Respiratory Therapy

The East Los Angeles / Santa Monica College (ELAC/SMC) respiratory program is in the process of making a curriculum revision, as well as changing the admission criteria. Upon meeting the prerequisite requirements for admission, an Application for Admission can be submitted at either ELAC or SMC RT offices. The respiratory therapy program admits 50 students annually between both the ELAC and SMC campuses.

This program provides students with a strong academic foundation and the clinical proficiency to utilize modern respiratory devices (under the direction of a physician) in the treatment of respiratory and cardiac ailments. In the fall 1996 semester, ELAC and SMC merged their respective Respiratory Therapy programs. This partnership provides increased access to medical and related clinical resources for students. Under the merged program, all prerequisite science courses and the "first year" Respiratory Therapy theory courses (with the exception of Respiratory Therapy 2, which must be taken at ELAC) can be taken at either campus. All "second year" Respiratory Therapy courses are taken at ELAC. Upon completion of the second year, students must then petition their originating campus for their Associate Degree.

The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) nationally accredits respiratory care programs. The Respiratory Care Board of California, under the California Department of Consumer Affairs, licenses respiratory care practitioners.