CPE – Is It A Bit Suss?

Today I am prompted to write about something that is supposed to be all about keeping the “highest possible professional standards” in natural therapy. I am talking about Continuing Practitioner Education – CPE. Many of our associations will not allow you to remain registered with them unless you complete a certain amount of CPE point or hours to prove you are staying in touch with the latest trends etc within your specific field of expertise.

Whilst I agree with this in theory I have a problem with it in practice. You see, most of us are busy people working with clients/patients everyday. Surely if you are actually practicing each day you are already continuing your education and practical knowledge of your fields? To then take a 2 days or whatever away from your practice to attend a seminar or course is a disruption to business that most of us can ill afford. I also take exception to the fact that rarely are these courses that attract CPE point cheap…another cost. Finally I have found personally that most of these seminars and courses that I have attended are rehashing the same old stuff but in a new format.

Now call me cynical but this is all starting to look like a nice big money generating exercise where we, the practitioner, are once again slugged for wanting to help people for a living! We can not operate without insurance, we can not operate without membership to an association of some kind. In order to keep these two thing we must do these CPE courses etc….when exactly do we benefit from this? I read daily as part of my profession and for my own knowledge..surely so do most others practitioners. I think this whole exercise is all about making money. In fact most of the “courses” I see offered are nicely packaged product flogging opportunities.

Here’s my challenge to ALL associations. If you want us to do CPE, give us a discount at the very least on our membership fees, better still cover up to 50% of all costs of CPE courses and seminars…then it is really about maintaining professional standards and NOT just profiteerring! Fortunately I am a member of an association that is a little more enlightened and leaves CPE up to the discretion of the practitioner.

This industry is in real danger of becoming a joke due to this type of money focused conduct. I mean let’s face it folks, the main reason we as professionals join, is because we must have insurance to practice…not to mention if you wish to offer health fund rebates..most practitioners I know hardly bother as not many people are with a fund that offers much of a rebate if any at their affordable level of cover…but that is a whole other gripe.

Seriously, what do these associations do other than that for you on a practical level? A web listing…big deal..no guarentee of clients coming to you. Representation…where, for what? So far all the lobbying for recognition has seen the practitioner have a harder time doing their job not an easier one. Insurance is about all they are good for. The natural health industry attracts some of the longest courses to study ( too long in some cases – if it takes you 2-3 years to learn to massage – you’re stupid! People have been massaging each other for centuries without pieces of paper – why now is it a 2-3 year diploma??? Me thinks MONEY! You should be competent in massaging someone within 1 year. I have been masaging for over ten years and I have taught “greenies” within 2 hours how to relieve tension.) and the largest fees for these courses. We invest thousands of dollars only to find we are worth $25-35/hour for a massage therapist or $22-30/hour for a naturopath in a healthfood store or pharmacy! This is laughable! An unskilled labourer can do a 1 day electrical saftey course, walk away with a certificate and ID and walk onto a minesite and earn $4000.00 per week testing and tagging electrical cables and appliances without EVER having had ANY trade experience!!! Something seem wrong there to you??? Working for yourself as a natural therapist is NOT easy. I know many who have had practices and closed them after a period of 1-3 years due to the expenses involved and unreliability of the clientelle. Why would they feel good about extra money going out the window each year to “stay updated”? We all get the advertising garb each month from our respective suppliers, we know what is out there, we read the journals anyway..why the points system? To make us look legitimate to the medical profession? Who cares? Natural therapies has existed for eons…and it will continue to regardless of whatever idiotic legislation is in place…start making it about the practitioner!

Our associations and educational facilities need to take a long look at themselves and start to see it from the practitioners point of view. Enough with the money grabbing and let’s get on with the work already! Enough about making it hard for us to practice and start helping us get in front for once! No more buddy buddy relationships between this school and these associations and the whole accreditation scam…and it is a scam. There are plenty of excellent non accredited courses out there and practitioners and in most cases these praccys are smarter and more dedicated than the others…argue if you like but that is what I have found.

Who else out there feels this way and has had enough of this happening? Feel free to comment.

Have a great day!

Craig Hitchens. Bioenergetics Naturopath