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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 Diplomats 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:
1. Academics - An applicant
must possess at least a bachelor's degree from
an accredited college or university in physical
science, engineering, mathematics, or in a biological
science with a minor in physical science, engineering,
or mathematics. In lieu of a minor in a physical
science, engineering, or mathematics, a candidate
for certification may submit evidence of credit
from an accredited college or university for
course work in physical sciences, engineering,
or mathematics equivalent to 20 semester hours.
Applicants shall have satisfied and documented
all requirements for degrees claimed by the
time application is made for either part of
the written examination.
Original transcripts must be submitted with
the application.
2. Experience - An applicant
must have at least six years of responsible
professional experience in health physics as
of July 1 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. This
provision is effective with the 1993 exam.
3. 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.
4. 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 not acceptable.
5. Examination - The written
examination has two parts: Part I, which can
be taken early in one's career, determines the
competence of the applicant in fundamental aspects
of health physics, and Part II determines his/her
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 two fold: (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 January
15 of the year in which the exam is to be taken,
(2) have received a bachelor's degree in health
physics by January 15 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
Application for examination must be made on
the prescribed forms, which are available from
the the Executive Secretary's Office. Applicants
are responsible for ensuring that they submit
the current editions of applications, supervisor,
and reference forms. Outdated forms will not
be accepted.
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 (one must be from a Certified
Health Physicist), 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.
Complete applications must be filed with the
Executive Secretary postmarked no later than
15 January of the year in which the exam is
to be taken. Applications are valid for a two
year period. Thereafter, a new application,
along with reference and report forms, must
be submitted. Signature stamps will not be accepted
on application, reference, or report forms.
Certification fees are as follows:
| Each
application to take a written examination
(can include multiple exams on same
date) |
$50 |
| Examination
Fee
(for each exam part to be taken; due
upon approval of application) |
$150
- Part I
$200 - Part II |
| Certification
Fee |
$100 |
| Annual
Renewal Fee for CHPs |
$75 |
Fees are non-refundable and must be used within
two years of submitting the fees.
NOTE: Re-examination fees following
failure of the exam will be in accordance with
the fee schedule in effect at the time re-application
is made.
Final Action of the Board
The final action of the Board is based on its
evaluation of the total professional record
of the applicant, i.e., education and experience,
the achievements attained in health physics
and related fields, maturity of judgment, the
ethical nature of his or her professional conduct
as indicated by associates and peers, and the
written examination. Any applicant denied certification
may appeal the action of the Board by contacting
the Executive Secretary within six months of
notification of results.
Examinations
Examinations are given once a year at the time
of the Annual Meeting of the Health Physics
Society. They are conducted at the location
of the Society's meeting and may also be given
at other selected locations if demand warrants.
All approved candidates will be sent a site
selection survey form in early April listing
the tentative examination sites. Candidates
should indicate their first and second choices
of location, and will be assigned to their first
choice unless that site does not have enough
candidates to warrant the examination being
given at that location. All candidates will
be notified of their definite exam site approximately
45 days prior to the examination date, and will
be given an admission slip to the examination
room. No reference material may be brought into
the room.
Re-Examinations and Postponements
A candidate who fails the first examination
may be admitted to a second examination after
paying the exam fee. If a candidate passes one
part of the exam, the candidate must pass the
other part within a period of seven years, or
must re-apply and retake both parts. The candidate
must notify the Board of his or her intention
to re-take the examination and submit the proper
fee no later than January15 of the year in which
the examination is to be taken. If a candidate
fails either part of the examination for the
second time, a new application must be filed.
If a candidate elects not to take any part of
the examination in any given year, but subsequently
elects to take the examination in any following
year, the candidate must notify the Board of
his or her intention to take the examination
no later than January 15 of the year in which
the examination is to be taken. Notification
must be accompanied by the appropriate fee and,
if required, a new application.
Revocation of Certificate
Certificates may be revoked for actions considered
by the Board to be in violation of the statement
"Professional Responsibilities of Certified
Health Physicists." Any person for whom
such action is contemplated shall have the right
of appearance before the Board.
Certification Renewal
A Certification Renewal Program is sponsored
by the Board in an effort to ensure that CHPs
are fulfilling their professional responsibilities
and to encourage continued professional development.
To remain on the list of active CHPs, diplomats
must renew their certification every four years.
The requirements for continued active certification
are: (1) to be engaged substantially and currently
in professional health physics practice; (2)
to have earned during the preceding four-year
period sufficient continuing education credits
by participation in approved courses, meetings,
and other activities; and (3) to have met such
other requirements, including payment of fees
or assessments, as may generally be imposed.
The Continuing Education Committee of the AAHP
reviews courses in advanced health physics and
related subjects that are submitted to it by
the course organizers, or by a CHP who attended
the course, and determines the number of continuing
education credits to be awarded to participants.
Changes in Requirements
Current requirements, procedures, and fees of
the ABHP are described in this brochure. These
are subject to change without notice; however,
changes will be published before their effective
date whenever practical. No changes will be
retroactive.
Administration
The ABHP retains the services of an Executive
Secretary who maintains the national ABHP office.
The Executive Secretary performs administrative
functions including normal correspondence, accounting,
bookkeeping, financial reporting, record keeping,
and application processing for examinations
and Certification Renewals.
Current Officers, Board Members and Panel Members
are listed in the Annual Health Physics Society
Membership Handbook. Application materials,
and additional information, including an examination
preparation guide may be obtained at aahp-abhp.org.
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