The Dissection
Of Exercise Certifications
Matthew G.
Wattles, MS
Exercise Physiologist
President,
Idaho
Association of Exercise Physiologists
Boise, ID
83709
THE PROFESSON
of Exercise Physiology does not have to fail. It is our choice. The
goal of this article is to wake people up to the insanity of our field
and to encourage people to support the Exercise Physiology profession by
supporting certification that will benefit our field and not jeopardize
it. I want Exercise Physiologists to start asking questions and then
to DEMAND answers. In this article, I give a brief description of
each certification, the minimum requirements to sit for the certification
and an analysis of the value of the certification to the Exercise Physiology
profession.
Currently,
very few people with degrees in our field understand the importance of
certification. It is in my opinion that our field has not moved forward
because the majority of Exercise Physiologists have not researched other
successful allied health professions nor followed their models. In
fact, the majority of Exercise Physiologists have done nothing to promote
the field.
“The
problem with doing nothing is you never know when you’re finished”
-- J.P. Svientek
Be Prepared
to Fight
What do we
have to do if we want to change things? We have to have the strength
of our convictions. We have to be prepared to fight for them.
We have to be in the fight for the long haul.
Let me jump
right in a take a look at various certifications available in our field.
I will provide a brief description of each of the certifications and how
it impacts the Exercise Physiology profession as a whole. The certifications
I will concentrate on are through three different associations:
1.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
2. American
Council on Exercise (ACE), and
3. American
Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP).
These certifications
were chosen because they fall under the Exercise Physiologist’s scope of
practice as defined by ASEP. Therefore, these three certifications
will be scrutinized for professional benefit to the Exercise Physiologist
(1).
ACSM's Certifications
Let’s start
by reviewing ACSM’s certifications. ACSM has more certifications
within the exercise science community than any other organization.
It is no secret that ACSM’s certifications are very lucrative for this
sports medicine organization. Therefore, they are marketed heavily
in colleges, universities, hospitals, health clubs, fitness centers and
about any where else you would find exercise professionals.
ACSM offers
two tracks for their certifications. First, there is the health
/ fitness track is designed primarily for leaders of preventive health
programs in corporate, commercial, and community settings aimed at low-
to moderate-risk individuals or persons with controlled diseases.
Second, there is the clinical track is designed for those individuals who
may work with high-risk or diseased individuals and/or those with low to
moderate health risk (2).
Health /
Fitness Track
ASCM awards
three certifications within their Health / Fitness Track:
1.
Group Exercise Leader
2. Health
/ Fitness Instructor
3. Health
/ Fitness Director
The Group Exercise
Leader uses a variety of teaching techniques. They should be proficient
in leading and demonstrating safe and effective methods of exercise by
applying the fundamental principles of exercise science. The Group Exercise
Leader is familiar with all forms of group exercise including, but not
limited to low, high, and mixed aerobics; step aerobics; slide; stationary
indoor cycling; and interval, circuit, water, muscle conditioning, and
flexibility classes.
The minimum
requirements to sit for this certification are:
1.
Fitness certification from a nationally recognized organization; OR completed
or current enrollment in group exercise-related college courses at a regionally
accredited college/university; OR 300 hours of group exercise instruction
experience.
2. Possess
current CPR certification (3).
Basically, anyone
off the street can sit for the exam. Fitness certification from a
nationally recognized organization can be obtained in many cases by taking
a exam sent to you in the privacy of your own home (e.g., American Academy
of Health and Fitness Professionals, International Sports Sciences
Association, and others). A CPR certification can be obtained by
taking a 4-hour course at your local Red Cross.
To personalize
this point: I believe Exercise Physiologyists cannot find jobs after
they graduate because fitness centers and hospitals feel that they will
have to pay more for an educated exercise physiologist than for someone
with little or no education. My point is simply this: Anyone with
a high school degree is eligible to sit for the Group Exercise Leader certification
and, according to ACSM, qualified to provide group exercise instruction.
