The Health Physics Profession

[Charles Willis <CAW@nrc.gov>]

Radsafers,

Bob Ryan and Bill Lipton raise some interesting questions about the
status of health physics as a profession.  "Learned profession"
probably is a better descriptor although my dictionary limits this to
theology, law and medicine.  People in other vocations aspire to this
classification but there is no clear set of qualifications for making this
judgement.  However, a few years ago, Mort Corn summarized the
characteristics of a learned profession somewhat as follows:

1.  Requiring specialized and advanced education
2.  Having a code of conduct and ethics
3.  Requiring rigorous testing, certification and/or licensing
4.  Imparting prestige
5.  Offering high economic rewards
6.  Having a career pattern or ladder
7.  Monopolization of a market in service
8.  Autonomy

While there is ample room for debate, this list isn't a bad starting point. 
Health physics has a way to go before qualifying on all these points, but
we are working on it.  Certification obviously is a vital element.  The
visibility of the Health Physics Society Presidents has helped our cause. 
A major problem continues to be the considerable number of people
who hold health physics jobs but who seem to lack professional
qualifications.  Only a small fraction of the RSOs even become members
of the Health Physics Society.  On the other hand, quite a number of
health physicists consistantly demonstrate professionalism by serving
on standards committees, working to educate the public, etc.


Charlie Willis
caw@nrc.gov