MCG Catalog > School of Allied Health Sciences > Respiratory Therapy > Admissions Requirements

 

School of Allied Health Sciences: Respiratory Therapy

 

General Admission Criteria

Traditional 2+2 Transfer Program
Admission is based on the applicant’s prior academic performance at the college level, personal interviews, and assessment of personal qualities needed to successfully complete the program.

 

1. Prior to enrollment, the applicant must have completed a core curriculum of 60 semester hours at another accredited college or university.
2. A grade point average of at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) on all previous college work and an average of at least 2.5 on math and science courses are required for consideration.
3. Two letters of recommendation are required.
4. Interviews are by invitation only.
5.
  1. Current CPR and first aid certification is required prior to enrollment. CPR for Professional Rescuers is strongly recommended.
6. Applicants are required to shadow respiratory therapists at health care facilities in their area to increase their awareness of the profession.
7.
  1. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit official TOEFL scores. A minimum score of 213 on the computer-based exam or 550 on the paper exam is required for admission consideration.

 

The Admissions Committee selects the applicants who seem best qualified for the program from among those who apply. Application forms are available from the Office of Academic Admissions.

Applications for admission are encouraged by April 1, but will continue to be processed until the class has been filled or until July 1, whichever comes sooner.

 

Program for Advanced Career Track (ACT) Registered Respiratory Therapists
Admission is based on the applicant’s prior academic performance at the college level and personal interviews.

 

1. Prior to enrollment, the applicant must have completed a core curriculum of 60 semester hours at another accredited college or university.
2. A grade point average of at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) on all previous college work and an average of at least 2.5 on math and science courses are required for consideration.
3. Two letters of recommendation are required.
4. Interviews are by invitation only.
5.
  1. Current CPR and first aid certification is required prior to enrollment. CPR for Professional Rescuers is strongly recommended.
6. Proof of NBRC credentials as a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT).
7.
  1. Applicants who first language is not English must submit official TOEFL scores. A minimum score of 550 is required for admission consideration.

 

The Admissions Committee selects the applicants who seem best qualified for the program from among those who apply. Application forms are available from the Office of Academic Admissions. Applications must be received no later than 60 days prior to the registration date of the first semester.

Technical Standards
 for Admission to and Graduation from
 Department of Respiratory Therapy

 

Respiratory Therapy is a profession requiring manual skills in concert with a broad range of cognitive capabilities.  Collection, evaluation and synthesis of data are vital to this discipline.

 

The therapeutic modalities provided by respiratory care practitioners require technical skills involving manual dexterity and a mechanical aptitude to perform in a safe and acceptable manner.  Respiratory Therapists must be mobile and have the ability to operate in relatively small spaces.  These requirements are necessary because of the critical and accurate care that is often provided in crisis situations. 

 

The respiratory care practitioner must possess auditory capabilities that will allow him/her to discriminate sounds in order to assess the proper functioning of life support equipment.  The therapist must be capable of ascertaining breath sounds and pulse sounds through the use of a stethoscope and blood pressure equipment. 

 

The respiratory care practitioner must possess adequate vision to assess the proper functioning of life support equipment and to collect and interpret patient physiological parameters in order to direct and guide a successful treatment plan. 

 

The respiratory care practitioner must have manual dexterity to:

Draw venous and arterial blood

Perform endotracheal suctioning

Perform manual resuscitation (CPR) in the event of a cardiac emergency
Maintain and modify equipment in routine emergency situations
  1. Be able to move life support equipment in a rapid manner during a crisis situation

Be sensitive to changes in pressure when performing emergency breathing with a manual resuscitator in the newborn and small infant as compared to the adult victim

  1. Tactile sensitivity required to perform arterial puncture on the newborn and small infant

 

The respiratory care practitioners must have the ability to work under stress, manage time efficiently, exercise independent judgment and assume responsibility for their own work and actions.  They must be able to read and interpret written and verbal instructions and take appropriate action.  It is important that the respiratory care practitioner be able to communicate and maintain professional relationships with peers, patients, and physicians.  It is also important that they think logically and process information quickly to solve clinical problems.

 

They must exercise ethical judgment, integrity, honesty, dependability and accountability in the classroom and clinical situations. 

 

The Department of Respiratory Therapy, Medical College of Georgia makes every effort to provide the physically compromised student the opportunities to learn and develop into a safe, rational respiratory care practitioner.  It is incumbent upon the student to realize that certain manual, technical, and professional tasks must be mastered in order to achieve passing grades and to successfully complete the respiratory therapy curriculum.