This drastically
hurts the Exercise Physiology profession because it shows no value for
a "college degree" in Exercise Physiology (or even Exercise Science).
If you look at the majority of the help wanted adds for aerobic instructors
or group exercise leaders, most say "degree in exercise science or certification
from national organization". The person who holds only a certification
may have spent a week studying and a couple hundred dollars for the certification,
while the person with the degree will have spent thousands of dollars (some
as high as $100,000) and thousands of hours studying to obtain an undergraduate
degree in Exercise Physiology. Who would you say is more qualified?
I would not want someone teaching group aerobics to my parents who did
not hold a college degree. Would you?
The next ASCM
certification is the Health / Fitness Instructor. After passing the
certification, this person will: (a) design safe and effective exercise
prescriptions; and (b) conduct individual exercise programs, fitness testing,
and health education for low-to moderate-risk individuals and individuals
with controlled diseases.
The minimum
requirements to sit for the certification are:
1.
A 2-year, 4-year, or Masters degree in a health-related field* from a regionally
accredited college/university (verification by transcript or copy of the
degree); OR current enrollment, as a junior or higher in a degree granting
health-related field from a regionally accredited college/ university;
OR a minimum of 900 hours of practical experience in a fitness setting.
2) Possess
current CPR certification (4).
This is basically
ACSM’s personal training certification. Again, this certification
does not help the Exercise Physiology profession. It seems almost
comical that ACSM requires a 2-year, 4-year, or Masters degree in a health-related
field or 900 hours of practical experience in a fitness setting.
It would
take an individual 6+ years to earn a Masters degree, but less than 6 months
to earn 900 hours of experience. That means practically anyone
can sit for this exam.
Have you ever
seen some of the individuals that are working at the local gym or fitness
center? Practically speaking, anyone can pass for a personal
trainer in Idaho. One of the only requirements is that you will work
for $6 per hour. Think about it: Basically anyone off the street
who is presently working at a fitness facility can sit for this ACSM exam.
That is, if they put in their 4 hours to earn CPR certification.
Who do you believe the health clubs will hire? Health clubs are about
turning a profit and selling memberships. They will hire the guy
they can pay less. By having such lenient requirements, it is in
my opinion that ASCM is hurting the profession of Exercise Physiology.
They are putting their own profits over the development the field.
The final certification
in ACSM’s Health / Fitness track is the Health / Fitness Director.
This candidate will demonstrate administrative leadership skills for health
and fitness programs. Program, staff, and financial management skills,
as well as a strong understanding of exercise and exercise science principles
are important parameters for the Health / Fitness Director.
The minimum
requirements to sit for this certification are:
1.
A 2-year, 4-year, or Masters degree in a health related field from a regionally
accredited college or university;
2. A minimum
of 2 years (full time) or 4000 hours of experience as a fitness manager
or director;
3. Current
ACSM Health / Fitness Instructor certification
4. Possess
current CPR (5).
Here, ACSM gets
a little better on the educational requirements. But, still, the
require is only a 2-year degree. Once again, this greatly hurts
the value of a college education for students who are enrolled in Exercise
Physiology.
Clincial
Track
What about
the clincal track? ACSM’s clinical track offers three certifications:
1.
Exercise Specialist
2. Program
Director, and
3. Registered
Clinical Exercise Physiologist
The ACSM Exercise
Specialist candidate demonstrates competence in graded exercise testing,
exercise prescription, exercise leadership, emergency procedures, patient
counseling, and health education for individuals with cardiovascular, pulmonary,
and/or metabolic diseases as well as healthy individuals.
The minimum
requirements to sit for this certification are:
1.
Baccalaureate degree in an allied health field or the equivalent (e.g.,
2-yr degree plus a minimum of 2 years experience in cardiac rehabilitation/clinical
exercise testing environment).
2. Minimum
of 600 hours of practical experience in a clinical exercise program (e.g.,
cardiac/pulmonary) including exercise testing; and
3. Current
certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) (6).
