Re[2]: The Health Physics Profession

[Mike.Ashland@gsbsc.gensig.com]

     Another 2 cents,
     
     As a part-time RSO with exactly three (3) weeks of formal training, I 
     consider myself a professional.
     
     The prime reason for this conviction is that I know what I don't know. 
     In other words, I know when to call for help, and I think that this is 
     another important requirement for all "professionals", to know when 
     the situation has exceeded their level of expertise.
     
     Another reason for my conviction is that I have continued to expand my 
     knowledge of the specific radiation safety aspects which constitute my 
     job as a RSO from any and all sources (the most useful of which has 
     been RADSAFE itself). In other words, another important requirement 
     for a "professional" is that he or she continues to expand their body 
     of knowledge about their profession long after any formal training or 
     education has been completed.
     
     Lastly, I think "professionalism" is an attitude. No degree or 
     certification can guarantee that attitude. We encounter true 
     professionals in all walks of life, and almost always recognize them 
     when we see them in action, whether they are our favorite auto 
     mechanic or the family doctor or the chief HP at our facility.
     
     Regards,
     
     Mike Ashland, RSO
     EST
     Pittsfield, Maine, USA
     mike.ashland@gsbsc.gensig.com
     
     Any and all opinions expressed above are those of the author and do 
     not necessarily reflect any official position of EST.


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: The Health Physics Profession
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at Internet2
Date:    9/11/97 3:52 PM


I just want to add my 2 cents...
     
There is huge difference of understanding between a person with a degree in 
health
physics and person not having a degree.  I believe you cannot consider yourself 
a
professional in health physics without a college degree and several years work 
experience AFTER you earned your degree.
     
I worked for a few years as a "Rent-A-Tech" during refueling outages before 
earning my degree in health physics.  My level of understanding as tech was just
enough so that I can swing a meter, write a decent survey report, and provide 
radiological coverage based upon recommendations by the plant health physicist.
     
I have heard people say that training in the nuclear navy as enlisted personnel 
is
comparable to that of a nuclear engineering/health physics degree.  This is not 
true.  My program at Oregon State was made mostly of nuclear navy enlisted 
people
that were given a 3 year opportunity to earn a degree.  It was no surprise that 
the first 2 years were a struggle for the non-navy students competing for a good
grade against the navy trained students, but by the third year, it was an even 
playing ground.
     
My point is, you gain the theory through formal education that is necessary to 
be
a professional health physicist.  Without a theory background and post academic 
work experience, you cannot make solid recommendations or decisions.  This is 
necessary to be a professional in health physics.