CARDIOPULMONARY SCIENCE
NEWS / BLOG

Not everyone who sets out to pursue medical school is successful, and that’s ok. Life happens, and sometimes, you have to shift your direction. Although most any healthcare centered degree program is competitive, you may find your odds of qualifying for some degree programs such as Cardiopulmonary Science (Respiratory Therapy) are much better than you think.

Respiratory Therapy is one of the fastest growing healthcare professions where becoming a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) can allow you a great opportunity to become a licensed healthcare professional and focus primarily on managing patients with lung and heart disease.

Respiratory Therapists can work in almost any area of a hospital, but the demand for these healthcare professionals is far more reaching than just a hospital setting. The RRT with a bachelor’s degree can work in home healthcare, education, administrative role in a hospital, or most any inpatient or outpatient setting in addition to fulfilling the role of clinical specialist to train other healthcare providers.

A constant growth in demand for this highly trained professional brings higher earnings year after year with great job security and flexible scheduling available. Whether you want to do airflight transport, care for specific patients with asthma or COPD, work with micro-premature infants, or join the team of adult acute care providers in a general hospital setting, you may want to consider becoming a respiratory therapist.

Author: Tim Gilmore, PhD, RRT, AE-C
Program Director and Associate Professor of Cardiopulmonary Science, School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Shreveport