Re: SI and all that

["Ron L. Kathren" <rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu>]

With some interest, I read Mr. Hofmeyr's contribution to the debate on SI
units.  Regrettably and hopefully unintentionally, he has made a sweeping
erroneous characterization about  American CHPs.  He is certainly entitled
to his opinion but I find the statement "American CHPs want to make a last
stand at the wrong trench .  .  . " to be odious and insulting and, simply
stated, wrong.  To successfully sit for the ABHP exam, a CHP candidate must
be fully versed in the SI as applied to health physics.  Thus, all CHPs --
or at least those of vintage for the last two decades or so -- should be
well versed in the SI.  And I daresay that this applies to virtually all
CHPs. for we have a professional obligation to maintain currency in health
physics.

That many prefer the old system of units is not surprising; we are
comfortable with what we have grown up with and which still is part and
parcel of our everyday lives.  That there is clearly a difference of opinion
among American CHPs (and American HPs generally) regarding the use of SI is
not surprising and is to be expected, given our American system and  our
proclivity to state our opinions openly.  The lively debate that has
surrounded the topic of SI has been good and instructive.  Irrespective of
whether we endorse the use of SI or not, it is a fact that responsible
professional HPs will need to be versed in both the SI and old systems; one
cannot appreciate or even understand the older literature without knowledge
of the old quantitites and units and I daresay that much of this body of
knowledge will important for years to come.  Similarly a professional HP
needs to know SI to understand much of the current literature (including, I
might add, the American published journal Health Physics, the leader in the
field, which now uses SI).   And, on a personal note, this American CHP has
long advocated the use of SI, even though I am more comfortable with the old
units.   The same could be said for many of my American health physics
colleagues, whether CHPs or not.

Ron Kathren, CHP
Past President, AAHP




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