A growing number of people are heading back to class this fall at Missouri's community colleges. At OTC there's a 33% spike in enrollment.  Many of those students are taking a seat in allied health classes.

Inserting breathing tubes is a far cry from their former careers. But, for OTC students Lonnie Davenport and Michaela Ihasz, it's a natural fit.

"I was in retail management for most of my life," says Lonnie Davenport. He felt the pressure of job consolidation, and came back to class. "I wanted something where I could work as I get older and retire.

Ihasz packed her book bag when her husband's company fell victim to the recession.

"His company got bought out," she explains. "I was in insurance and pensions. When we moved to Missouri, it was natural to enroll in school."

These two saw a stable future in health care.  But they found themselves on a different path than many other students.

"They think physicians or nurses and don't realize there's PT, OT or RT," says Aaron Light, OTC's Director of Clinical Education.

Instructors say respiratory therapy ranks number two behind nursing in health care careers.  And at OTC, it's making the grade.  In 2002, there were barely enough applicants to fill a 20 person class.  Seven years later, applications have more than doubled and classes are at capacity.

"We're turning people away because we don't have a place to put them clinically," says Light.

But don't mistake a full class for a saturated job market.

"Anywhere in the country you want to go, I can find you a job," says Light.

And don't mistake open jobs as a cure all for the recession. 

"You pay for education and minimize your work so you limit your income at the same time you're paying for more," says Davenport of the financial strain.

But students say the up front cost, even when the economy's taking a dip, comes with a career that helps them breathe easier in the long run.

"They just keep saying 'show us what you got and you get a job'," says Ihasz.

OTC says it would like to add more students to classes, but area hospitals don't have enough clinical spots. So, the challenge now is to fill that gap without hurting the end product of a strong education.

OTC has the only respiratory therapy program in Springfield. There are about 10 in the state and 400 nationwide. Still, educators say it's hard to keep up with the demands in this career field.