This certification
is generally required for an entry-level Exercise Physiologist working
in a cardiac rehabilitation setting. ASCM has once again opened the
door to anyone with a two year “allied health degree” and experience in
a clinical testing environment.
In Idaho, if
you are an Exercise Physiologist, you will not work in cardiac rehabilitation.
Those positions are only available to licensed staff, such as associate
degree level RNs and RTs. In many cases, these individuals end up
in Exercise Physiology positions simply because they were looking to make
a career change. There is no way a nurse with a 2-year degree could
possibly have the knowledge base that a Master-level Exercise Physiologist
has. This seems to be fine with ACSM. Why? Because it seems
to open the door to more people eligible to sit for the exam. It
puts more money in ACSM’s pockets.
The next ACSM
certification is the Program Director. This candidate is primarily
responsible for developing and directing safe and effective clinical exercise
programs.
The minimum
requirements to sit for this certification are:
1.
Post-baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) training in exercise science,
medicine, or an allied health field plus 2 years of clinical experience.
2. Minimum
1-year recent experience administering/managing a clinical exercise program.
(Note: This 1-year can be included in the 2-year requirement above).
3. Current
BCLS certification
4. Current
ACSM Exercise Specialist certification OR successful completion of the
ACSM Exercise Specialist practical examination
5. Complete
a Program Director candidate's checklist, which documents administrative
and clinical experience (7).
This certification
does seem to value education, but again it does open the door to any allied
health care professional. You can be a nurse, a physical therapist,
or an occupational therapist and sit for the exam. Therefore, I cannot
see the value of the certification (within the context of the Exercise
Physiology profession). Why? Because you would never find a
physical therapy exam that was opened anyone but a physical therapist.
You would not find these requirements (or the lack of them) in any other
professional association because it would hurt their field and their members'
career and income potential. When exercise physiologists support
these exams, they are directly hurting the field of Exercise Physiology
and slowly making our profession extinct.
The final ACSM
certification analyzed in this article is the Registered Clinical Exercise
Physiologist (RCEP). ASCM defines the Registered Clinical Exercise
Physiologist as someone who works in the application of exercise and physical
activity for those clinical and pathological situations where it has been
shown to provide therapeutic or functional benefit.
The minimum
requirements to sit for this certification are:
1.
Graduate degree in exercise science, exercise physiology, physiology (clinical
exercise physiologists with baccalaureate degrees in exercise science,
exercise physiology, and physiology and 10,000 hours of clinical experience
may sit for the Registry exam until December 31, 2002).
2. Minimum,
1200 hours, relevant clinical experience (8).
Here, ACSM defines
the educational level of the candidate and requires that the candidate
has a "degree" in exercise science, exercise physiology, or physiology.
Off to a good start but, again, the thinking behind the certification
seems to fall short of helping to promote the profession of Exercise Physiology.
First, why on earth would an Exercise Physiologist be required to have
a graduate degree (especially if the exercise physiologist has an academic
degree in Exercise Physiology)? ACSM states that “The Clinical Exercise
Physiology Board believes that the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary
to be a competent Clinical Exercise Physiologist require a minimum of a
Master’s degree in Exercise Science or Physiology ” (9).
What about
our undergraduate students? If the RCEP is going to be such a hot
certification and create a boom in the job market, why is it that the undergraduate-prepared
professional cannot sit for the exam? We are not licensed staff and
make a fraction of the salary that other allied health care professional
make. I find it amusing that ASCM would allow the poor sap with a
bachelor-degreed person to sit for the exam if he/she possessed 10,000
hours of clinical experience. That is the equivalent of 5 years of
clinical experience. Physicians only have to do a 4-year residence
to earn the MD degree. It makes no sense at all, especially since
somone with the certification is likely to get paid at $12 per hour (on
the average)! An RN with a 2-year degree has tremendously more responsibility
than any Exercise Physiologist in this country. They make almost
doubled the Exercise Physiologist's salary, and they are only required
to spend 2 years in school. Again, it makes no sense at all.
