Re: Re[2]: Open health physics position at NYSDEC

[LIPTONW@dteenergy.com]

You have made an excellent point; one which ties in with our identity as a 
profession.  Consider this scenario:  You're involved in an auto accident.  
When you get to the emergency room you ask the physician where he attended 
medical school.  He says that he never went to medical school, but he's
worked 
around hospitals for while, tries hard, and is a born leader.  I don't know 
about you, but I'd try to crawl out of there and find a "real" doctor.  
Unfortunately, this does not seem to apply to the health physics profession.
 
Anyone who's turned on a survey instrument obviously is qualified as an RSO, 
at least in the minds of the public and many employers.   
 
This relates back to why I'm concerned about HPS passing out free geiger 
counters.  If anyone can properly use these to make radiological
assessments, 
then I guess I've wasted a lot of time.   
 
The opinions expressed are strictly mine. 
It's not about dose, it's about trust. 
 
Bill Lipton 
liptonw@dteenergy.com 
 
 
You wrote: 
 
>Perhaps the question isn't why aren't these jobs paying more money  
>(often it simply isn't there), but how is this fact affecting safety  
>at these institutions?  Are they able to attract quality or at  
>least competent people at these salaries?   
 
>It is hard to say... If you look at the salary surveys (which are  
>hardly comprehensive) you will see that there are some CHP's even  
>that are working for under 30k (not many, grant you).  Perhaps the  
>fact is that the bulk of these positions are being filled by people  
>that aren't HPs (by education or background) but instead come from  
>some other field where these salaries are more reasonable.
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