Additional Respiratory Care Program Requirements

Important Notice

Effective Fall 2012 for all Health Occupations Programs, Math placement scores on Compass, ASSET, Accuplacer, and THEA will be valid for three (3) years.

General Guidelines

Upon acceptance into the program, students must submit a record of current immunizations required by the Texas Department of Health. Criminal background checks may be required by clinical facilities. The background check will be processed through the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

Completion of the respiratory care program does not guarantee eligibility to take the CRT exam administered by the NBRC or certification by the Texas Department of Health. The Texas Department of Health Respiratory Care Certification will consider individuals with histories of convictions, mental illness and/or chemical dependency on an individual basis after review.

Admission Requirements

• Background Check
• Drug Screening 
• CPR Certification
• TSI
• Bacterial Meningitis immunizations for students under 30
• TB Test
• Program Prerequisites
• Malpractice/Liability Insurance
• Hepatitis B
• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
• Physical Exam
• Health Insurance

Pre-Admission

1. A physical examination report, with laboratory tests and immunization records signed by a licensed healthcare provider within six weeks of the first class day.  This form will be provided upon acceptance into the program.

2. Hepatitis B vaccination is required for all admissions to the Respiratory Care program.  The enrolling student must complete the series of three vaccines prior to entering the clinical practicum in the hospital setting.

3. All students must complete background checks prior to entering the Respiratory Care Program.  Drug testing will also be completed prior to entering clinical affiliates which require mandatory drug testing. Contact the department for Information pertaining to this (281) 312-1708.

4. Attendance at the scheduled ORIENTATION SESSION, after student selection is complete, will be scheduled prior to the first class meeting.

Admissions Criteria

The Respiratory Care program accepts new students in the Summer, Spring, and Fall of every year. Prerequisite courses must be completed 1 semester prior to the semester in which the student wishes to begin the program. In addition to the system admissions requirements, the following are requirements for the Respiratory Therapist program:

Program Application Instructions

1. Minimum age of 18.
2. Graduation from high school verified with high school transcript or GED certificate verified by a copy of the certificate
3. Complete TSI requirements: complete MATH 0308 with eligibility to enter MATH 0310. To determine your status, see a college advisor.
4. College placement exam results.
5. Complete 9 semester hours of college level course work including: BIOL 2401 and ENGL 1301 with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
6. Submit official transcripts from colleges attended other than LSCS. Submit these documents   directly to the Respiratory Care department at 20000 Kingwood Dr., Kingwood TX 77339 ATTN: Nicole Khalaf.
7. Complete Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT).
8. Complete & submit an application to the Respiratory Care program.
9. An essay written on why the individual wishes to enter the field of Respiratory Care.

College Eligibility information may be obtained from the counseling office (281) 312-1604.

Application and all required documents must be submitted before the specified application deadlines.

Student Selection

1. Admission is limited to twenty (20) students.
2. Students are ranked & selected on the following criteria by the Admissions Committee:
   1. Scoring of all academic courses, applying to the degree plan, on a numeric scale.
   2. Completion of previous degrees
   3. HSRT scores
   4. Essay
   5. Points are deducted for retakes of academic courses.

Application Deadlines

• Fall entry: July 15
• Spring entry: November 15
• Summer entry: April 15

Respiratory Care Information Sessions

The sessions will begin at 5:00 pm in HSB 116 on the LSC-Kingwood campus. Attendance is not required for admission. No reservation required.

Legal Information

Lone Star College System Policy is consistent with Texas law as to requirements and admission of any resident or non-resident student.  For admission and tuition purposes, residency is defined within Texas Education Code §54.052.

In addition, LSCS will notify students prior to, but not as a condition or requirement of admission, that  health care facilities will require students to have a Social Security number or a Visa as a condition of being assigned to a clinical facility. Students who are unable to complete the LSCS health program clinical skills requirement will not be able to complete the program due to a lack of clinical placement. 

Additionally, LSCS will notify students that a Social Security number or a Visa may be required for a background check, and may also be required for taking the licensing examination upon completion of program requirements.