Adversity and the Path to Professionalism
Larry Birnbaum,
PhD, EPC
Associate Professor
Department of Exercise Physiology
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN 55811
We all have to face adversity throughout our personal and
professional lives. Often times, the
hardships are of our own making or we at least contribute to the evolution of
some hardships that confront us. Then
again, there are some difficulties that seem to arise from nowhere or from
conditions that we cannot control. Nonetheless,
when a problem lies before us, we must work through it to continue with our
lives. Ignoring a problem never makes it
go away. If anything the problem will
only grow in intensity.
The field of exercise physiology is facing a number of
issues that we, as exercise physiologists, must engage and resolve if we are committed
to our own future. One of those issues
is agreeing upon what exercise physiology is or, perhaps, what it should
be. Health care in the United States
is changing and a major change is a shift in the focus on treatment of diseases
to health promotion and prevention of disease (1). This shift is providing new opportunities for
exercise physiologists. Unfortunately,
most academic programs do not prepare students for these new opportunities, and
that creates a hardship for their graduates.
Another issue is the failure of prospective employers to
recognize the potential of certified exercise physiologists (i.e., EPC). These professionals have much to offer
employers in the health care arena, but the employers are not aware of the
knowledge and skill set they possess due to confusion in the field (e.g., the
countless certifications available, most of which are meaningless). Consequently, securing a job in health care
is more difficult for exercise physiologists than it should be.
A related problem is the encroachment upon our field by
other health care professions. Perhaps this
is most obvious in cardiac rehabilitation departments. With respect to the non-physician staff in
these departments, certified exercise physiologists are the most qualified
professionals for administering graded exercise tests, developing exercise
prescriptions, and educating cardiac patients about their condition. Yet others are often hired to perform these
tasks due, in part, to employers’ failure to realize the abilities of exercise
physiologists. And this is just in
cardiac rehabilitation. The potential of
exercise physiology in health care has hardly been tapped.
In order to fully realize the health care potential of
exercise physiologists, entrepreneurs are needed. An entrepreneurial spirit needs to be
developed in students such that they can help develop the profession in health
care after graduation. This is not an
easy task. Even with careful curriculum
planning, not all students will start their own business or venture into
uncharted waters.
Exercise physiology, as an budding health care profession,
is confronted with several challenges.
These challenges may be considered hardships or opportunities for growth
and advancement of the profession.
Either view requires facing the challenges and working to overcome them
if we are to be successful. We do not
need to reinvent the wheel. A review of
the history of other health care professions including medicine, pharmacy,
nursing, physical therapy, and the like reveals a similar pattern as these
professions were emerging (2, 3). Similar
problems arose and similar steps were taken to resolve the problems. Of course, problems still arise, but because
these fields are organized into professional bodies, the problem-solving
process is more effective and efficient. Desired outcomes are achieved.
The American Society of Exercise Physiologists is following
the same path carved by these health care professions. This path is essential for the successful
professionalization of any emerging health care field. As exercise physiologists, we will overcome
adversity by joining and working with ASEP to ensure our future as a health
care profession.
References
1. http://www.healthypeople.gov/
2. Reed, K.L., and Sanderson, S.R. (1893)
Concepts of Occupational Therapy, 2nd ed. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins.
3. Cherry, B., and Jacob S.R. (1999) Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends, and Management. St.
Louis, Mosby.
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