Crafton Hills respiratory care students defend their national title—and win!

Nov. 9, 2011 - PRLog -- Yucaipa (November 9, 2011) – When four Crafton Hills College students defended the school’s first-place title at the national Sputum Bowl on Saturday, it wasn’t all mucus and phlegm.

The annual competition held by the American Association for Respiratory Care challenges students on their classroom learning while also providing job leads and offering up bragging rights.

In May, the Crafton Hills students became state champions when they won the California Society for Respiratory Care Sputum Bowl. During the bowl, two Crafton Hills College teams vied for top place. This past weekend, the Crafton Hills College team claimed the national title in Tampa, Fla., where over three days the students competed against the best teams from around the country.

Team member Chris Woods will graduate in December with an associate of science degree in respiratory care. Being on the team has helped him succeed in his classes. Training for the competition’s trivia questions has exposed him to information before it’s presented in class, which has given him an extra edge.

“Studying for the bowl and learning in class go pretty well in lockstep with each other,” he said.

Reminiscent of an academic bowl, the moderators ask questions about cardio-pulmonary medicine. Topics can include pharmacology, pediatric and neo-natal medicine, adult critical care, geriatric care and ventilatory management.

“Students get caught up in the competition and the excitement of it,” said Professor Ken Bryson, director of Crafton Hills College’s Respiratory Care Program.

Preparing for the bowl also gives the students a little extra incentive to study and hone the knowledge needed to pass the national board exams.

“It’s a more comprehensive approach to studying,” Bryson said.

The competitors—Sheri Hughes, Justin Jones, Alyssa Ortega and Chris Woods—will graduate in December. When they hit the job market, their participation in the Sputum Bowl is something that future employers will take notice of as they review their resumes.

Last year’s winners all had jobs upon graduation, including Ryan Rives. He and his teammates even received job offers at the competition. Now a respiratory therapist at Redlands Community Hospital, he knows the Sputum Bowl training helped him study.

“It was relaxed and fun and made everything more entertaining,” Rives said. “It made it more enjoyable.”

Area physicians, the California Society for Respiratory Care and the Crafton Hills College Foundation have all donated funding to help the students pay for the trip to Florida. The students have raised the remaining money through fundraisers and bake sales.

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About the Desert Regional Consortium of Community Colleges: The Desert Regional Consortium consists of 13 community colleges and two community college districts in Riverside, San Bernardino and Kern counties. The consortium assists colleges in providing professional development opportunities and designing programs to improve workforce training and technical education. The consortium was formed to address the economic development needs of industry, government and the community.

More info: www.desertcolleges.org

Consortium members: Barstow College, Cerro Coso Community College, Chaffey College, College of the Desert, Copper Mountain College, Crafton Hills College, Mt. San Jacinto College, Moreno Valley College, Norco College, Palo Verde College, Riverside City College, Riverside Community College District, San Bernardino Community College District, San Bernardino Valley College, Victor Valley College