Dallas College

Student Experience: Curtis D. Carey, RRT

“I had been taking basic classes for a couple of years and was interested in doing something in the medical field. I had a few relatives who developed some respiratory problems, and I became interested in the Respiratory Care program. 

“I enjoyed the variety of campuses, the large number of classes and times that were available, and the dedication and quality of the instructors. The two degrees and knowledge that I acquired have helped me give quality care to patients as a respiratory therapist and move forward in my career and prepared me for the challenges of going even further with my education. 

“The thing I learned the most from my education was that with hard work, dedication and the right motivation, the world is wide open as far as what can be achieved. I would like to thank Kande Mann and Gary Peschka for guiding me through my experiences, giving me the tools I need to succeed and helping me become the person I am today. 

“I would recommend the Respiratory Care program at El Centro to anyone who wants a challenging and fulfilling education that you can benefit from the rest of your life.”

Curtis Carey attended El Centro, Eastfield and Richland, earning an Associate in Applied Sciences degree in Respiratory Care at El Centro in 1999 and an additional associate degree from El Centro. He is working on a bachelor’s degree in respiratory care from Midwestern State University.

In his current job as a respiratory care team leader at Parkland Hospital, he manages and guides therapists in their daily work and helps to meet the challenges of care for critical patients in a variety of areas including the emergency, medical, cardiac, burn, surgical and neonatal intensive care areas.


Read More

An illustration of a person's head

Zlatko Prijic, RRT

Pulmonary Rehab Coordinator Baylor University Medical Center
“I think I'd recommend El Centro to anybody, and I always do. If someone wants to go into respiratory or wants to learn more about respiratory, I point them in that direction.”
Respiratory Care Program
An illustration of a person's head

Jose (Josey) George, RCIS, LMRT

Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist Baylor Garland Hospital
“My training and education at El Centro provided me with the knowledge and skills required to perform my job very well as an invasive cardiovascular specialist. The best part of my job is the satisfaction I gain at the end of each day, due to the fact that I’ve made a difference in my patients’ and their families’ lives by being a part of the lifesaving medical team.”
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology

Lupe Ortiz, RRT, NPS

Respiratory Care Practitioner Baylor University Medical Center
“I chose El Centro one, it was closer to home. It was a little more affordable than going to somewhere out of state or somewhere else. Just those two things were, were the main thing, the reason why I chose to go to El Centro. I think El Centro did an excellent job of preparing me for going into the workforce.”
Respiratory Care Program
Margaret Lembcke

Margaret Lembcke

Health Information Associate II, Parkland Health and Hospital System, Dallas and Baylor Medical Center at Irving
“There’s not a thing I don’t use from the information I learned in the Medical Front Office program. The classes did a very good job of teaching skills that we’d really need. We were always learning from people who have worked in the field, not just learned information in a classroom.”
Medical Front Office
Curtis Carey
Curtis D. Carey, RRT
Respiratory Care Team Leader Parkland Health & Hospital System
Respiratory Care Program
School of Health Sciences
Updated September 10, 2026