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Respiratory Therapy – AAS

The Respiratory Therapy program awards an Associate of Applied Science degree (Respiratory Therapy) from the University of the District of Columbia Community College and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (program number 200016).

Please see the CoARC’s main webpage www.coarc.com and the CoARC’s outcomes webpage https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/

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.

The link to the CoARC website is (https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/) which provides outcomes data for all its accredited programs.

Accreditation & Credentialing

The Respiratory Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (view CoARC Programmatic Outcomes).  Graduates are eligible for  the entry-level licensure/ CRT examination (required by the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) and the advanced practice RRT examinations, both offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). The program is also affiliated with the National Board for Respiratory Care and the American Association for Respiratory Care.

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
CoARC
264 Precision Blvd Telford, TN 37690 USA
Telephone: 817-283-2835
Fax to Plain Paper: 817-354-8519
Website: https://coarc.com/

National Board of Respiratory Care
NBRC
10801 Mastin Street, Suite 300
Overland Park, KS 66210

Email: nbrc-info@nbrc.org

Program Update

Letter from COARC (11-18-22)

Program Details

QuickLinks

Program Director

Lori Taylor, Ph.D., RRT
Program Director
202.274.5864
lataylor@udc.edu

Office location: 5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20017 Room 116

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Mission Statement

The Respiratory Therapy Program is in alignment with the mission of the university. It’s mission states:

“Embracing its essence as a public historically black urban-focused land- grant university in the nation’s capital, UDC is dedicated to serving the needs  of the community of the District of Columbia, and producing lifelong  learners who are transformative leaders in the workforce, government, nonprofit sectors and beyond.”

The mission of the Respiratory Therapy Program is also in alignment with the Commission on Accreditation of Respiratory Care (CoARC) which is to ensure high quality educational programs prepare competent respiratory therapists for practice, education, research, and service.

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Program Goals

The overall goal of the program is to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skill) and affective (behavior) competencies of Registered Respiratory Therapists (CoARC). The program does this by creating a learning environment that fosters critical thinking through experiential learning, problem-based learning and hands-on clinical practice.  Graduates are able to practice in a variety of settings and attend to respiratory health needs of all age groups across the healthcare continuum from wellness to critical care.

Upon successfully completing the program of study, the student will be able to:

Goal 1:  Evaluate clinical data as it pertains to cardiopulmonary disorders and diseases. [National Board for Respiratory Care Content Matrix]

Goal 2:  Demonstrate appropriate use of therapeutic devices in respiratory care and infection control.

Goal 3:  Perform evidenced-based respiratory care interventions in the treatment of patients suffering from a wide range of respiratory pathologies.

Goal 4:  Demonstrate compassionate, ethical, and professional behaviors with patients, peers, supervisors, and members of the community.

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ACADEMIC INFORMATION

Admission Policy

The Office of Admissions processes applications to the university.  Upon admission to UDC, students identifying Respiratory Therapy as a major must complete all prerequisite courses.  A separated application is required to enroll in the Respiratory Therapy Program.

Admission to the Respiratory Therapy Program is competitive. To be considered for admission to the Respiratory Therapy Program, eligible students must first be enrolled at the University, complete prerequisites of 17 semester hours earning a minimum grade of “C” in each identified course, and have a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.5 or higher.

The prerequisite courses for the program are:

IGED 120C Foundation Quantitative Reasoning (3 Cr.),

IGED 110C Foundation Writing in the Arts & Humanities (3 Cr),

BIOL 111C/113C Anatomy and Physiology I Lecture and Lab (3+1 Cr),

BIOL 112C/114C Anatomy and Physiology II Lecture, Lab (3+1 Cr),

RSPT 170C Introduction to Health Science (2 Cr),

FSEM 101C First Year Seminar (1 Cr).

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PROGRAM OF STUDY

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ADMISSION APPLICATION PROCESS

Students planning to enroll in the Respiratory Therapy Program must follow the following guidelines:

  1. Submit an Admissions Application to the Community College
  2. Submit a Respiratory Application by the First (1st) Friday in March for the following Fall semester. Respiratory Applications are available before the winter break (in December) of each year at room 116.
  3. *Meet the Pre-Respiratory prerequisites for the program.
  4. If you have taken college courses at another College or University, have your official transcript submitted to UDCCC.
  5. Transfer students must have completed at least one course at UDCCC before they can submit an application to the Respiratory Program and have a UDCCC grade point average of 2.5 or greater.
  6. Perform a National Criminal Background Clearance check from Global Investigative Services (1700 Rockville Pike Ste 230, Rockville, MD 20852 – phone 301-589-0088 – gispi.com). ***Global will send your background check directly to UDCCC.
  7. Submit a COPY of your 10-panel drug screen (must be obtained at Metro Lab 3422 Georgia Av NW, Washington DC 20010 – phone 202-234-1339). Keep your original to your records.
  8. Submit a copy of your CPR card (Must indicate BLS Provider by American Heart Association).
  9. Copy of your UDC ID card.

