However, seldom
is time taken by the college professor in their courses to discuss the
topic of building a future for all exercise physiologists.
What is discussed is the importance of research, and every college student
has been told about the importance of publishing. Without question,
research is a major consideration when tenure and promotion are considered.
The concern entertained in this brief essay is whether the emphasis on
doing research and publishing articles has reached a point of distracting
from other important issues. This point is especially important,
given the professors need to prepare for lectures, teach several courses
per semester, grade papers, and perform other administrative tasks; all
of which leaves the professor with relatively little time to interact with
their students.
It isn't that research isn't
important or that research should be stopped. Rather, it appears
that the students have ended up with their professors doing everything
but mentoring and/or establishing opportunities for their students to network.
Some educators feel that teaching and interacting with their students are
equally, if not, more important than doing research. While I'm not
arguing aganist the importance of research, it shouldn't take the place
of other important considerations. Take, for example, the question,
"How can the professors recruit students to their program if they aren't
going to spend quality time with them and help them secure good paying
jobs at graduation?" If the students are not employable at graduation
and, by employable, I mean a good job that pays well enough to
financially survive, then for what purpose is the research (except
to build the professors' resumes). If the latter is correct, then
from the students' point of view, the teachers' research is an exercise
in futility. Why? Because if the public sector doesn't want the graduates
or doesn't believe that they have credibility, then both the students and
the department suffers.
Graduating students have
told me that many times that they feel the education and experience they
got at college are secondary to their professors' research plans.
Even more frequently, I am hearing about young men and women graduate and,
in a very short time period, state without hesitation that "...the
professors simply don't understand the job market students are graduating
into." It also seems clear to me that they are not in touch with
the wages, which aren't good across the board, as well as the lack of good
solid professional positions (similar, if you will, to nursing, physical
therapy and so forth).
While exercise physiology
appears to be coming into its own with some positive in-roads into the
healthcare community, the goals of the exercise physiologists are significantly
different on each side of the spectrum (i.e., with and without the doctorate).
This point has been discussed at length in other PEPonline
articles. It is so important, however, that the discussion should
continue in a variety of ways and means until all exercise physiologists
are on the same page. Building a future for all exercise physiologists
requires a common goal, particularly the goal of employment at graduation.
Otherwise, what is the point of the college degree in the first place?
If the college professors
are interested in building a profession as seriously as they have engaged
in doing research, it would seem more likely that students would graduate
into good paying jobs. These same students would have increased opportunity
to build a fulfilling professional career, which speaks very well for the
department, the academic program, and the college professors. Clearly,
the goal of "employment for all exercise physiologists, regardless of
degree status" can be acheived in many ways and, one important way,
is spending more quality time mentoring the students prior to their graduation.
Another important step might be the direct involvement of the undergraduate
students in doing research (since the professors aren't likely to give
it up), and especially since research is important to the continued respect
for academic exercise physiology.
In this regard, it is dumbfounding
that every exercise physiology program that has a medical school in the
university does not have at least one research project underway with the
physicians who teach in the academic setting. It is simply hard to
believe that there isn't one university trained endocrinologist, for example,
who isn't interested in obesity and exercise. Moreover, what about
the academic pulmonologist? Why couldn't the exercise physiology
faculty get the students involved with the pulmonologist? Certainly,
students who are interested in the benefits of exercise for individuals
with COPD would benefit from the knowledge and clinical experiences such
an association would produce. By forming partnerships with physicians
and community leaders, Ph.D. exercise physiologists could perform research
and provide their students with valuable clinical training and hands-on
experiences. Furthermore, since the medical system is driven by physicians,
then the same physicians in their hospital settings would be more incline
to hire exercise physiologists.
Although I recognize that
the exercise physiologist is educated to play a pivotal role in increasing
the quality of life and health of Americans, many healthcare practitioners
and physicians, in particular, do not know it. The college
professor can help in this regards by supporting the ASEP vision of exercise
physiology professionalism. One professor in a single laboraory isn't
likely to accomplish very much. But, when several exercise physiologists
agree to support their students and set the circumstances for building
a better future for them, there is hope and with hope there are dreams
where possibilties become reality. Part of this new reality
is the support of all exercise physiologists, regardless of their degree
status.
In sum, my remarks are based
on the solid foundation and application of exercise therapy to a variety
of healthcare problems, concerns, and diseases. If not prevention,
then exercise, as directed by academically prepared exercise physiologists,
has certainly helped to manage disease (1). Although ASEP is the
professional organization that has laid the academic foundation for the
professionalization of exercise physiology, all exercise physiologists
at all academic levels must work together to build a better future for
the members of the exercise physiology profession.
References
Astrand, PO. Exercise Physiology
and it’s role in disease prevention and rehabilitation. Archives
of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 68(5 pt 1):305-9,1987 May.
Copyright
©1997-2000 American Society of Exercise Physiologists. All Rights
Reserved.
ASEP
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