Two graduates of Conestoga’s Respiratory Therapy (RT) program recently completed the national credentialling exam and have earned their Registered Respiratory Therapist designation. Their exceptional exam results have also resulted in special recognition from the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) and the Canadian Board for Respiratory Care (CBRC).
The CSRT and the CBRC annually recognize the highest three scores at the national certification exam by awarding the CSRT/CBRC gold, silver and bronze medals. Tom Gibson earned the second highest mark on the exam, winning the silver medal and a $500 prize. Louise Lake finished in third place and will receive the bronze medal in addition to a $250 prize.
“We recently celebrated their successes at our annual Stethoscope Ceremony on April 6 and they will both be recognized during the President’s Banquet at the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists Educational Conference in Charlottetown, PEI on Saturday, May 13,” said Gino De Pinto, coordinator, Respiratory Therapy program.
De Pinto also noted that over the past six years, students from Conestoga’s RT program have won four medals as a result of their high exam marks.
In addition to their CSRT/CBRC medals, Lake was also honoured with the CSRT Student Award of Excellence, and Gibson was recognized as the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Student of the Year - both presented during the Stethoscope Ceremony.
The ceremony welcomes faculty and community partners to celebrate recent graduates and second-year students about to begin their clinical placements at hospitals throughout southwestern Ontario.
During the celebration, awards were also presented to recent graduates Carter Lobert, who received the ProResp Graduate Student of Excellence award, and Alishia Campbell who was the recipient of the OHRSA Award.
As part of the ceremony, second-year students Miranda Hunter and Camila Orellana Larach welcomed Andrea Binkle, executive director of Lisaard and Innisfree Hospice, and presented a cheque for $634 which was collected through various fundraisers the program held over the last academic year.
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.