Students MUST TAKE an ATI Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS ®) as a part of the Respiratory Therapy Application procedure – this exam will be schedule after your application has been received and is complete.  The number of students entering the respiratory program is limited to the number of clinical spots available in any given semester. Students indicating respiratory as their desired major; but, who have not entered the professional phase of the respiratory program are NOT OFFICIALLY in the Respiratory Program and will not be allowed to take any of the RSPT courses other than Introduction to Health Sciences.  Students accepted into the program will receive a letter of acceptance to the professional phase of the program from Prof. Taylor. Only then you will be allowed to take any respiratory therapy classes (RSPT classes).

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TRANSFER STUDENTS

The Respiratory Therapy Program reserves the right to assess undergraduate transfer credits that count toward the AAS degree. The Respiratory Therapy faculty will review and evaluate all transfer credits applicable to a Respiratory Therapy major and will indicate which respiratory therapy courses the student must complete in order to fulfill degree requirements. The University confers degrees to those students who complete all degree requirements according to the Respiratory Therapy program of study.  Acceptance of transfer students from other Respiratory Therapy programs depends on space availability.

Transfer students must be officially admitted to UDC-CC prior to their application to the Respiratory Therapy Program, have their previous course work submitted to the admissions office for transfer credit evaluation, and document completion of the prerequisite courses.

Transfer students must be in good academic standing at their previous colleges(s).  Students transferring from another Respiratory Therapy program must submit a letter from their previous program director detailing the reason they are leaving the program and their eligibility to return to that program.

Student Handbook and Policy & Procedure Manual

Respiratory Therapy Program Student Handbook and Policy & Procedure Manuals are reviewed annually and issued to new Respiratory therapy students at the beginning of each academic year.

STUDENT HANDBOOK

POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL

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Faculty and Staff of the Department of Respiratory Therapy Program

Lori Taylor
Program Director
202.274.5864 5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20017 lataylor@udc.edu
Vacant
Director of Clinical Education
202.274.5922 5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20017
Vacant

 

202.274.5864 5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20017 4 TBA
LaVerne Gooding-Jones

Secretary

202.274.6167 5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE, Washington DC 20017 lgooding@udc.edu
Clinical Adjunct Faculty
Tanya Claggett, RRT Howard University Hospital
Rouhieyh Motamedi, RRT Suburban Hospital
Moneta Blackwell, RRT  Bridge Point Capitol Hill
Geneva Patterson-Diggs, RRT Bridge Point Capitol Hill
Brandi Holland, RRT Bridge Point Capitol Hill
Ngozi Ibe, RRT MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Otis Williams, RRT MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Betty Akpan, RRT MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Obertho Perrin, RRT Howard University Hospital
Brandi Holland Children’s National Medical Center
Medical Directors
 Muhammad Shibli, MD Institute to Holy Cross Hospital
Francisco Hoyos, MD Institute to Holy Cross Hospital

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Resources

Respiratory Therapy Library Holding page    https://udc.libguides.com/c.php?g=1036555

Student Complaints    http://docs.udc.edu/cc/Student_Complaint_Form_UDC_CC.pdf

Sexual Harassment Policy    http://files.udc.edu/docs/equal_opportunity/Discrimination_Harassment_Policy.pdf

Grade Appeal Process   http://docs.udc.edu/cc/UDC_COMMUNITY_COLLEGE_GRADE_APPEAL_PROCESS.pdf

Anti-bullying Policy    http://files.udc.edu/docs/UDC%20Bullying%20Policy%2010-9-2014.pdf

Tuition and Fees      https://www.udc.edu/cc/fees/

American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC):  http://rc.rcjournal.com

AARC Times Magazine:  http://aarc.org/resources/publications/aarc-times/

To explore career opportunities and employment trends:  https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1126.00

COPD Digest:  https://www.copdfoundation.org/COPD360social/Community/COPD-Digest.aspx

Disability Statement

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) the Respiratory Therapy Program at the University of the District of Columbia makes every effort to provide reasonable accommodations for all individuals with a disability. The program does not discriminate against applicants because of gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnic background, political affiliation, or disability  https://www.udc.edu/cc/counseling-and-accessibility-resource-center/.


DISCLOSURE INFORMATION:

The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Respiratory Therapy Program at the University of the District of Columbia meets the state education requirements for a Registered Respiratory Therapist’s License in the states of Virginia and Maryland and the District of Columbia. The University of the District of Columbia has not determined if its AAS Respiratory Therapy Program meets the state education requirements in any other state or any U.S. Territory. Contact the state regulatory agency for any other state or U.S. Territory to determine whether completion of the licensure program at the University of the District of Columbia meets such state requirements  BEFORE applying for admission to the University of the District of Columbia’s AAS Respiratory Therapy program.

Available Resources: