Curriculum

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Mayo Clinic respiratory therapy student practicing a procedure with a mannequin with a faculty member supervising

64%

time spent in clinical settings

15%

time spent in labs

21%

time spent in classroom

Student experiences

Classroom learning

Students are first introduced to the respiratory therapy field through topics that include patient assessment, laboratory and chest X-ray interpretation, oxygen therapy, and medication delivery. You’ll then move on to more advanced topics like mechanical ventilation, pathophysiology, cardiopulmonary diagnostic testing, and hemodynamic monitoring.

Labs and simulation

Before entering any clinical care setting, you’ll first practice the skills you learned in one of our labs or simulation centers, sometimes working with live actors.

Hands-on clinical rotations

Mayo Clinic is among the largest, most advanced medical centers in the world. Your clinical education will primarily take place at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus, a 1,157-bed facility. Within Saint Marys Campus is the 85-bed Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital. Students also have rotations within Mayo Clinic Health System.

Facilities and faculty

Learn more about the facilities and faculty of the Respiratory Care Program (Minnesota).

Facilities

The Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester, Minnesota, includes an extensive outpatient complex, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus; Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus; and substantial research and education facilities.

This Mayo Clinic site is among the largest, most advanced medical centers in the world.

Primarily, clinical education is conducted at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus, a 1,157-bed facility that was founded in 1889. Within Saint Marys Campus, is the 85-bed Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital. Students also have rotations within Mayo Clinic Health System.

Teaching faculty

We have a dedicated team that educates, supervises, and mentors respiratory care students as they rotate through the specialty rotations.

Your instructors are trained respiratory care therapists. They are chosen for their commitment to teaching as well as their expertise in providing respiratory testing and care.

	Brendan Wanta, M.D. Medical Director Brendan Wanta joined the Respiratory Care Program in 2021. Originally from Milwaukee, WI, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for an undergraduate degree and the Medical College of Wisconsin for his Doctor of Medicine degree. He completed a residency in anesthesiology in 2015 followed by a fellowship in critical care medicine. He is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine in the Division of Critical Care Medicine and board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology in general anesthesiology and critical care medicine. Dr. Wanta is not only involved in the Respiratory Care Program, but also serves as a core faculty member for the Anesthesiology Residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He has received multiple awards for education and clinical service. Outside of work, Dr. Wanta enjoys live music, exploring the State and National Park Service parks, and learning about various cultures. He looks forward to getting to know all the students in the Respiratory Care Program.
	Stephanie Holst, R.R.T., L.R.T. Program Director Stephanie Holst joined the Respiratory Care Program as adjunct faculty in 2013. She later joined the program as the clinical coordinator in 2019. She graduated from Mayo Clinic School of Health Science/University of Minnesota in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree of Applied Science in Respiratory Care. She went on to achieve her Master of Science degree in Leadership from Northeastern University. She holds academic rank as an instructor in anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Ms. Holst has worked as a Registered Respiratory Therapist in a variety of settings at Mayo Clinic, such as critical care, emergency medicine, and education. She is passionate about educating incoming professionals and has served as an education specialist and supervisor of education within the Respiratory Care Department at Mayo Clinic. Ms. Holst’s teaching interests include experiential learning, physiology, pulmonary hemodynamics, and mechanical ventilation. Her research interests include interdisciplinary professional education, second-victim experiences, and adult learning.
	Pia McEleney, M.S., R.R.T. Program Faculty "To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; that is to have succeeded." — Ralph Waldo Emerson Pia McEleney happened upon respiratory therapy while she was working as a phlebotomist. She entered the room of a child having an asthma exacerbation and knew that she wanted to do whatever it took to help this child breathe easier. Ms. McEleney holds a master’s degree from Rush University, Chicago, IL, in health sciences/respiratory care and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, in biology. Ms. McEleney has had the opportunity to work as a staff respiratory therapist in the states of Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. She has worked with a variety of patient populations and has a passion for neonatal/pediatric care as exemplified in her position as a neonatal/pediatric transport therapist. Before coming to Mayo Clinic, Ms. McEleney was the Director of Clinical Education at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta, IA, and an instructor at Ivy Tech Community College in Goshen, IN. Her past experiences and opportunities fostered a passion for education. Ms. McEleney hopes to impart this passion for education and learning to future respiratory therapists. She hopes to change the way that content is delivered in the classroom and discover creative ways to engage learners. She has built escape rooms and used popular board games as unconventional methods to teach. Her interests include research within education, cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology, and mechanical ventilation.
	Amanda Krinke, R.R.T., L.R.T. Clinical Coordinator Ms. Amanda Krinke joined the Respiratory Care Program as adjunct faculty in 2019 and as the clinical coordinator in 2022. Ms. Krinke graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in respiratory care from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences/University of Minnesota-Rochester. She went on to achieve her Master of Science in Respiratory Care-Adult and Organizational Learning from Northeastern University in 2022. Ms. Krinke’s career as a Registered Respiratory Therapist included working in a variety of areas within Mayo Clinic, such as critical care, general care, emergency medicine, education, and ECMO. Her passion and dedication regarding respiratory care is reflected in her desire to educate others. Ms. Krinke’s teaching interests include professionalism, hemodynamics, airway management, emergency care, and experiential learning. Outside of work, Ms. Krinke likes to spend her free time with her family and fiancee, and enjoys exploring the outdoors.

