The Cost of Destiny
Tommy Boone, PhD, MPH, MA, FASEP, EPC
Professor and Chair
Department of Exercise Physiology
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN 55811
“A mind stretched by a new idea
never returns to its original dimension.” -- Lincoln
This article examines some of the rules of
leadership. It is part of my effort to continue the communication
of exercise physiology to anyone who is interested in reading PEPonline
articles. No one in American is more aware of just how little discussion
there is regarding the professional development of exercise physiology.
Few would question my statement since so few exercise physiologists write
about professionalism. Yet, on matters of this importance, the future
of exercise physiology stands or falls on whether we are willing to support
the ASEP infrastructure of professionalism.
The basic consensus is that ASEP is the
“new idea” that has gained strength and support since its founding in 1997.
However, today, actually the month of April, during which members of the
national organization meet in Indianapolis, IN to confront issues, present
research papers, and get to know each other, the organization still remains
small. Of course small (as in numbers) is entirely different from
large (as in ideas). Many great ideas and works of value have come
from just a few individuals and organizations (including the ASEP organization).
The members understand the challenges before them, and they are deeply
involved in doing what is right for students and members of the ASEP organization
who believe that exercise physiology is a healthcare profession.
The primary challenge comes from a rival
organization that asserts powers of numbers much bigger than ASEP.
If they thought it was possible, they would bury us and put down our efforts.
Their philosophy is one of sports medicine, which has created significant
debris along its 50-year path to the top. Faced with the ASEP refutation
of their thinking of exercise physiology, the old time exercise physiologists
and others have resisted change.
Yet, the challenge comes not so much
to change their thinking as the right to our own thinking. No
longer buried in the decades of sports medicine leadership, exercise physiologists
are now building their own professional organization. The process
is long and hard, and not without great difficulty. It takes strength
of character and ruthlessness that will unfortunately be misinterpreted
many times in many different ways.
The challenges to growing stronger with
a purpose are not without considerable resistance. Most of the ASEP
proposals have met the challenges head on with deliberate intention to
win. Some proposals have failed for reasons that are not worthy of
an explanation at this time. The consensus on the fundamentals of
the ASEP leadership appears solid and strong.
Everyday I remind myself why it is important
to believe in the exercise physiologist’s right to be free from sports
medicine. The truths of yesterday are no longer the right guides
for today’s exercise physiologists. To not just stay in the game,
but to win at a position equal to nursing and physical therapy, all exercise
physiologists must embrace truth and conviction. The process is underway.
It is hard work that has its uncomfortable moments, if not days or months.
The fact remains simply this:
"That there is no substitution
for the freedom to be in charge of one’s destiny." -- William T. Boone
The exercise physiologist defined by the doctorate
degree is no longer valid today. Yesterday it might have been different.
But, yesterday’s thinking is not of today as it is obvious that such thinking
is a mistake. Exercise physiology is not changeless or static.
Nursing or physical therapy has not remained static. Both have grown
with increasing responsibility as healthcare professionals. The demand
placed on leaders within exercise physiology is that they must grow with
today’s thinking.
Everything is changing, and it inevitable
that exercise physiology grows from within its own professional organization.
The social conditions of today’s thinking support the need to change.
Academic exercise physiologists simply do not have the luxury to avoid
or act indifferent to this fact. No one abhors more the college professors
who have have their heads buried in the sand. They are suppose to
know where we are going.
"The greatest thing in this world
is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving."
-- Oliver Wendell Homes
The growing role of the ASEP organization
in the professional development of exercise physiology is traceable to
the problems students have encountered for decades following graduation.
Not finding jobs with good salaries as well as the feeling of little respect
have needed confronting for a long time. Now, with ASEP students
are finding expanded job opportunities and other luxuries that associate
with a college education.
Loyalty to our heritage is important but
futile if it means continuing to act irresponsibly. This is exactly
why change is necessary just as one cannot revolutionize an idea without
laying the framework for why a new exercise physiology is imperative.
