It is the dedication to ongoing educational hands-on development and scientific inquiry and research that separates and defines professional competence. Dedication and adaptability are the keys to developing competence in an ever-changing society. We need to dedicate our efforts to make changes where necessary to be responsible for our own competence. Part of the change is in assuming the responsibility for our own national certification, licensure, and accreditation of academic programs. Another part of the change is our increased adaptability as health, fitness, and rehabilitation professionals to ensure the professionalization of exercise physiology.
Professionalization is always ongoing.
There is some concern with the move by certain state governors to eliminate state regulatory boards that licensure may not be as important an issue in the future as it appears to be today. Even with licensure, it may restrict exercise physiologists to a specific scope of clinical practice. There is also the question of why exercise physiologists believe that regulation by certification isn't enough. Certifying exercise physiologists has the advantage over licensure simply because it is not restrictive. Certification increases the likelihood of employability, and it is acknowledged by Medicare and other third-party payers.