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Admissions

The SLCC Respiratory Therapy Program is committed to providing its students with the education necessary to prepare them for a successful career in respiratory therapy. In order to achieve this goal, changes within the program have been implemented at the direction of the industry representatives on the Program Advisory Committee as well as based on advice from College partners within 4-year academic Respiratory Therapy programs.  These changes are designed to better position program graduates to meet their licensure, employment and future academic goals. 

Those who are interested in the program are encouraged to contact the Academic Advisor serving this program, Angela Harvey.  The Program Coordinator, Brandon Andersen, BS, RRT is an excellent resource for questions specific to curriculum and the field of Respiratory Therapy.  Students may schedule a time by emailing him at brandon.andersen@slcc.edu.

Applications for admission to the Respiratory Therapy Program are only accepted during open submission periods. Please see the School of Health Sciences Application Submission Dates for current submission dates. Prior to acceptance, qualified candidates may be contacted to participate in a mandatory orientation and interview.

All communication will be through SLCC Bruinmail. If you are not checking it (or haven't forwarded it to your personal email) you may miss important information. If you are accepted to a program a confirmation email will be required, please read all emails carefully and thoroughly to make sure you don't miss any information.

If you do not receive an email confirming receipt of your application within 7 days or if you have any questions about the application process, please call the Health Sciences Admissions Office at 801-957-6253.

Apply for admission at SLCC as a matriculated student (if you have not attended SLCC within the last three years). Declare Health Sciences as your Area of Study, and Respiratory Therapy as the Program of Study. Meet early with a program Academic Advisor to make sure you’re on track to complete all program prerequisites and submission requirements before applying to the Respiratory Therapy program.

  • MySLCC
  • Click on "Discover" (Found on the top left under the 3 horizontal lines next to the SLCC logo)
  • Type in "Selective Admissions Forms
  • Click on "Health Science Program Admissions"
  • Respiratory Therapy

(Respiratory Therapy will only appear in menu during open application periods)

 

Notification of Acceptance

You will be notified of your acceptance into the Respiratory Therapy program via your Bruinmail account. If you are accepted to a program a confirmation email will be required, please read all emails carefully and thoroughly to make sure you don't miss any information.

If you do not receive an email confirming receipt of your application within 7 days or if you have any questions about the application process, please call the Health Sciences Admissions Office at 801-957-6253.

 

You will be notified of your acceptance into the Respiratory Therapy program via your Bruinmail account. 

Acceptances into the Respiratory Therapy program will be given on a "conditional" basis.  Students must complete the following within the allotted time in their conditional acceptance letter to receive a full acceptance:

  1. Order Complio compliance package.
  2. Order background check.
  3. Upload and enter documentation showing compliance for immunizations.
  4. Complete drug screening (directions will be provided in the conditional acceptance letter)
  5. Complete the American Heart Association BLS CPR certification.

Once all of the above items have been completed, the student will need to contact the Admissions Office for verification of compliance.  If compliant, a full acceptance letter will be sent with additional instructions for anything else that will need to be completed before beginning the program. 

Please read all emails carefully and thoroughly to make sure you don't miss any information. If additional seats become available, new candidates will be accepted based on their place in the applicant ranking system. 

Please do not initiate any of the compliance tasks unless you have received a conditional acceptance letter.

 

Background Check and Compliance Package

A full criminal background check is required for the Respiratory Therapy Program. To order a Criminal Background Check Package and a Compliance Package (which includes immunization and CPR tracking):

  1. Go to Complio
  2. Follow the instructions to set up an account.
  3. Order the Criminal Background Check Package ($29.00) the Drug Screening Package ($35) and the Compliance Package ($16.00). The compliance package is a 12-month subscription that will need to be renewed every 12 months that you are in the program at a cost of $16.00.