I believe that if you are a bachelor-prepared iExercise Physiologist, you
should be permitted to call yourself an Exercise Physiologist and be able
to work as an Exercise Physiologist.
The Problem:
ACSM's Eligibility Requirements
The problem
is not ASCM’s actual exams. Rather, the problem is the "eligibility
requirements" for the exams. As stated earlier in the article,
this is an analysis on the benefit of exercise certifications for the Exercise
Physiology profession. With that in mind, it does not make sense
to support the ACSM exercise certifications. My mindset is that of
promoting the profession (or, if you will, the emerging profession) of
the Exercise Physiology. For me to support the ACSM certifications
would, in effect, mean that I support the extinction of the professionizaton
of Exercise Physiology.
Let me give
you my opinion of what ACSM is doing or, perhaps, more precisely, what
the PhD exercise physiologists in ACSM are doing. What is happening
is really a simple matter of power: It is the way of keeping
the almighty PhD the only true “Exercise Physiologists”. How many
students will acquire the 1200 clinical hours of experience? Very
few. I am constantly searching the country for job opportunities
for Exercise Physiologists. An internship usually ends up costing
the graduate thousands of dollars in travel and living expenses.
The majority of Exercise Physiology internships that I know of do not pay
a salary (and if there is a stipend, it is essentially meaningless).
After spending
7 years to acquire an education and spending a minimum of $70,000 for an
education, students are told that they are not prepared to be an Exercise
Physiologists. Now, they must acquire an additional 1200 hours of
clinical experience to even be eligible to sit for the RCEP exam.
Currently, there are no accredited Exercise Physiology programs in the
United States and no state licensure (except for Louisiana, which is a
mess in it’s own right). The RCEP will do little for career advancement.
Most likely, the RCEP will end up as a glorified P.T.A., but for a lesser
wage. There is a good chance, if you are one of the lucky ones, you
will find work under the supervision of an associates level RN with no
education or training in the field. This is where our field stands
today.
A Time for
Questions
After everything
that has been said, Why do nurses only require an Associates degree for
an RN? They can be very professional, and do a great many things
in the healthcare field. If you have a PhD in nursing or an Associates
degree you are still considered a nurse.
Why is it that
an Exercise Physiologist has to be the most educated of all the allied
healthcare professionals? We certainly do not have the responsibilities
that the other allied healthcare professions have. We make nowhere
near the salary of an associate-degreed RN. In some place, we are
not respected as a profession and, currently, we have no profession.
This latter point seems consistent with the strictest definition of a profession.
Of course, some members within the American Society of Exercise Physiologists
(ASEP) do believe we are an emerging profession.
Why is it that
Exercise Physiologists do not see the strength of the Nursing Board
or the Physical Therapist Association? Why is it that we do not
understand that strength and power come from unification around a national
professional organization. Again, the only thing that makes sense
at this point is to believe that there are those within the Exercise Physiology
field who are pushing this issue for their own self-serving interests.
The other conclusion that I have come to is that many of the exercise physiologists
within ACSM appear to be very uncomfortable with ASEP vision. Part
of the reason appears to stem from the fact that ASEP is very specific
in its definition of who an Exercise Physiologist. The American Society
of Exercise Physiologists defines an Exercise Physiologists:
“…a
person who has completed at least an undergraduate degree (or emphasis)
in Exercise Physiology (science)” (10)
So, the point
is, from the ASEP perspective, ASEP members are educated professionals
who have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree (or emphasis) in Exercise Physiology
(or science).
Here is
The Problem
To personalize
my education: When I look back on both my undergraduate and graduate
work and recall my professors, the majority of the professors possessed
the PhD degree in Physical Education or Kinesiology. It really does
not matter, any way it is analyzed, it is not a doctorate in Exercise Physiology.
