Re: HP Certification

["Wesley M. Dunn" <WDUNN@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us>]

There are several errors being bandied about in this discussion.
Unfortuneatly, I don't have the actual numbers in front of me, but
the 18% pass rate on Part II is, statistically, an outlier.  It only
refers to the 1995 exam.  Other years have a much higher pass rate (I
seem to recall 50% being the round about number).  I would hope that
most HPs would realize that it is not appropriate to evaluate a
system via a single data point.

Second, the HPS has NOTHING to do with the exam or certification
(other than the obvious correlation between CHPs and HPS members).
If you look in your membership handbook, it spells out the mission(s)
of the American Board of Health Physics (ABHP) and the American
Academy of Health Physics (they have recently merged into one
corporation, if I have my facts rights)

I think too many people are reading too much into what Certification
supposedly means.  I realize that this generally is because employers
do not understand what it means.  Be that as it may, you don't "fix"
the problem by watering it down by ensuring anybody who wants can
pass it and become certified.  The key is to ensure the certification
process meets its goal of equitably ensuring the candidate has
demonstrated a necessary breadth and depth of professional judgement
and understanding in the field of Health Physics.

Wes
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Wesley M. Dunn, C.H.P.                     512-834-6688
Deputy Director, Licensing                 512-834-6690 (fax)
(Texas) Bureau of Radiation Control        wdunn@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us
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