Re: Re[2]: The Health Physics Profession

[Jeff Eichorst <myself@lanl.gov>]

So, if as a group of professionals, we basically agree that a certification
without a degree could be acceptable, why are the requirements changing to
even be able to take the CHP exam.  From what I understand, you can't even
take it unless you have a degree.
What's up with that?



At 02:51 PM 9/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
>     While I agree somewhat with Bill's comments below, I don't think the 
>     analogy is quite appropriate. I think the question should be: would 
>     you undergo surgery from someone who does not have a medical DEGREE, 
>     but does have a BOARD CERTIFICATION in the appropriate medical 
>     discipline? This changes the question considerably, doesn't it?
>     
>     As with Sandy, I have worked with many excellent non-degreed HPs, just 
>     as I have worked with excellent degreed ones. On the flip side, I have 
>     also worked with terrible HPs, both with and without degrees (and even 
>     a few bad ones with CHP behind their name.)
>     
>     While board certification is certainly not for everyone, nor should 
>     everyone need it, it does imply a level of competence. If you go to a 
>     lawyer who passed the bar exam, do you ask, or even care, if they have 
>     a degree? Probably not. This same analogy applies to lots of 
>     professions with licensure/certification.
>     
>     I don't believe that every "professional" HP should have a degree 
>     and/or certification, and I strongly disagree that 
>     non-degreed/non-certified HPs are not "professionals."
>     
>     Steven D. Rima, CHP
>     Manager, Health Physics and Industrial Hygiene
>     MACTEC-ERS, LLC
>     steven.rima@doegjpo.com
>     
>     Non-standard disclaimer: The above is my opinion, I'm proud of it and 
>     I hereby claim every word!
>
>
>______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
>Subject: Re: The Health Physics Profession
>Author:  LIPTONW@detroitedison.com at Internet
>Date:    9/11/97 10:23 AM
>
>
>     
>--Boundary-6282964-0-0
>     
>While I agree that formal education does not provide assurance that an 
>individual is a "professional" health physicist, it is, with a few exceptions, 
>a prerequisite.  Would you undergo surgery from someone who does not have a 
>medical degree, but claims to have: "that inner instinct, desire and drive and 
>the  
>ability to identify, evaluate, formulate a plan and most importantly,  
>to execute it efficiently and effectively"?  If anyone can do "professional" 
>health physics work, then we're not a profession (and I've wasted a lot of 
>time!).   
>     
>The opinions expressed are strictly mine. 
>Here's to a risk free world, and other fantasies. 
>     
>Bill Lipton 
>liptonw@detroitedison.com 
>     
>     
><snip>
>
>
Jeff Eichorst
Occurrence Investigator
Los Alamos National Laboratory
ESH-7, MS K999, Los Alamos, NM 87545
505.665-6980		505.665-6977 fax
505.996-1117 digital pager,	myself@lanl.gov

"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth."
	- JFK