But, for the most part, many professors called themselves Exercise Physiologists.
They even wore name tags that distinguish them as Exercise Physiologists.
Well, the gig is up folks. You have clung to ACSM like an infant
clings to its mother not because ACSM is promoting the profession of the
exercise physiologist, but because ACSM does not ask questions about your
title. The American College of Sports Medicine defines the Exercise
Physiologists as someone who simply: “… works in the application
of exercise and physical activity for those clinical and pathological situations
where it has shown to provide therapeutic or functional benefit” (10).
Therefore,
under ACSM definition of an Exercise Physiologist, anything that wants
to be an Exercise Physiologist can be! There is no educational or
professional requirements to this title. I wonder how ACSM would
define a Nurse, a Physical Therapists, or an Occupational Therapist.
Maybe I can start to call myself one and command their salary. The
truth is that many of the professors teaching the pseudo exercise science
programs (at least when I was going to school) have never even taken course
work in the field that they are teaching. Furthermore, it is now
cool to call yourself an Exercise Physiologist. I am seeing it more and
more in health clubs, fitness centers, and the personal trainers who have
never taken a college course. They refer to themselves as an
Exercise Physiologist. It sounds more professional, and it is better
for marketing.
I am personally
calling for Exercise Physiologists to boycott the ACSM certifications.
Their certifications hurt the Exercise Physiology profession because the
eligibility requirements open the door for anyone to practice exercise
physiology. I will also instruct my staff that ASCM certifications
will not be valued or accepted as part of their employment requirements.
I understand this may sound harsh to some of you, but the way I see it,
our growth towards professionalism depends on it. For too long, we
have been taking a back seat to this so-called Exercise Physiology association
(ACSM). It is time to stand up for our rights and the opportunity
to grow into a profession. It is also my right to support certifications
that will enhance the emerging professional of Exercise Physiology.
ACE's Certifications
The next organization
that markets an Exercise Physiology related certification is the American
Council on Exercise (ACE). According to ACE, the Clinical Exercise
Specialist is an advanced personal trainer certification that demonstrates
an ability to work with special populations. In addition to working
with physically active special populations, the Clinical Exercise Specialist
can also form an important bridge between rehabilitation and a health club
or home-based exercise program. In conjunction with other healthcare
professionals, Clinical Exercise Specialist will design, implement and
manage exercise, physical activity and appropriate lifestyle programs for
individuals following treatment or rehabilitation for clinically documented
chronic disease, musculoskeletal injury and/or disability (11).
The minimum
requirements to sit for this certification are:
1.
At least 18 years of age.
2. Have current
adult CPR
3. Have 300
hours of work experience designing and implementing exercise programs for
apparently healthy individuals and/or high risk individuals, to be documented
by a qualified professional (e.g., allied health professional, fitness
director, club manager, professor, etc.)
4. (a) You
must have a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts in one of the following
fields:
A.
Physical Education (courses in: exercise physiology, programming, and leadership)
B. Exercise
Science
C. Kinesiology
D. Exercise
Physiology
E. Adapted
Physical Education
F. Athletic
Training, or
G. Physical
Therapy
(b) OR, have current certification as an:
A.
ACE-certified Personal Trainer
B. ACSM Exercise
Test Technologist
C. ACSM Exercise
Specialist
D. ACSM Health/Fitness
Director
E. ACSM Program
Director
F. NSCA Certified
Strength & Conditioning Specialist (12,13).
It is not necessary
to spend a lot of time critiquing this exam. It is not worthy of
a serious critique. The American Council on Exercise has lobbied
against any licensure of fitness professionals because the majority of
their certifications are held by people who do not have college degrees.
Furthermore, ACE’s cash cow comes from the money that they earn through
their certifications. The more people are able to sit for their exams,
the more money earned by ACE.