Hours

For the majority of the Respiratory Care Program, your learning schedule will include eight-hour and 12-hour days, five days a week.

Course sequence

There are a total of 61 credits in the program.

Junior year: Fall semester (15 credits)

Number	Course	Credits
RESP 3011	Foundations of Respiratory Care	2
HP 3021	Patient Care Techniques	1
RESP 3101	Respiratory Care Modalities and Equipment	4
RESP 3201	Cardiopulmonary Patient Assessment	4
RESP 3301	Clinical Practicum I	3
RESP 3401	Seminar in Respiratory Care I	1

Junior year: Spring semester (14 credits)

Number	Course	Credits
RESP 3102	Respiratory Care Modalities and Equipment II	4
RESP 3202	Advanced Cardiopulmonary Physiology and Pathophysiology	3
RESP 3302	Clinical Practicum II	3
RESP 3402	Seminar in Respiratory Care II	1
RESP 3502	Clinical Research: Literature, Methodology, and Application	3

Senior year: Summer semester (7 credits)

Number	Course	Credits
RESP 3800	Pharmacotherapy for the Health Professions	3
RESP 4300	Clinical Practicum	2
RESP 4400	Advanced Adult Respiratory Critical Care Techniques I	2

Senior year: Fall semester (12 credits)

Number	Course	Credits
RESP 4500	Advanced Adult Respiratory Critical Care Techniques II	1
RESP 4311	Advanced Perinatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care	3
RESP 4321	Advanced Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics	2
RESP 4331	Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Disease Prevention and Case Management	1
RESP 4341	Clinical Practicum III: Advanced Respiratory	3
RESP 4401	Clinical Practicum IV: Advanced Adult Respiratory Critical Care	1
RESP 4501	Research Project	1

Senior year: Spring semester (13 credits)

Number	Course	Credits
RESP 4342	Clinical Practicum V: Advanced Respiratory Care	3
RESP 4402	Clinical Practicum VI: Advanced Adult Respiratory Critical Care	2
RESP 4502	Research Project II	1
RESP 4602	Grand Rounds	2
HP 4802	Health Economics and Finance	3
HP 4902	Management and Leadership in Health Care	2

Grading or evaluation

As you move through the respiratory care rotations, you’ll be evaluated in each clinical area by the supervising therapists, the program director and the clinical supervisor. Clinical performance is evaluated using a competency-based evaluation system and performance appraisals.

Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences uses these evaluative tools:

Written examination
Demonstration of skills
Self-assessment exercises
Faculty reviews

Mayo's system of evaluation provides students and faculty with a comprehensive look at individual performance. This allows faculty and administrative staff to direct students who are experiencing academic difficulty to the appropriate support resources, including tutoring programs and counseling opportunities.

Graduation and certification

Students participate in an extensive exam review before the end of the junior and senior year. After successful completion of the senior-year course work, you’re eligible to complete the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) board examinations to get the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.

When you successfully complete the Respiratory Care Program, you’ll receive a Bachelor of Science in Health Professions from the University of Minnesota Rochester and a certificate of completion from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.