Re: 1-week RSO's -Reply

["DAVE GILMORE" <DGILMORE@navajo.astate.edu>]

I feel obligated to job into this thread about RSO courses, because I 
feel that in large part it is about me.  We are a small, primarily 
undergraduate teaching university, not a mega-research university 
with dozens of authorized users.  In fact, on a semi-regular basis, 
there are only two active users of radioactive materials and one of 
them is myself.  RSO is a committee assignment, not a paid position.  
I took over as RSO when the previous one quit in a political huff, 
and I took the position because, as others have pointed out, someone 
needs to do it, and I had the most to lose from our Program being 
shut down by the state!
    Having taken a 40 hour course, I know that it helped me, but I 
can't imagine it being sufficient training for even my small time RSO 
position.  It supplemented the years of experience I've had as a user 
of RAM.  I guess I agree with the point that at least I've made the 
effort to get as much training as possible, and the fact that I'm 
"tuned in" to RADSAFE means I'm still trying to learn stuff.  I think 
I know enough to get help when I don't know something, but 
considering how little actually goes on here, I haven't needed much 
help and not for anything serious.  I hope you Real health physicists 
agree that I'm probably qualified _for the job here that I have to 
do_ and I don't pretend to be qualified for more than that!

Just my $0.02.

David F. Gilmore
Assistant Professor of Environmental Biology    0  0 
P.O. Box 599, Dept. of Biological Sciences       __    "have a day" 
Arkansas State University 
State University, AR 72467
dgilmore@navajo.astate.edu
ph  501-972-3082    fax 501-972-2638