MASTER THE MACHINES – A Clinical Course in Mechanical Circulatory Support

What is ‘Master the Machines’?

In short, Master the Machines is exactly what the name implies. A clinical course designed to help you master a variety of mechanical circulatory support devices!

​As a new cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist, I found myself taking care of many patients on a variety of mechanical support devices, from ECMO, to HeartMate 3 LVADs, Balloon Pumps and more. In taking care of these patients I quickly found that there was a lot of learning to be done that couldn’t necessarily be found in a textbook, but many times required more clinical experiences. What’s more was that time I learned something new about a device, more questions and clinical scenarios would arise regarding how the devices work, how to place them or how to manage them- If I had these questions and concerns, I had a hunch that many others have the same ones as well.

So, I started writing it all down, drawing diagrams, labeling pictures and compiling my own set of notes on the devices including how they work, how to place and remove them, management strategies and goals, imaging, weaning, troubleshooting emergencies and everything else about them I would need to know to successfully manage these patients. And thus, ‘Master the Machines’ was born.

​By combining my passion for medical education with my love of drawing and my day to day work with these devices, I have sought to create a constantly growing and evolving educational program to help others better understand the fast moving field of mechanical circulatory support with fun graphics, comprehensive PDFs and easy to follow short form videos!