Students who do not receive favorable background checks, may not be able to sit for national certification exams or meet the requirements for clinical placement.  Students who do not receive favorable background checks should contact the Health Sciences Admissions Coordinator immediately.  An unfavorable background check may prevent acceptance into the program. The School of Health Sciences strongly recommends that prospective students take measures to have criminal offenses (felonies and or misdemeanors) expunged if possible.  Information regarding how to expunge criminal records may be found here:  https://www.utcourts.gov/howto/expunge/

Immunizations

Proof of immunization is required by clinical affiliates and must be completed upon acceptance into the program. Clinical affiliates mandate all students comply with program immunization requirements, as failure to immunize is not only a risk to patients but also students. Failure to immunize may result in the inability to place students at clinical sites, which would also preclude students from completing required clinical coursework.  Students that cannot comply may forfeit their placement in the program. Students claiming a religious or personal exemption for an immunization should fill out this form (link) and provide to the Associate Dean of the specific program.  Students claiming an allergy to an immunization should complete this form (link) and provide to the Admissions Coordinator in the Dean’s Office.  The School of Health Sciences does not guarantee that clinical affiliates will accept exemption requests.

In your Compliance Package, you must provide proof of the following immunizations:

  1. Annual Influenza Vaccination:
    Required annually, students must provide proof of receiving the Influenza vaccination between September 1 and October 31 or submit a signed exemption request form between September 1 and October 31.
  2. Tuberculosis Skin or Blood Test: Required Annually
    Proof of a negative 2-step PPD or QuantiFERON TB Gold test or T-SPOT.TB; if positive or you have had a past positive test, you must submit a negative chest x-ray. This requirement also includes international students who have had the BCG immunization. X-ray results are good for one year. If you choose to do a PPD please know that the PPD is a 2-step test, the 1st step must be done no sooner than the dates specified in Complio and the 2nd step is required within 1 - 3 weeks after the 1st step is read. Results are good for 1 year. (Please note that a 2 step PPD test requires 4 office visits, 1. Test is administered 2. Test is read 3. 2nd test is administered 4. Test is read.) The annual TB test would be a 1-step PPD, QuantiFERON or T-SPOT.
  3. Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap) Booster:
    Tdap booster is good for 10 years. TD will be given subsequent to Tdap.
  4. Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR):
    Proof of two doses or positive titer (blood draw) on all three. Equivocal results are not acceptable; you must test in the positive range if you choose to do a titer. NOTE: If given to adult females, since this is a live virus, you cannot be pregnant at the time you receive the immunization and you must avoid pregnancy for 3 months after administration.
  5. Varicella (Chicken Pox):
    Proof of two doses or a positive titer (blood draw). Stating you had the disease is not acceptable. Varicella immunizations are expensive, if you had the disease it is recommended to start with a less expensive titer first for proof of immunity before starting the immunizations.
  6. Hepatitis B vaccination series:
    You must provide proof of a Hep B titer (blood draw) with a positive (reactive) result. If your titer is negative (non-reactive) or equivocal you will need to reinitiate the three shot series and provide proof of that series and a repeat titer. The series of shots can take up to 6 months so please plan ahead so this does not delay or jeopardize your admissions and clinical placement.
  7. Hepatitis A vaccination series: Highly recommended but not required.
    Proof of a two dose series or a positive titer. If you start the series, you must complete it.
  8. COVID Vaccine: Proof of complete doses or an approved Health Sciences exemption form on file. Unvaccinated students may not be eligible to be placed or complete a clinical requirement necessary for graduation. *Subject to change based on mandates*

The SLCC Center for Health and Counseling offers immunizations at a discounted rate for students who are low income. For a discounted rate, take your previous income tax return or your last 30 days pay stubs. Some clinical facilities may require additional immunizations.

Changes based on CDC recommendations, see below links:

All immunization information is subject to change. Please contact us at 801-957-6253 if you have questions.

CPR Certification

Only American Heart Association Two-Year BLS Providers will be accepted. Must be kept current throughout the program.