Second-year Respiratory Therapy students Emily Dileonardo, Tom Gibson and Kristen Gulas finished in first place in the annual Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) conference poster competition, held as part of the CSRT’s annual education conference May 5-7. The virtual event welcomed poster entries from students across Canada which were available on the event platform for attendees to view.
The research poster submitted by the winning Conestoga team was completed as an assignment in the students’ Professional Practice and Community Populations course. The submission, titled Lung Volume Reduction Surgery (LVRS) as an Alternative or Bridging Treatment to Lung Transplant (LTx) in End-Stage COPD Patients, involved a review of five studies related to LVRS and LTx.
Last year, Conestoga students Haley Caldwell, Rosalyn Phung and Rachel Wang also finished the competition in first place for their submission: Literature Review: Effect of a Motivational Interviewing-Based Health Coaching on Quality of Life in Subjects With COPD.
“I would like to thank Carole Hamp, a part-time instructor in the Respiratory Therapy program, who led student groups over the past couple of years and helped them earn this national honour,” said faculty member Gino de Pinto. “Congratulations to Emily, Tom and Kristen for all their hard work and for being recognized at the CSRT conference. The program is excited and proud of your achievement.”
Conestoga’s three-year Respiratory Therapy advanced diploma program is designed to satisfy the educational requirements for registration as a Registered Respiratory Therapist based on the National Competency Framework for Respiratory Therapy. Nationally accredited by Accreditation Canada, this fully integrated program provides a diverse learning environment that utilizes classroom education, laboratory sessions, clinically immersive simulation, e-learning, and early clinical exposure with continuous role modeling of the profession.