissions document is the clearest statement we found. Each applicant is evaluated “based on information obtained from both the application materials collected and the interview. These attributes being evaluated include demonstrated emotional intelligence and stress management, ability to work effectively in team settings, strategies for resolving conflict, and a clearly expressed motivation and interest in the field of cardiovascular perfusion.” (Cleveland Clinic)
That list fits the job. A perfusionist runs the heart-lung machine during surgery, inside a team, under real pressure. Expect questions that ask you to prove calm, teamwork, and conflict skills with specific stories, and be ready to explain what you saw in the operating room while observing a case.
Practice questions
Most programs don’t publish their questions. These are my practice prompts, not questions any program has published:
- What does a perfusionist do during a bypass case, in your own words?
- Tell us about a time you stayed calm when something went wrong.
- Describe a conflict on a team and how you handled it.
- What did you see during your case observation that surprised you?
- How do you handle a mistake you made in front of others?
- Why perfusion, rather than nursing, anesthesia, or respiratory therapy?
- Why our program?
How to prepare
- Prepare a stress story, a team story, and a conflict story. Those are three of Cleveland Clinic’s named attributes.
- Describe a case you observed step by step, using the right terms.
- Put interview windows on your calendar. UNMC interviews January 20-26, 2027; Utah in January 2027.
- Talk with current students on the interview day. UNMC builds that time into the schedule.
- Do a mock interview on video if your interview is virtual, as at Utah.
Your interviewers may have your application in front of them, so reread your own perfusion personal statement before the interview. If you haven’t submitted yet, see our perfusion personal statement examples, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor.
For anesthesiologist assistant, respiratory therapy, and other professions, see our allied health interview guide.
For interviews held on video, see Zoom interview tips from Julie Cunningham, a licensed speech-language pathologist.
Practice with a real interviewer before the real one. My wife, Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who runs mock interviews on Zoom for perfusion applicants. She coaches every format: one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video interviews such as Kira Talent. She works on how your answers come across: clear key words, pace, voice, filler words, organizing an answer so it has a point, staying steady when you’re nervous, and how you look and sound on camera. It’s $250 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Do perfusion programs interview?
Yes. Every program on this page interviews a selected group of applicants before admitting a class.
What do perfusion interviews assess?
Cleveland Clinic names emotional intelligence and stress management, teamwork, strategies for resolving conflict, and clear motivation for the field of cardiovascular perfusion.
When are perfusion interviews?
It varies by program. USC invites applicants in October 2026, while UNMC (January 20-26, 2027) and Utah (January 2027) interview in January.
Are perfusion interviews virtual?
Some are. Utah’s are virtual, while UNMC’s are in person in Omaha.
Related guides: Allied health, Radiation therapy, Sonography, Respiratory therapy, Medical laboratory science, Dietetic internship, and Genetic counseling. See all interview guides by program.
Every date and quotation on this page comes from the program’s own admissions page or admissions document, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.