If there is one word that can spark a conversation no matter the subject it’s mentioned with, that word is “recertification”. Whether in regard to driving, healthcare, independent schools, or lifeguarding, you’ll get many passionate opinions by simply uttering this phrase aloud. Recertifications can entail many purposes, including to ensure safety, and measure performance. They also vary in criteria, ranging from simple tests to board-led examinations. In this article, we’ll jump from field to field, journeying through the world of recertification, addressing its pros and cons, surprises and misconceptions, and quirks and flaws along the way.
Even if it takes multiple attempts, passing a driving test has been a rite of passage to adulthood in the United States for ages. Once you pass, you’re good for life. Sure, you have to get a new license every number of years, but you never have to take another test. Many obvious reasons come to mind for why this is the case. First off, the DMV is already notorious for being slow at its current capacity, so having to test active drivers in addition to new ones would make it even slower. Secondly, driving isn’t that hard. In fact, with the amount of new technology being put in cars, they have gotten increasingly safer and easier to drive. Take for example the lane departure assist, first introduced in the early 2000s and now a feature on nearly every new car manufactured. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_departure_warning_system The format of the lane departure assist varies from car to car, but generally it involves some kind of indicator on the rearview mirror which lets the driver know they can’t switch lanes on that side of the car. Lastly, probably the biggest piece of evidence for why people aren’t required to retake their driver’s test, is that older drivers actually account for less car accidents by percentage. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/overview/age-of-driver/ While the 16-19 year old age group makes up 3.9% of the total number of licensed drivers, they also make up 8.6% of drivers involved in crashes. On the other hand, drivers 75 and older make up 7.5% of all licensed drivers while they are only involved in 3.6% of all car accidents.
With this information acknowledged, there are certainly many valid reasons why having drivers retake their driving test after a certain period of time would make sense. One of those is the loss of coordination and motor ability, which deteriorates as one gets older. The ability to lightly press the throttle or break, and precision using the steering wheel to make turns are crucial skills a driver must have. The loss of mental ability can also severely impair drivers. Reaction time is incredibly important on the road to avoid getting involved in a collision. Memory loss is also a larger issue in older people. Since this can possibly cause someone to forget the rules of the road or even where they are going, it is a very dangerous impairment to have as a driver.
Recertification plays a massive role in the field of healthcare, where members of the profession arguably have to deal with the most demanding requirements. A key player in healthcare recertification is the American Board of Medical Specialities (ABMS). ABMS is a non-profit which, according to its website, sets “professional standards for medical specialty practice and certification”. Medical board certification provides official proof that a doctor possesses a certain level of expertise in their field. While doctors are not required by law to be board certified, it can be a crucial tool for attracting customers as it provides assurance that they are well-qualified to perform their job. According to the American Board of Physicians Specialties, a branch of ABMS, physicians must participate in a regular schedule of maintenance and enhancement of competency in his or her specialty” to be recertified. This involves a 100 question exam, the completion of a medical ethics program, and a minimum of 25 hours of medical education. All of which must be repeated every eight years.
“It’s actually easier now because a lot of things have moved online” Dr. Michelle Klein, Pediatric endocrinologist on the Upper East Side explains. Although in some ways the process still remains a hassle. “What’s annoying is the actual taskwork,” says Klein. “I have to do tasks in my office where I go through fifty or sixty patients and do a project, like looking at how BMI affects a patient and (figuring out) what things I can do to help that patient.” The difficulties of the recertification process don’t end there. Klein points out that “it’s also expensive to recertify”, and costs her office thousands of dollars per year.
Taskwork and cost aside, Klein finds the recertification process to be helpful in some ways. “The test questions are educational, which is great, and they’re open-book so you actually learn while you’re doing them.” Another plus for Klein is that there is no longer any part of the board recertification process that requires studying or formal preparation.
At first glance, the process of independent school recertification in the state of New York seems to be just as rigorous as that of the medical field. Fieldston Upper School Assistant Principal Dr. Kenny Graves holds up a thick white binder labeled with various tabs titled NYSAIS: Self-Study Report. Inside are detailed reports about Fieldston’s admissions department, student services, and educational programs. Graves explains that this binder is the finished product of the recertification process headed by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). NYSAIS is approved by the state government to accredit independent schools. Fieldston, along with the other Ivy Prep high schools (Horace Mann, Riveradale, Dalton, etc.) make up a small portion of the 199 independent schools accredited by the organization.
A unique caveat to recertification in independent schools is that individual teachers aren’t subject to any form of certification, while the school as a whole is. This process occurs once every ten years. Former Fieldston Upper School Principal, Bob Cairo, has endured the recertification process a multitude of times. “There’s a great deal of time spent in preparing for the evaluation,” says Cairo. This mainly entails “documents the school needs to complete that the committee reads before visiting us”. Cairo describes these documents as a ‘self-reflection’ “that guides (NYSAIS) in terms of what to look for and where we want feedback from them. The board which facilitates the recertification process is made up of faculty from NYSAIS schools other than the school in question. Instead of being graded in comparison with one another, NYSAIS grades schools individually based on a set of guidelines which the schools are given beforehand.
Another unique aspect of the NYSAIS recertification process is that it is not simply about whether you pass or fail like driving tests. “It’s never about minimums,” Cairo puts it, but “really a question about how well we’re meeting the guidelines or those standards.” In reality, the result of the process is less a badge of honor or seal of proof, and more a thick white binder filled with analyses about what the school does well and what it could do better.
The lifeguarding recertification test stands between Jordan Goldberg, a member of Fieldston Upper School’s class of 2022, and a summer spent soaking in sun on the beach. It’s been over two years since he first got certified by the American Red Cross, at his sleepaway camp in Monticello, New York, which means he must once again be tested. This time, however, things will be different since the process of recertification by the American Red Cross is much less rigorous than getting certified originally. While “You [have] to do all the saves that you had to practice as a lifeguard before, as well as “[swim] laps”, “you don’t have to do the written test” says Goldberg. In addition, “to get certified it’s eight hours for two days,” but when you recertify, “it’s one day (for) five hours. “It’s just going through everything”. The American Red Cross is one of the organizations whose lifeguard certification meets the standards set out by the state of New York. Thus, if you’re an American Red Cross certified lifeguard, you are permitted to be a lifeguard in the state of New York.
Goldberg’s main worry about lifeguarding is that, being a city kid, he hasn’t been able to spend much time in the pool since the summer he originally obtained his certification. “If you get your certification and you don’t lifeguard for a year and a half, and you don’t really go in a pool for a year and a half, or you don’t swim for a year and a half, (getting recertified) can be a little difficult”. Whereas, if he were an active lifeguard, he believes things wouldn’t be as difficult. “If you’re a lifeguard over the summer (or) at least during the year, it’s not a challenge at all because you have to refresh your skills”, he points out. “You’re going to be required to prove that you can still do the saves and swim laps, so if you’re still in thick of things then it shouldn’t be hard at all”. Recently, Goldberg finally got his lifeguard recertification. Upon arriving at home, he wasted no time heading straight to his room and into bed, a clear sign it wasn’t easy. That much happens to be true for many recertification processes, including the ones explored in this article. Although despite their challenges, shortcomings, and flaws, there are many ways in which they are catalysts for improvement, allow for reflection, and ensure safety in almost any field imaginable. If anything, I hope you come away from this article with a greater appreciation for the many complex systems that make up the professional world.
