Caitlin McCutchan

Respiratory Care

Having three aunts working as nurses helped draw Caitlin McCutchan into a career in the medical field. She also wanted a job that would provide her with a stable future.

“It was important for me to go to college because I wanted to be able to expand my education in order to be able to pursue my dream of working in the medical field along with trying to be able to reach my goals and support myself financially,” McCutchan said.

She transferred to Delaware Tech after one year at another college due to the quality of the allied health programs at Delaware Tech and the opportunity to continue playing softball.

“The teaching staff at Delaware Tech are very supportive and really take the time and effort to make sure that their students are successful in completing their courses,” she said.

McCutchan looked at a few other programs before landing on respiratory care.

“I have always wanted to help and take care of people and the respiratory therapy field allows me to do just that,” McCutchan said. “Respiratory therapy allows me to work in a variety of different medical settings, from pediatric care to hospice care. That variety lets me know I’ll always be able to find a place to work.”

Spending a year at another college allowed McCutchan the opportunity to acclimate to the college experience before attending classes at Delaware Tech. Once she became familiar with the College and her program, her biggest obstacles were to balance playing softball and keeping up with her class work.

McCutchan has thrived during her time at Delaware Tech, earning a 4.0 GPA in her first semester, which is something she said she never thought she would do, and is no preparing for clinical rotations in the respiratory care program.

“Since becoming a student at Delaware Tech, I have seen growth in my confidence when it comes to learning academic material,” McCutchan said. “Respiratory care involves a lot of hands-on work with your patients and the program involves a lot of hands-on learning. I learn better that way and being in the clinical setting will help once I’m in the workforce.”

After graduation, McCutchan said her dream career is to become a travel respiratory therapist.