If you could spend more time studying one particular respiratory illness, what would it be?

"Having worked the majority of my career with patients that are diagnosed with asthma, I feel there is so much more to learn about the treatment for these patients. While most who suffer from the condition can live semi-normal lives with inhalers, some experience major life differences from you and me. With major obstruction to airways, severe asthma inhibits a person's ability to exercise or live a normal life, but our treatment can help. I'd love to see more advancements from an RT perspective to help limit folks with asthma being hospitalized and making emergency room visits."

Sleep apnea and asthma are two commonly diagnosed respiratory illnesses. Even though there is a lot of research on them, there is still more to be learned. Think of some of the problems you have experienced with patients, and choose one illness you find fascinating. Explain to the interviewer that you are interested in understanding how these illnesses affect the oxygen supplied to the brain, ultimately affecting the patient's overall health.

"Having worked in a large hospital with a blossoming oncology program, I've worked with a large number of lung cancer patients. The field of cancer treatment and the hopeful cure and prevention of the disease is very close to my heart. Lung cancer is tough to detect early, and once cancer spreads, it has an extremely high mortality rate. Working with these patients has taught me the fragility of life and has made me appreciate each day with my loved ones even more."