The Clinical
Exercise Specialist has very few requirements. If you simply have
the ACE-certified Personal Trainer certification, then you are eligible
to sit for the exam. By the way, the requirements to sit for the
ACE-certified Personal Trainer exam are: (a) you must be at least 18 years
of age, and (b) have current adult CPR certification. I believe that
opens up about 70% of the US population to sit for ACE's Clinical Exercise
Specialist certification. I would encourage you to tell your employees
and other Exercise Physiologists not even to look into ACE certification.
ASEP's Certification
The final
certification I will review is the American Society of Exercise Physiologists
certification referred to as the "Exercise Physiologist Certified" (EPC)
exam. It is without a doubt the best certification for the Exercise
Physiology profession. If we pull together and support ASEP in the
development and marketing of this certification, we will end up as a true
profession in which we will attain licensure and be able to secure third
party reimbursement for our services.
Let me explain
exactly why this should be the only certification for Exercise Physiologists.
First, look at the requirements to sit for the EPC exam. The requirements
are extremely important to the development and success of our profession.
To be eligible to sit for ASEP-EPC examination, the candidate must have:
1.
An academic degree with a major in exercise physiology, or
2. An academic
degree with a major in exercise science, or
3. An academic
degree with a concentration in Exercise Physiology or exercise science,
and
4. Completed
with a grade of “C” or better, five of the nine academic courses related
to exercise physiology.
A.
Exercise Physiology
B. Cardiac
Rehabilitation
C. Exercise
Metabolism and Regulation
D. Kinesiology
E. Research
F. Sports
Biomechanics
G. Environmental
Exercise Physiology
H. Sports
Nutrition
5. Current ASEP
membership.
6. Documentation
of a minimum of 400 hours of hands-on laboratory and/or internship experiences
in Exercise Physiology (or related) laboratories and/or public sector facilities
(e.g., gross anatomy, kinesiology, biomechanics, muscle testing, psycho-physiology,
clinical and/or adult fitness laboratories/fitness and/or rehabilitation
programs) (14).
ASEP follows the
same guidelines to sit for this exam as any other professional association.
What that means is that ASEP is very strict in who may be eligible for
certification. No one may sit for the exam unless they have a degree
or a concentration in Exercise Physiology or Exercise Science. A
candidate must have also taken (and passed) very specific coursework within
the Exercise Physiology related courses. The candidate must also
have 400 hours of practical Exercise Physiology experience. These
requirements fulfill several different accomplishments.
It Makes
Perfect Sense
First, ASEP
memers believe that only individuals with academic degrees in Exercise
Physiology or Exercise Science should be allowed to practice Exercise Physiology.
It makes perfect sense. Nurses would not allow other professionals
to sit for the nursing exam. Lawyers would not allow other professionals
to sit for the Bar exam, and surely Physicians would not let other professionals
sit for medical boards. This requirement alone will begin to define
the profession.
Many Exercise
Physiologists have worked very hard for their degree(s) and they should
mean something. Thanks to ASEP, it does. ASEP recognizes the
Exercise Physiologist with a Bachelor's degree. Members of ASEP see
the value of promoting the field by opening it up to the majority of Exercise
Physiologists. Similar to nurses who belong their professional organization,
ASEP members believe that anyone with a BS or a PhD in Exercise Physiology
is eligible to the title of Exercise Physiologist. This requirement
will make our field flourish with professionals who have dreams and passion
to push the field forward.
Unlike ACSM’s
10,000 hours or 5 years of experience, ASEP requires 400 hours of practical
experience. These hours can be achieved within the academic setting
or within an internship experience. This allows our young professionals
to move from the academic forum into the real world jobs. It is absolutely
insane to expect an Exercise Physiologist to gain 10,000 hours of experience
before sitting for a certification. As pointed out earlier, even
physician do not have these requirements.
ASEP is not
just about fluff and marketing their certification for monetary reasons.
ASEP's main purpose for being is to advance the profession of Exercise
Physiology. Only ASEP is actively involved in accrediting Exercise
Physiology programs at colleges and universities throughout the country.
