The Power to Choose
Tommy Boone, PhD, MPH, FASEP, EPC
Professor and Chair
Director, Exercise Physiology Laboratories
Department of Exercise Physiology
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN 55811
“Reasoning is simply a matter
of getting your facts straight.”
-- B.F. Anderson
There is a problem for many students
in exercise science. For the past several decades, students
have majored in dozens of different academic programs with titles like
exercise science, sports science, kinesiology, human performance, and other
related titles [1]. They graduate thinking they are exercise physiologists!
Why students think they are exercise
physiologists is a mystery, except that some teachers encouraged the students’
behavior and expectation. Part of the problem is that jobs in the
public sector are driven by academic titles. For example, the student
in physical therapy graduates to land a job in physical therapy.
It is the same with nursing, occupational therapy, accounting, social work,
law, medicine, and other academic degrees.
Another part of the problem is that
kinesiology or human performance is not a recognized job career.
Where are kinesiologists with a BS degree hired? What does a student
with an exercise science major do? What kinds of jobs do students
apply for? The answer to these questions is not something students
want to hear. College teachers do not talk about it either.
They say as little as possible to their undergraduate students. And,
when possible, the doctorate prepared academic requires the kinesiology
doctorate student with a TA position to teach the undergraduate students.
If this does not get your attention,
remember that many doctorate academic physiologists do whatever it takes
to get out of teaching. This may sound harsh, but it is the truth.
Even some PhDs just out of college are complaining that the load is too
heavy. There is no time to do research. There is a sense that
the academic exercise physiologist believes the university exists for him/her
to do research, to publish, and to attend national meetings.
Strange as it might sound, teaching
is something that is done only if it has to be done. This might be
a good time to point out that this article is not about talking bad about
college teachers. Rather, it is about “simple truths”. It is
about an emerging reality of professional responsibility to do the right
thing for the right reasons. What is not the right thing is the continuation
of undergraduate degrees that are a complete waste of time. Students
and parents need to know this basic truth. Attention needs to be
brought to this problem, especially since students are paying for a product
that is defective. The object of an education is to access a job.
Students and parents have a growing appreciation for this fact and what
it means at graduation. That is exactly why they choose physical
therapy or nursing. They expect an academic major to yield a career.
Department chairs and faculty who
argue their existence on the backs of students, who are told to attend
graduate school or go into another field at graduation are problematic.
The challenge for exercise physiologists who teach in non-exercise physiology
departments is to help improve upon the students’ career options.
Indifference to professionalism is no longer an option [2]. Because
the circumstances under which students find career opportunities are not
likely to change without significant faculty influence and involvement
in the paradigm shift [3], exercise physiologists must proclaim a crisis
in the academic offerings. It has therefore become increasingly obvious
that to continue as things are is to fail to act honorably in serving students’
career interests.
“One of the great sufferings
in life is to no longer have the possibility of doing what before one could
and should have done.” – Source Unknown
This crisis of failing to do what should
be done in a timely fashion has many symptoms. The most obvious is
that students feel that they were not told the truth about career opportunities.
There is a certain predictable emotional and financial dis-satisfaction
that drives them to other academic majors. For those of us who teach
and are concerned about professionalism, it is absolutely imperative that
the big clean up gets underway. This has been discussed in other
papers published in Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline
[4-8]. Other academic programs have made the leap from
discipline to profession. Exercise physiologists can do it the same.
Running away or staying the same will not help. It is time for a
new attitude towards academic responsibility. Why this hasn’t happened
before now is truly amazing.
Think of what is possible when academic
exercise physiologists get the full understanding of the ASEP perspective.
Students would no longer be victims. Instead, they would be equally
competitive for healthcare jobs in the public sector. The entire
thrust of ASEP is to ensure that the vision becomes reality.
-
To be recognized as the leading professional
organization of American scholars and practitioners in the study and application
of exercise physiology to fitness, health promotion, rehabilitation, and
sports training.
-
The Society is dedicated to unifying
all exercise physiologists in the UnitedStates and worldwide to promote
and support the study, practice, teaching, research, and development of
the exercise physiology profession.
-
Through proactive and creative leadership,
the Society empowers its members to serve the public good by making an
academically sound difference in the application of exercise physiology
concepts and insights.
In some ways it is a story that parallels
many other evolving professions. If you were to go their websites
and study their documents, you would see that they are fighting the same
fight or that they have transported themselves significantly forwards by
agreeing to work together. This is exactly the realization that exercise
physiologists must come to understand. The power exercise physiologists
need the most is their integrated strength. It’s not about slick
organizations, big meetings, and theater-like presentations, but how in
the world will exercise physiologists make the right choice.
The power to choose is an awesome
responsibility. The idea that issues and visions can be correct and/or
fulfilled by others doing it for exercise physiologists just does not cut
it. Exercise physiologists must get out from under their time-warped
sports medicine way of thinking if they are to ascend to join the so-called
upper-room group of professionals. They are, after all, in an almost
unimaginable powerful position to teach, mentor, and share in the philosophy
of a healthier life.
Many people today, even some from
outside of traditional, evidence-based medicine, have figured it out.
But, there’s nothing about accredited academic programs that seems to grip
them. Too often they are totally about accessing the power of the
dollar. How much money can be made? By contrast, exercise physiology
is something altogether different. At least this is the story as
told by a member of the ASEP Board of Directors. They believe that,
even with all of the obvious sports medicine shortcomings and failures,
exercise physiology is special. They understand that it is intellectual
and amazingly creative.
References
1. Rademacher, E. and Pittsley,
J. (2001). Analysis and Comparison of Colleges and Universities with Degree
Titles of Exercise Physiology or Related Titles. Professionalization
of Exercise Physiologyonline. 4:12 [Online].
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/MinimalStandards.html
2. Boone, T. (2004). Indifference
to Professional Standards is Irresponsible Behavior. Professionalization
of Exercise Physiologyonline. 7:2 [Online].
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/IndifferenceToProfessionalStandards.html
3. Boone. T. (2003). The ASEP Organization
is a Paradigm Shift. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline.
6:2 [Online]. http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/TheASEPparadigmShift.html
4. Boone, T. (2001).
Taking Responsibility for Professionalism. Professionalization
of Exercise Physiologyonline. 4:2 [Online].
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/TakingRESPONSIBILITY.html
6. Boone, T. (2002). A New Academic
Paradigm for Exercise Physiology Teachers. Professionalization
of Exercise Physiologyonline. 5:9 [Online].
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/TeachingWithINTEGRITY.html
7. Boone, T. (2002). Breakthrough
Thinking in Exercise Physiology. Professionalization of Exercise
Physiologyonline.. 5:7 [Online].
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/BreakthroughThinking.html
8. Boone, T. (2002). Exercise Physiology
of the Future: Thinking Out of the Box. Professionalization of
Exercise Physiologyonline.. 5:11 [Online].
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/ThinkingOutsideTheBoxExercisePhysiology.html
