Respiratory Therapy, A.A.S.

Associate in Applied Science
Health Sciences Division

Program Code: RESP2

Office: Curtice-Mott Complex CM2313

Phone: (810) 762-0317

The Respiratory Therapist is a health care professional who specializes in the application of scientific knowledge in providing and supporting the pulmonary requirements for a wide variety of patients that include newborn infants, children, adults and the elderly. Respiratory Therapists work under the direction of a physician to assess, manage, treat, educate and care for patients with a wide range of cardiopulmonary disorders. The Respiratory Therapist works in a collaborative fashion with other health care providers to restore the cardiopulmonary health of the patient.

The overall goal of the program is to prepare graduates with demonstrated competency in the knowledge, skills and professional behavior of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs).

Respiratory Therapy is a licensed profession in the State of Michigan. The Michigan Department of Community Health Bureau of Health Professions, www.michigan.gov/mdch is responsible for granting licensure for qualified applicants. The program provides the student with the knowledge and experience that will qualify them to take the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) examinations to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). The website for the NBRC is http://www.nbrc.org/.

This program for respiratory care (program number 200294) at Mott Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.  CoARC Office Hours Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time.

The link to the website is http://www.coarc.com/.  In addition, CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an ‘outcomes based’ process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented.” These outcomes can be viewed at the following link  https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data.

The majority of the clinical experience portion of the program is performed the following clinical affiliates: Genesys Regional Medical Center, Hurley Regional Medical Center, Lapeer Regional Medical Center, McLaren Regional Medical Center, Memorial Healthcare, University of Michigan Health System and Grand Blanc Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

 

Admission Process:

1. Student completes eligibility requirements for the program.

2. Complete and submit online Supplemental Application

3. Coordinator receives supplemental application for the program.

4. Coordinator verifies that all requirements have been met.

5. Coordinator notifies student of acceptance into the program and date student can expect to begin classes.

6. Student attends orientation session prior to Fall semester.

Eligibility Requirements:

1. Be admitted to MCC and declare intent to enter the RT program.
2. Maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 in eligibility requirement courses (see #5 for specific courses).
3. Demonstrate College level reading comprehension on the ACCUPLACER placement test within the last 5 years, or a minimum score of 20 on the reading portion of the ACT, or a score of 27 on the reading portion of the SAT, within the last 5 years. A satisfactory grade in RDNG-030 or a grade of 2.0 in ACRD-090 or ACRD-091 within the last 5 years will also meet this requirement - or passed ENGL101 with a 2.0 or higher.
4. Demonstrate math proficiency by placing into Math-130, or higher on the ACCUPLACER placement test within the last 5 years, or completion of MATH-118 or higher level course with a grade of 2.0 or higher. A minimum score of 590 on the math portion of the SAT or a minimum score of 25 on the math portion of the ACT within the last 5 years will also meet this requirement.
5. Complete AHLT 102, BIOL 101, BIOL 151, and BIOL 152 wiht a “C” or 2.0 grade or better.
6. Submit a current cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) card. The card must be the BLS Health Care Provider from the American Heart Association or the Professional Rescuer from the American Red Cross.
7. Complete a minimum of 4 hours of a “job shadowing” experience at an approved clinical affiliate. The program coordinator will schedule the appointment.
8. Submit a Supplemental Application online. This application should be submitted once the last eligibility requirement is completed.
9. When student is notified of their admission to the programs current fall semester, they must have an acceptable criminal background check for the purpose of identifying any student who could not continue in the program due to a felony conviction (with the last 15 years) or misdemeanor conviction (within the last 1, 3, 5, 0r 10 years) in accordance with State statutes and laws. Students may be required to have additional checks prior to the start of the clinical sequence of the program at the request of specific clinical facilities. The cost of the criminal background check is the responsibility of the student. This requirement should be completed less than 6 months prior to the start of actual respiratory therapy courses which occurs during the first fall semester. The program coordinator will notify the student which fall semester the student may begin the program. A student who has a question about their criminal background status due to a possible felony or misdemeanor may want to submit an earlier request.

Application Process:

1. Students meeting the minimum eligibility requirements will be ranked for admission into the program using a point ranking system. Points will be awarded to students based on the appliation portfolio submitted by the deadline.

2. All eligibility coursework must have been completed prior to the application deadline; (May 30th) for admission to the Fall semester. Consideration will not be given for coursework or other requirements that are in progress.

3. The student applicant is responsible for providing documentation of eligibility. The online application portfolio must include the following information:

a. Supplemental application for admission to the Respiratory Therapy Program, by the deadline date for the semester the student is seeking admission.

b. Student copy of transcripts of all transfer coursework (an official transcript must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for course equivalencies to be applied to the student’s MCC transcript).

c. A current BLS certification.

4. Students should consult with an academic advisor in the Prahl College Center for assistance in preparing to meet eligibility requirements and in submitting the application portfolio.

Criminal Background Investigations & Drug Screens

Michigan law requires criminal background screening for individuals working in most health care settings and facilities. Students in the Respiratory Therapy program are affected by this law. Conviction of a criminal offense (felony or misdemeanor) may make a student ineligible to be assigned to a clinical site, making program completion and graduation unattainable.

A criminal background investigation is required to apply for the Respiratory Therapy program. Information packets may be obtained from the Division office (CM 2313) or from an advisor.

The packet provides instruction regarding the process to complete and submit the background investigation and submit to drug screening procedures prior to or during the clinical experience. All background investigations and drug screenings are at the student’s expense.

Conviction of a criminal offense may also make graduates of the Respiratory Therapy program ineligible for state or national licensure/certification at program completion. All applicants for a Respiratory Care license in Michigan are required to submit fingerprints and undergo a criminal background investigation prior to licensure/certification.

Program coordinators, faculty, advisors, and staff cannot give legal advice to any student regarding potential eligibility/ineligibility based on prior convictions or negative findings on the criminal background investigation. The student shoudl consult an attorney for questions specific to his/her individual case.