As a Professional Physicist
Certification as a Professional Physicist is an important addition to your personal credentials. An education demonstrates your knowledge as a scientist, but you need an indication that you have sufficient communications proficiency and outside-the-lines thinking that will distinguish you from other applicants looking for the first-rate occupations. Your designation as a Professional Physicist allows you to use the letters “P.Phys.” to show that you possess the qualities and experience required to make judgement calls with respect to scientific matters in your particular field. As a Professional Physicist, you understand and uphold the CAP’s Enhanced Code of Ethics and when solving problems, you do your best to consider all the different technical and societal matters that relate to your field of expertise.
As an Employer
You are looking for an individual with more than an education. How do you differentiate between knowledge and “been there, done that”? You need experience. We believe that the Canadian Association of Physicists with its Professional Physicist designation fills that gap by assessing an applicant’s background and experience as well as analytical and communication skills. Systematic education evaluations and our own examination requirements allow the Professional Certification Committee to assess each applicant’s skill-set to ensure a broad standard of competence and experience.
Why “Professional Physicist”?
The Canadian Association of Physicists chose the title “Professional Physicist” and trademarked the abbreviations “P.Phys.” in English and “phys.” in French to create an easily identifiable specialist designation. The highly technical aspects of the day-to-day activities of a physicist often involve working together with other professionals, such as Professional Engineers, Chartered Accountants or even Members of the Royal Architects Institute of Canada. The CAP uses a title that is parallel in style to these other occupations. In so doing, the Association expects that professionals from outside the realm of the physical sciences will recognise the meaning of “Professional Physicist” as being a professional designation similar in nature to their own or similar to other designations with which they may already be familiar.