Re: The H. P. Profession -Reply

[Lester.Slaback@nist.gov]

   at 02:32 PM, Charles Willis <CAW@nrc.gov> said:
>rest of us.  For decades there was no firm requirement for a degree, so
>any change must represent current thinking and conditions.

**** well, not decades.  A degree requirement was instituted in the
1970's. It was relaxed in the mid 80's (84-85) to allow those with all the
science courses that might be required to attain a science degree
even though they did not have the final degree.  So for some time a
substantial college education (or its close equivalent) has been required. 
So the latest change is not much of a change.


>As for requiring that the degree be in health physics, I do not believe
>that has received serious consideration, in part because few active
>health physicists have degrees in health physics.  I do not believe there
>was such a degree when the Certification program was initiated.  Someday
>we may progress to the point where the requirement is for a degree in
>health physics but that day probably is a generation or more away.  

*** I do not have the statistics but I would bet that a substantial
portion of the current CHPs have degrees from formal HP programs, e.g.,
>20%.
Remember, most current CHPs have been credentialed in the last 5-10 years.
The grad programs have been producing a lot of HPs in the last 20 yrs.

>While the Examinations seem to be considered the principal barrier to
>Certification, there are other requirements, including professional
>experience and recommendations. 

*** This is hard to ascertain.  Certainly a lot of folks simply never
apply because of the explicit experience requirements.  And certainly
those who self assess their eligibilty are reasonably accurate in the
sense that not many are turned down at the application stage if they
apply.  

-- 
the above are the personal musing of the author,
and do not represent any past, current, or future
position of NIST, the U.S. Government, or anyone else
who might think that they are in a position of authority.
NBSR Health Physics
NIST
Gaithersburg, MD 20899
301 975-5810
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Lester.Slaback@nist.gov
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