Several important themes came across in your messages – too many to recount in a single blog entry. But the comments that have encouraged me the most have been those detailing your steadfast devotion to your patients and your deep concern for their care; the pride you have in your profession, writ large, and in the duties you carry out each day; and, the great sense of achievement and accomplishment you share for the RPSGT credential.
Here’s what some of you have said regarding the development of a new certification exam, how you feel about your credential and what you think would benefit our profession:
- The patients are the ones that will ultimately pay the price.
- This will affect patient care and proper diagnosis.
- I thought we were all on the same side to help improve the quality of patients’ lives.
- Having several different credentials will only cause confusion and destabilize our profession.
- The problem lies in education.
- We need quality training programs for people entering the field.
- I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment when recently passing the RPSGT exam. This [development] feels like a slap in the face.
- I take great pride in my hard work over the years and the time and effort I put into my profession.
- Those of us who pass and become registered have achieved something special and are proud of what we have accomplished.
There is one other point I’d like to address here. Many of you rightfully questioned why the BRPT and the AASM can’t work together to unite – not divide – the profession. We’re asking the same question. I’ve already noted the genesis and development of the CPSGT exam as one example where we thought we were collaborating and responding to their concerns. But in addition, we’ve had several meetings over the last couple of years with AASM and AAST leadership – most recently in September 2010 at the AASM headquarters. We thought the meeting was open and collaborative and underscored the shared commitment of our organizations to working together to strengthen the profession. We were mistaken.
We stand now, more than ever, committed to a strong credentialing program for our field. The RPSGT credential will remain the highest level of achievement for technologists in sleep medicine. You should be proud of what you have accomplished and the good work you do each day.
Thank you for your comments, suggestions, and words of wisdom. Please continue to make your voices heard by reaching out to us, the AASM, AAST and other professional organizations to which you belong.
Janice East, RPSGT, R. EEG T.
BRPT President
