Students competed in Sputum Bowl, presented posters and were recognized for their leadership at American Association for Respiratory Care Congress 2024
A team of respiratory care students took third place in the Sputum Bowl — a national quiz-style competition — at the American Association for Respiratory Care Congress 2024.
The bowl challenged teams to test their knowledge on lung function, treatment methods and best practices. Two teams of students from the Department of Respiratory Care competed in the Sputum Bowl, said Justin Garcia, vice president of the program’s Sputum Bowl Club and a second-year master’s student. The third-place finishing team included Jason Lunn, Brianna Guerin, Angel Contreras and Gabriel Gomez.
“Competing against 18 teams, they demonstrated exceptional knowledge, teamwork and passion for the field of respiratory care,” said Respiratory Care Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Education Rain Rueda, MD, MSHCA, MSRC, RRT, RRT-NPS. “The experience at the AARC for students is incredibly enlightening, providing them with opportunities to grow their knowledge, refine their skills, and network with peers, therapists and educators from across the field. This achievement reflects their hard work and the high-quality education provided by our program.”
The Sputum Bowl was just one example of the significant participation by students in the Department of Respiratory Care at the conference held in Orlando in November. Students presented five research posters at the convention, which drew attendees from around the world.
“Presenting in a room full of experts in the field and professionals was nerve-wracking,” said Garcia, who presented a poster on nebulizer treatment in the intensive care unit. “But I definitely learned what it’s like to present.”
NBRC Leadership Award and House of Delegates
Second-year master’s student Raquel Gutierrez received the $2,000 2024 National Board for Respiratory Care Leadership Award from the Lambda Beta Society during the AARC congress, given to a student who demonstrates exemplary leadership in their educational career and in community service.
“Receiving a national award was a great honor and a validation of all the hard work I have put in the last year and the sacrifices I have made,” Gutierrez said. “I have become very passionate about the respiratory care profession and to be recognized as a student leader meant a lot to me.”
Gutierrez is president of the 91PORN Sputum Bowl Club, participated in the 2024 Texas Society for the Advancement of Health Professions Student Leadership Program, serves as Texas Society for Respiratory Care student council chair, as matriculation/graduation chair for the Respiratory Care Student Organization at 91PORN and is a Society of Mechanical Ventilation student ambassador.
Second-year master’s student Brianna Guerin served as a delegate to the AARC House of Delegates.
“As a student, it is a huge eye opener to see the work that goes on behind scenes and how many dedicated individuals there are to keeping this profession relevant and pushing forward to what is next,” Guerin said of her experience.