Planting Seeds
Larry Birnbaum,
PhD, MA, EPC
Associate
Professor
Department
of Exercise Physiology
The College
of St. Schoastica
Duluth, MN
55811
I HAVE READ several
of Dr. Boone’s essays on the professionalization of exercise physiology [1-3].
I have also had the opportunity to discuss various issues associated with
this process with Dr. Boone. One issue that continues to perplex and
challenge academicians in any profession is how to get students to understand
the importance of professionalism. If that goal is achieved, students
will become enthusiastic representatives of the profession upon graduation.
They will sit for (and pass) a certification or licensure exam. They
will join a professional association such as ASEP and work to advance the
profession. This is a given in well established professions (e.g., medicine,
nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, etc.), although even in these fields,
students typically do not fully grasp or appreciate the significance of professionalism
and of professional expectations.
Students have
to work in the field for a time and personally experience the issues that
professionals continually wrestle with on a daily basis. Eventually
they begin to see the bigger picture. The challenge is even greater
for academic programs in exercise physiology. While exercise physiology
now has an accreditation process and a certification exam, these professional
entities have only existed for a very short period of time. They are
not well established. Most exercise physiology students throughout
the country have probably not even heard of ASEP, do not know anything about
accreditation of academic programs, and likely only have a vague notion about
certification.
Given this challenge,
what can faculty in exercise physiology programs do to promote professionalism?
One plausible answer is to plant seeds, knowing that the seeds will not bear
fruit for some time, knowing that some will not bear any fruit, but also realizing
that some will bear fruit abundantly. The wisdom of a veteran gardener
recognizes that persistence and patience are essential. Faculty must
be persistent but not overbearing, patient but not indifferent in their approach
to teaching students about professionalism.
The goal of getting
students to appreciate the importance of professionalism will not be achieved
if it is pursued in a haphazard manner. The process of integrating
professionalism into an exercise physiology curriculum requires careful planning
and strategic placement of essential components of professionalism.
Obviously, faculty must also serve as good role models. Teaching professional
ideals in the classroom is only part of the process. Conversations and
behavior outside the classroom must also reflect the standards of the profession.
Students are quick to discern hypocrisy. Thus, the process of the professionalization
of students is both formal and informal.
Part of the (formal
and informal) process is holding students to professional expectations, making
clear what those expectations are and why they are so important. Do
they give a damn about the field in which they have invested so much time,
money and effort. If they do, then sitting for and passing the ASEP
certification exam, joining ASEP and working to advance the profession are
natural courses of action. If they don’t, then why are they pursuing
a degree in the field. Are they not wasting their time and that of
the exercise physiology faculty? One could argue that part of the job
of faculty is to enrich (fertilize) the soil and nurture the seed, but how
much fertilizing and nurturing must the faculty do? Some students will
understand sooner and better than others. Some will likely never fully
appreciate the importance of professionalism. Nonetheless, the seed
must continually be planted, fertilized and nurtured. To do any less
is to fail as a member of the faculty of any professional program.
References
1. Boone,
T. (2003). The ASEP Organization is a Paradigm Shift. Professionalization
of Exercise Physiology-online. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/TheASEPparadigmShift.html
2. Boone,
T. (2003). Creating a Better Academic Degree for Our Students. Professionalization
of Exercise Physiology-online. [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/betterACADEMICdegree.html
3. Boone,
T. (2002). IMAGINATION, PASSION, and the INTANGIBLE: A Window on the Future
of Exercise Physiology. Professionalization of Exercise Physiology-online.
[Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/ImaginationANDExercisePhysiology.html