It is the intent of the Respiratory Therapist Program to produce graduates prepared for careers as professional Respiratory Therapists. In doing so, the program provides both didactic and clinical training to enable each graduate to function as an assistant to the physician in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective respiratory therapy. Graduates also serve as educational and therapeutic resources for patients who suffer disorders of the cardiopulmonary system.

The Program educates individuals to become respiratory therapists capable of administering respiratory care based on the application of principles and concepts involved in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases and related abnormalities, both in traditional and non-traditional settings. Graduates are eligible to attempt both the Entry-Level Examination for Respiratory Care Practitioners and the Advanced Practitioner Examination System as administered by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC). Successful completion of these examinations earns the Registered Respiratory Therapist credential. With a need for 57,000 respiratory therapists by 2014, the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 21-35% growth in this health care field.

Since its beginning at WCC in 1977, the Respiratory Therapist Program has prepared over 300 graduates for employment in local health care agencies. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), the Respiratory Therapy program seeks to assist in meeting the shortage of health care workers in this field.

Admission to the Respiratory Therapist Program is competitive and applications are accepted in May and June of each year for Fall semester entry. For specific guidance, you may contact Mr. Drayton Odom, Program Director, or Ms. Tomi Sherlock, Allied Health Secretary.

This project was funded, in part, by a grant awarded under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grants, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.