This is what ASEP has done. And, this also accounts for many of the
differences between sports medicine and exercise physiology and their respective
organizations. Soon, that is, in time, the direction ASEP has taken
will become a matter of course.
Discontinuity leaves little room for improvement
and certainty. Hence, to be assured of constructiveness in the students’
education, continuity from one program to another is imperative.
The challenge is to embrace the ASEP accreditation efforts to help ensure
the freedom that comes with education. Every academic setting of
accredited programs in healthcare understands, if not, commands allegiance
to the proposition that program continuity is part of the strength in their
programs.
This thinking is understandable, although
those in charge of the majority of the kinesiology programs with exercise
science concentrations appear to remain unconvinced. The freedom
to stay as they have been for decades bears directly on the economic picture
of the students at graduation. The fact that their students face
serious job related issues has not initiated change in their thinking is
a concern.
Some would say they have even dug in more
deeply failing to play by the rules of change at the expense of their students’
future goals and achievements. Failing to temper the rigors of the
past ways of doing things has left them out of touch with economics and
professionalism. This has been a problem for decades. It must
change, and exercise physiologists need to step up to the plate and do
so.
The future of exercise physiology depends
on the preservation of beliefs that underpin the ASEP vision, goals and
objectives. Fortunately, we have the freedom to consider new ideas
and a new language for what is exercise physiology and who is an exercise
physiologist. To that extent, the values that have shaped the ASEP
exercise physiologist have prevailed. Libraries of work still need
to be done to define our position and financial independence as new healthcare
professionals.
Fortunately, with increasing speed and
commitment from those at the grassroots level, we have become the controllers
and planners in confronting old ideas with new ideas that rethink our earlier
beliefs about ourselves. This is altogether good, proper, and inspiring.
This shift in stepping from being invisible to putting ourselves before
other professionals validates our qualifications.
While the old exercise physiology was defined
by technician type of work, the new exercise physiology is increasingly
defined as a healthcare profession. Rehabilitation is a big part
of it. As well, there is a strong commitment to athletics and sports
training. The new freedom that comes from the ASEP standards of practice
requires accountability and credibility. Both add tons to our confidence
and our ability to make it professionally and financially in the "dog-eat-dog"
world that we live in.
The new freedom to use the “Exercise Physiologist”
title after earning the ASEP board certification underscores the ethical
thinking and integrity that has gone into the making of the EPC exam.
With this certification, founded on the values of accreditation, there
is no dispute of its importance. The same conclusion is reached that
the EPC exam is credible as is the ATC (athletic trainer certification).
The sports medicine person may disagree
by continuing to conform to other certifications. That is his right.
But, such thinking may well come to a point whereby the world gets feed
up with hundrends of quick, week-end certifications. Such thinking
is not part of physical therapy or nursing or other professional programs
of study. It should not be part of exercise physiology either. Certifications
should never take the place of an academic degree. When individuals
fail to understand this point, they contribute to the head-on collisions
with our ideals of an education that lays the foundation for the development
of professions.
It is unfortunate that many organizations
have fallen into the business of copying each other. Now, there are
so many useless certifications that frankly it is a major piece of work
to keep up with them. This strikes me as the horse leading the rider!
If consumer wishes rule over the importance of an education from
an accredited institution, then there can be little expectation of integrity
to guide the competitive free markets. Again, unfortunately, the
bottom line (i.e., make money and, then, make more money) drives the allocation
of resources to produce yet another meaningless certification.
In practice, there is little distinction
between the certifications that have no value whatsoever and the perverse
pushing of fitness supplements on presumably smart athletes. They
are all manifestations of big business gone wrong. This point of
view can hardly be denied. Life can't be just about making money
and, then making more money. At least that is not what my thoughts
are about, and as Marcus Aurelius Antonius said: "...our life is what our
thoughts make it." Hence, I’m pretty sure that athletics on
one hand and organizations on the other are not sustainable when life is
also about ethical thinking. To give an honest physical performance
is something that is fully appreciated. Similarly, if ever there
was a need for promising changes within sports medicine to do the right
thing and step aside from its grip on exercise physiology, now is the time.
