Re: HPS Membership

["Jean-Francois, Stephane" <stephane_jeanfrancois@merck.com>]

I find this trend very interesting !  To play the devil advocate: What
would you "think" of an " expert" from another country who may not be a
member of HPS or a CHP ?  (I'm not talking about myself !)  ;-)

We should first define what an "expert" is !  We all know that media
report one side of a story (please focus on the words "one" and "a").
If a newspaper claims that someone is a "leading radiation safety
expert" , unless you know the person is an idiot, you can't do more,
even by checking references ! Because we don't have a full picture.  If
you have the integrity (to protect your profession) to report the person
as a "fraud, then the next day the same newspaper will print:  "Another
leading expert says the first leading expert is a fraud !"  Where do we
stop ? With the letters CHP, HPS ? Doesn't mean much in Canada !


Stephane Jean-Francois,  Phys. Eng.
RSO
Merck Frosst Canada
stephane_jeanfrancois@merck.com
This opinion is mine and do not represent my employer.

PS I'm in the certification process for CHP, just to see what it is !
 ----------
From: Wesley M. Dunn
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Re: HPS Membership
Date:  August 1, 1997 09:29


At least some of us has missed the point of Ron's comment.  The
issue I saw Ron raising is as follows:

An individual is claimed by the newspapers as the institution's
"leading radiation safety expert".  What would lead you to accept
this as a valid claim of expertise?

The field of health physics is not all that large.  I know, either
personally, by name or by face, a significant number of those
individuals who are truly expert in the field.  Also, as an HP, I
get protective of my field: I don't wish the public to accept
"expert" commentary from someone who does not actually have that
expertise (it's usually known as "fraud").  So if I see a name I
don't know, I ask "is this person really an expert?".  Since I don't
know every expert in the field, I check my resources, starting with
the HPS membership handbook.  If I find a listing of the person as
an HP, CHP, etc...., I am much more willing to give them the
benefit of the doubt than if they are not.

But please note there is a major difference between "giving the
benefit of the doubt" than automatically accepting the person is or
is not an expert. As others have pointed out, being a member of the
HPS or having CHP behind one's name does not confer infallibility,
nor does the lack thereof confer incompetance.

Wes
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Wesley M. Dunn, CHP                        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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