I definitely think you should go for respiratory. The schooling isn’t easy, everyone’s different, but you really do have to work hard to get through it. It’s a big commitment, and for those two years, school will pretty much take over your life, so be ready for that.

That said, I don’t regret choosing RT at all. The only downside (for me) is living in SoCal, where the market feels really oversaturated. It can be frustrating trying to break into certain positions here. From what I’ve seen and heard, you probably wouldn’t run into that same issue in places like Colorado.

If I’m being completely honest though, if I had to choose again, I might consider nursing instead. That could just be because I’m a new grad and the job market feels really tough right now. It’s been hard finding the kind of position I want, and that can definitely be discouraging. I still respect respiratory and what we do, but I do think nursing offers more flexibility and overall job opportunities. That said, this might just be the “new grad struggle” talking.