HP Certification

["Richard, Mack L" <mrichar@iupui.edu>]

Dear Radsafers:

I enter into this discussion about HP certification with some hesitancy.  I
hope my thoughts will benefit those who are considering pursuing
certification, those that have tried and failed, and those that are
certified.

I took and passed part I of the CHP exam in 1994 and part II in 1998.  I was
fortunate enough to pass both parts on my first try (my philosophy - it's
better to be lucky than smart).  A friend of mine and I started studying for
part II in the fall of 1997 (he passed as well).  Over the course of the
better part of a year (studying 2 hours per night, 3 to 4 nights a week), I
asked myself innumerable times why I was putting myself through this (my
wife asked the same question as many times).  I'm not sure I  know the exact
answer to that question.  

My current job, which I have held for over 20 years now, doesn't require a
CHP (my boss probably doesn't know what a "health physicist" is or does).
If you gave him my name, he'd probably say, "Oh yeah, he's the radiation
safety guy."  Thus, pressure from my employer was not a factor.  I don't
anticipate a big pay increase for the same reason.  Probably from my boss's
standpoint, now I'm the "certified radiation safety guy - so what!"

As someone pointed out, it appears that many of the current job postings
either require or desire a CHP.  My opinion on that is simply that the law
of supply and demand comes into play.  With the scarcity of HP jobs
(compared to 10 years ago), employers can afford to be a little more picky
about the qualifications of potential employees.  However, I'm not looking
for a career change, so a new job was not the motivation for my seeking
certification.

A number of my colleagues are CHP's; however, I never got the impression
they looked down on me before I was certified.  More than once, a number of
them would call and ask my views on various health physics issues.  I also
don't expect them to think of me any differently just because I passed a
test.  

So what was my motivation?  Part of it was the challenge.  I suspect a part
of my motivation was to prove to myself that I could pass the exam.  Like
many HPs, especially those that are in a supervisory capacity, we get
inundated with mundane responsibilities (regulatory issues, paperwork,
etc.).  Such responsibilities are at times challenging, but not in a
professional sort of way.  Studying for the exam forces one to hone his/her
HP skills. 

Contrary to another radsafer's view that some jobs are better performed by
HP techs than CHPs , I still try to keep my hand in the day-to-day health
physics activities (performance of surveys, audits,  incident response,
etc.).  I have an extremely competent staff, so they probably think I get in
the way.  I do feel that studying for the exam helped me in a number of
ways, particularly for incident response.  During that year of study and
working innumerable problems from old HP exams, a couple of incidents that
occurred made me think to myself, "This would make a great part II
question."  Conversely, I think that participating in the day-to-day
activities also helped me pass the exam.

With respect to the certification process itself, I have a few comments.
First, I would like to see some reward for passing part I of the
certification exam aside from the ability to become an Associate Member of
the American Academy of Health Physics for a finite time period.  I could
certainly see designating individuals who have passed part I as "licensed
health physicists."  Some radsafers have stated that they thought part I was
more difficult than part II.  I'm not sure I agree, but I would argue that
passing part I is an accomplishment that deserves some type of recognition.
The down side of that idea is that some individuals would probably stop
there and not attempt to become certified by taking part II.  Perhaps that
would meet those individuals' (or their employers') needs.

Secondly, I think that all individuals should be informed of their scores
for both parts of the exam, regardless of whether they pass or fail.
Currently, you only are informed of your score if you fail.  I would like to
know my score as well as the areas where my understanding is lacking.  I'm
sure the ABHP has its reasons and maybe they have published them before, but
I'd still like to hear the rationale for the current practice.

One radsafer apparently does not agree with the experience requirement for
sitting for part II.  While it may be possible for some individuals to pass
part II right out of school (I wouldn't have been one of them), as has been
pointed out, the certification process is more than just passing a test.
Experience is a valuable teacher.  Some individuals might be able to deal
with a contamination incident having worked a part II problem on a similar
incident.  However, previous experience with contamination incidents is much
more valuable in assessing and responding to such incidents in real life
situations.

(For this part, play "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" or your country's
national anthem, etc.)

As so many have stated already, I know many, many competent HPs that are not
certified.  I can't say that I personally know of any CHPs that I would
consider incompetent, but they're probably out there - just as there are
incompetent individuals in other professions (e.g., physicians, lawyers,
etc.).  The bottom line is that we all must look at our motivation for
becoming CHPs.  More importantly, we must all (certified or not) recognize
and work within our limitations.  These are just my personal views.  I hope
I haven't offended anyone.  

Mack L. Richard, M.S., C.H.P.
Radiation Safety Officer - Indiana Univ. Med. Cntr.
Phone #: (317) 274-0330   Fax #: (317) 274-2332
E-Mail Address:  mrichar@iupui.edu

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