This spring, the first USG students will receive their Bachelor of Science degrees in Respiratory Therapy from Salisbury University. SU’s program on the Eastern Shore was the only accredited baccalaureate respiratory therapy program in the state of Maryland before expanding to The Universities at Shady Grove in the fall of 2008.
At USG, students have access to a variety of innovative learning methods, explains Respiratory Therapy Program Coordinator at USG, Adriana Guerra, MPH, RRT. They attend lectures via video-conferencing with faculty at Salisbury University, engage in hands-on laboratory training at the USG campus, and participate in clinical rotations at local health care facilities, including Shady Grove Adventist Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital.
“Working with community hospitals and health care facilities is very important to our students,” Guerra says. Students are required to complete a clinical practicum as part of their training.
Respiratory therapy is a health care profession that specializes in the optimal health of the cardiopulmonary system. It is a highly specialized field in great demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of respiratory therapists is expected to grow 19 percent over the next few years. It is also very competitive: for the fall of 2010, the incoming USG class will be capped at 20 students.
Salisbury University’s graduating students at USG will be accredited as respiratory therapists and also be certified in three highly sought sub-specialties: pediatric advanced life support, neonatal resuscitation, and advanced cardiac life support, making them very marketable, says Guerra.
Since the program began in 1984, SU Respiratory Therapy graduates have achieved a perfect record in National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) exams. Guerra expects to continue that impressive level of achievement at USG.