Only ASEP is involved in helping states develop licensure for Exercise
Physiologists. No other association in the world can boast that their
main purpose is to promote the profession of Exercise Physiology.
These are just
a few reasons why the ASEP Board Certification represents the highest Exercise
Physiology certification credential in the field. It is based on
an assessment of academic outcomes. The consumer, whether the public
or the college student, can be assured that the certified Exercise Physiologist
has the academic and hands-on skills, abilities, and attributes to lead,
test, and analyze health, fitness, rehabilitation, and human performance
concerns (14).
The EPC exam
will help promote the profession of exercise physiology. ASEP represents
the exercise physiologist, regardless of the degree (BS through PhD).
Tommy Boone, Robert Robergs, LaGary Carter, Richard Kreider, and Steve
Jungbauer -- these are the type of people that the Exercise Physiology
profession needs. We need people to stand up and YELL to the world:
“This
is right! You are taking Exercise Physiology in the right
direction. Thank you.” These guys have done this
and done this well. Sure they have taken hits for it. But,
when you are passionate about something, you are willing to take the hits.
This to me is the true sign of a leader. Putting the interest of
an organization ahead of the interests of the self. As an exercise
physiologist, I am proud of these guys and their ability to stand up for
the field and take the hits from the pompous elites. If we had a
couple hundred more Boones, Rogergs and Carters, Kreiders, and Jungbauers,
we would be a STRONG organization.
My Point
is Simple
We need more
people to stand up and speak out. Forget the politically correct
version and speak what is on your mind. Let me start.
"I
am mad. I have spent 10 years educating myself and acquiring experience
in a field where I am viewed lower in the healthcare field than a physical
therapist assistant. LPNs command a higher salary than I do and RNs
with not a stitch of education or training in the study of Exercise Physiology
are taking over my field. I have had it and I will not take this
lying down. As I recently wrote in an email to Tommy Boone: I have
too much time and energy invested in the profession of Exercise Physiology
to give up. I have spent more than $50,000 dollars on my education
and spent many years in under appreciated jobs related to my field.
I have come to far and invested too much time to give up now. I
am a dangerous combination. I am passionate about the field and I
am mad as hell. What does this master’s level Exercise Physiologist
from po-dunk Idaho have. I have a voice and I intend to use it and,
at this point, I don’t really care who I offend. The people that
are sitting on the sidelines are just as guilty as the people that are
crucifying our field. You better ask yourself -- am I to blame?
What have you done to advance the profession of the exercise physiology?
Have you sat on the sideline while other allied healthcare professionals
have taken over our field? Are you one of the ones that has sold
our field out for your own self-serving interests? If you are not
speaking out about the direction this field has been going, then you are
to blame. If you are not working on behalf of ASEP to help our students
find respectable jobs and financial stability, then you are to blame.
Get out of my way, I have a job to do."
I am extremely
passionate about our field, and I want to see it promoted in a positive
way. I am very proud of the work of ASEP and the direction that ASEP
is taking the field. I believe that from the trenches where I sit
each and every day, I do have a firm understanding of the problem.
I understand the importance of the Exercise Physiologist within the healthcare
field, and it saddens me to have watched the field head down a dead end
street. It is time to support ASEP. Start by taking the ASEP-EPC
exam, and then require your staff to do the same.
Get involved,
speak up, and make yourself heart.
“In
Germany, they first came for the communists, and I didn’t speak up because
I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t
speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade
unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionists.
Then they came for the Catholic and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t
a Catholic. Then they came for me – and by that time there was nobody left
to speak up.”
-- Martin
Niemoller
References
1.
ASEP Board of Certification STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE:
Standard 6: The EPC Purpose and Scope of Practice. American Society
of Exercise Physiologists Website. [Retrieved February 14, 2002 from
the World Wide Web]
http://www.css.edu/ASEP/StandardsofProfessionalPractice.html
2.
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