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Biological&

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Biological & Health Sciences Division

RESPIRATORYTHERAPY

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Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of TrusteesJoan Barram; Betsy Bechtel; Pearl Cheng; Laura Casas Frier; Bruce Swenson; Erica Anderson, Foothill Student Trustee; Isabelle Barrientos Vargas, De AnzaStudent Trustee

Non-Discrimination StatementFoothill College does not discriminate against any person in the provision of itseducational programs and services, and personnel practices on the basis of race,color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, maritalstatus, physical disability or mental disability. Coordination of Title IX of theEducation Amendments of 1972 prohibiting sex discrimination; Section 504 of theRehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990governing accessibility is the responsibility of Vice President of Instruction &Student Development Rose Myers, (650) 949-7228.

Limited English PolicyProspective students are advised that a lack of English language skills will not bea barrier to admission to, or participation in vocational education programs atFoothill College as long as other, if any, program admission standards are met.This notice is a requirement of the Guidelines for Elimination of Discrimination &Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, National Origin, Sex & Handicap(Federal Register; Vol. 44, No. 56). Reglamento sobre Limitaciones en el IdiomaInglés—Se les aconseja a posibles estudiantes que la carencia del idioma Inglésno será una barrera para la admisión, o participación en programas de educaciónvocacional en Foothill College, siempre y cuando todos los otros, si existieran,criterios de admisión del programa sean completados. Esta nota es un requisitode la Guía para la Eliminación de la Decscriminación y Rechazo de Servicios enBase a la Raza, Color, Nacionalidad de Origen, Sexo e Impedimento (RegistroFederal; Vol. 44, No. 56).

Printed by the Foothill College Marketing Office • 2571 BIO Respiratory • 12.09

About Foothill CollegeFoothill College is located on El Monte Road in Los AltosHills, just off Interstate 280, about 40 miles south of SanFrancisco, and 20 miles north of San Jose.

Since opening in 1958, Foothill College has beenrecognized as one of the outstanding community colleges inthe country. In keeping with its philosophy of educationalopportunity for all, Foothill College offers outstandinginstruction and student support services, includingcounseling and financial aid.

The Respiratory Therapy Program is offered by theBiological & Health Sciences Division. For information access www.foothill.edu/bio/programs/respther or call (650) 949-7538.

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Respiratory Therapy Program

What Is Respiratory Therapy?The two-year Foothill College Respiratory Therapy Programprepares you for employment in the exciting high-tech health care field of respiratory care. Respiratory therapists manage the ventilation of critically ill patients as well as provide acuteand chronic care to patients with pulmonary disease. Most workis performed in the hospital environment. Program graduates are 100-percent eligible to take all national board exams. Theprogram has an excellent pass record for national board andstate licensure examinations.

Respiratory care offers the chance to work closely withpatients and other health care practitioners in a career which isboth personally and financially rewarding.

Career Opportunities & Employment OutlookThe Foothill College Respiratory Therapy Program prepares you forentry into the field as a registry-eligible therapist. You mayspecialize in several areas, and with experience, become a leadtherapist, supervisor, in-service educator or department director.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average annualsalary for respiratory therapists in the Foothill College area is$78,350. The Department of Labor also estimates thatemployment of respiratory therapists is expected to grow 19percent through 2016. The increasing demand will come fromsubstantial growth in the middle-aged and elderly population.

Working as a Respiratory TherapistMuch of the work for respiratory therapy is located in theintensive care unit. In this setting, the respiratory therapistmonitors mechanical ventilators which help critically ill patientsbreathe. The respiratory therapist may also give breathingtreatments to assist patients with pulmonary problems. Becausethe respiratory therapist routinely works with a variety of medicalpersonnel under high stress conditions, he or she must be aspecial kind of person. In addition to respiratory critical care, thetherapist can also choose to work in many other areas.

AccreditationThis program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation ofAllied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Committeeon Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), both of which aresponsored by the American Association of Respiratory Care,American College of Chest Physicians, American Society ofAnesthesiologists and American Thoracic Society.

Program RequirementsRequirements listed below are subject to change. For the mostup-to-date information, refer to the current program application atwww.foothill.edu/bio/programs/respther. We stronglyencourage you to complete general education courses, especiallyanatomy, physiology and microbiology, prior to entry into theprogram. If you need counseling for these academicrequirements, schedule a counseling consultation atwww.foothill.edu/transfer/counseling.html.

Two-Year Program Prerequisites• Completion of high school graduation or equivalency;• Completion of high school or college chemistry and algebra;• Minimum 2.5 grade point average;• Compliance with specific technical standards; and• Eligibility for ENGL 1A or ESL 26 courses;• Completion of the RSPT course; and• Completion of medical terminology coursework

(at least 2 units).General education courses are waived for students who have

a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university.The RSPT 200L course is strongly recommended for all applicants.

How to ApplyThe Respiratory Therapy Program application is available Aug. 1. The application deadline for the program is typically May 30. The application, program information and admission criteriadetails are posted at www.foothill.edu/bio/programs/respther/or by calling the Biological & Health Sciences Division at (650) 949-7538. Students are notified of acceptance in July andstart training in September. Applicants who have previouslyapplied and wish to reapply must submit a new application. Two official copies of transcripts are required from all schools attended.

Application deadlines may change. Consult the applicationprogram deadlines, which can be found atwww.foothill.edu/bio/programs/respther.

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