Dallas College

Student Experience: Vanessa H. Nguyen, RRT

“I first earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic arts, but I knew that a job in this field would not be fulfilling; I knew I wanted to take care of people. So I looked into different programs and found Respiratory Care at El Centro. I still wasn’t sure if that was the right career path for me, so I took some HPRS classes with Mr. Idichandi Idicula. He helped me to realize that I made the right choice. It’s obvious he loves what he does, and I made the decision to go into respiratory therapy because of him. 

“The best part of the program was the teachers. They are knowledgeable in their field because they work in it, and they are caring people. They encouraged us to develop our work ethic and also stressed the importance of taking care of our patients. Our instructors always shared their experiences and stories with us, even the mistakes they’ve made, so that we could learn from them. I feel like I really learned from their experiences. 

“What do I love about my job? I love my co-workers, and I love my patients and their families. The surprising part about this job is how much I've learned about humanity, how kind people are. There are many wonderful people out there.

“If you like to learn and truly care about people, you’ll love this job.”  Vanessa Nguyen earned an associate degree in Respiratory Care from El Centro in 2008. She also holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts with an emphasis in graphic design from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is credentialed as a registered respiratory therapist (RRT).


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
Vanessa H. Nguyen
Vanessa H. Nguyen, RRT
Respiratory Therapist Methodist Dallas Medical Center
Respiratory Care Program
School of Health Sciences
Updated September 10, 2026