|
|
Purposes of the Board
The basic purposes of the ABHP are to:
1. Elevate the standards and advance the profession of health physics by
encouraging its study and improving its practice
2. Encourage and insist on the highest standards of professional ethics and
integrity in the practice of health physics
3. Determine the competence of professional health physicists and arrange,
control, and conduct investigations and examinations to evaluate the
qualifications of voluntary candidates for certification by the Board
4. Grant and issue certificates in the field of health physics to qualified
applicants and maintain a registry of holders of such certificates
5. Sponsor a Certification Renewal Program, including issuance of
"recertified" seals to qualified ABHP diplomates who have demonstrated their
continued professional involvement in health physics.
Meaning of Certification
Certification indicates that the recipient has completed certain requirements
of study and professional experience, which the Board considers to constitute an
adequate foundation in health physics, and has passed an examination designed to
test competence in this field. Holders of ABHP certification may identify
themselves as either Certified Health Physicists (CHP) or Diplomates of the
American Board of Health Physics (DABHP). It should be recognized that the
certificate awarded by the Board is not a license and, therefore, does not
confer a legal qualification to practice health physics.
Professional Responsibilities of
Certified Health Physicists
In achieving certification, the CHP recognizes and assumes the
responsibilities due the profession of health physics. To uphold the
professional integrity of health physics implied by certification, the relations
of the CHP with other individuals and groups, including clients, colleagues,
governmental agencies, and the general public, shall always be based upon and
reflect the highest standards of professional ethics and integrity. Each CHP has
a professional and ethical obligation to practice only in those areas in which
he or she is competent. To maintain technical competence, the CHP has a
commitment to remain professionally active in the field of health physics and
knowledgeable of scientific, technical, and regulatory developments in the
field.
General Requirements for Certification
-
Academics. As a minimum, the applicant must submit evidence (for example, official college transcripts or certified translations of official transcripts) of earning a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in physical science or engineering or in a biological science with a minimum of 20 semester hours in physical science.
Except for applicants for early admission to Part I (see below), applicants shall have satisfied and documented all requirements for degrees claimed by the time application is made for either part of the written examination.
Applicants for early admission to Part I who have not received their degree at the time of application, but who are scheduled to be granted their qualifying degree by 30 June, may sit for the exam by providing an official transcript showing current degree progress by the application deadline. However, an official transcript demonstrating that the qualifying degree was granted no later than 30 June of the year of the exam must be received by the Secretariat no later than 1 October. Should confirmatory transcripts not be received, the candidate's examination score will be voided and the candidate's exam fees will not be refunded.
-
Experience. An applicant must have at least six years of
responsible professional experience in health physics as of 1 July of the year
in which the examination is to be taken. At least three years of the
experience must have been in applied health physics. The six years of
professional experience, which must be documented by an applicant for Part II
of the exam, must be experience that demonstrates that the candidate has been
required to exercise judgment in one, or more, of the following:
- establishment and/or evaluation of a radiation protection program
- design and/or the evaluation of the design of the radiation protection
aspects of a facility
- design and implementation of a radiation protection training course or
program
- development of an experimental and/or measurement program designed to
answer questions related to radiation protection
- evaluation of measurement data
- analysis and solution of radiation protection problems
- preparation, interpretation and implementation of recommendations and
regulations.
At the discretion of the Board, advanced degrees in
health physics or a closely related area of study may be substituted for a
maximum of two years of the required experience. A master's degree may be
substituted for one year, while a doctoral degree may be substituted for two
years of the required experience. Technician-level experience will in no case
be acceptable as meeting the experience requirements.
Only military service in the commissioned officer and warrant officer grades will be
accepted towards professional health physics experience.
An applicant may claim professional experience for an advanced degree and work experience
for the same period. A maximum of one year of experience can be claimed for
each calendar year.
It is incumbent upon the applicant to demonstrate that he/she has met the criteria for professional experience stated above. Professional experience is generally considered to be acquired after earning a qualifying degree. However, the Board recognizes there may be cases where individuals are working at a professional level prior to completing the requirements for a qualifying degree.
-
References. Reference statements are required from the
applicant's supervisor and, if applying for Part II, from at least two other
individuals who are professionally qualified to evaluate the applicant's
ability in health physics. It is required that at least one reference be from
a health physicist already certified by the ABHP or at the discretion of the Board Chair, a person certified by another certifying board.
-
Written Report. Each applicant for Part II of the
examination shall submit with the Application for Certification a document
written by the applicant that reflects a professional health physics effort.
This "effort" may be a substantive facility evaluation, a protection guidance
document, a major monitoring program, or some other complex or comprehensive
effort. The criteria for ABHP acceptance of this report are that it (1) be on
a topic for which the ABHP tests and certifies expertise, (2) contain elements
of professional judgment or application of non-regulatory protection guidance,
and (3) be written solely or principally by the candidate. The Board, after
examination of the application materials, may request additional such reports.
All reports will be treated as confidential material. All reports submitted in
fulfillment of this requirement shall be reviewed by an ABHP member.
Third-party review of written reports is typically not acceptable, but may be under extraordinary circumstances. The Chair, and other board members as appointed by the chair, shall make determinations in this regard.
-
Examination. The written examination has two parts: Part I, which
can be taken prior to fulfilling all the requirements of certification, determines the competence of the applicant
in fundamental aspects of health physics, and Part II determines the applicant's
competence in applied health physics topics. Either part of the written
examination must be taken within two years of notification of eligibility, or
a new application must be submitted. After passing Part I, the applicant must
pass Part II within a period of seven years, or retake both parts.
Anyone who meets the education and experience requirements and is
practicing health physics in a competent and ethical manner is strongly urged
to apply to the Board for admission to the written examination. Although
satisfactory performance on the written examination is not the only
requirement for certification, persons who are admitted to and who perform
well on the examination usually receive certification by the Board.
Early Admission to Part I
of the Written Examination
The purpose of early admission to Part I of the written examination is
twofold: (1) to give recent graduates an opportunity to demonstrate competence
in the fundamentals of health physics at the beginning of their careers, and (2)
to encourage younger health physicists to proceed toward certification.
Applicants are admitted to Part I of the written examination if they (1) have
fulfilled the academic requirements for the master's degree in health physics or
a closely related field by 30 June of the year in which the exam is to be
taken, (2) have received a bachelor's degree in health physics by 15 January of
the year in which the exam is to be taken and have one year of applied
professional experience, or (3) have another acceptable bachelor's degree and
two years of professional experience at the time of examination.
Part I of the examination is constructed to test the knowledge of the
fundamental aspects of health physics that is expected of any candidate who
meets the qualifications for early admission to Part I. Questions in Part I
address fundamental knowledge associated with applied health physics. Academic
preparation alone may not be adequate to answer these questions. However, the
presence of these questions should not prevent a well-prepared candidate with no
practical experience from successfully completing Part I of the Certification
examination.
Application and Fees
To be eligible to sit for examination, candidates must submit an Application
for Certification, original college transcripts, one Immediate Supervisor
form, two Confidential Professional Reference forms, and a Radiation Protection Report and cover
sheet. Candidates applying for only Part I do not need to submit a written
report and the two Confidential Professional Reference forms.
The Application for Certification process is web-based and can be found at https://app.managemytests.com/applicants/abhpportal. Even though applications are completed online, original college transcripts must be mailed to the Secretariat and postmarked by January 15. All applicants are expected to use the web-based application process. Limited exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis; contact the Program Director for further information.
Applications are valid for a two year period. Thereafter, a new
application, along with reference and report forms, must be submitted.
Examination, Certification and Annual Maintenance fees are as follows:
Fees
|
