UNDERSTANDING CERTIFICATION
What is the difference between “Licensing” & “Certification”?
Licensing presumes that an activity is forbidden until it is permitted through a license. Certification presumes that an activity is permitted by right. It presumes a right to work. This means that one is not automatically provided with a job. Rather it means that one cannot be denied the opportunity to seek work.
Licensing increases the power of the government and their powers to decide who to consult for services shifts from the consumer to a government licensing board. By the same degree to which it empowers the government, licensing decreases the power of the individual consumer. Certification empowers the consumer, not the government.
Licensing restricts entry into a particular field of activity. Certification does not restrict entry at all. It merely informs and distinguishes those who have completed courses or examinations pertaining to a field of work.
Licensing provides a method of strict control of the behavior of those in a particular field of activity. If the licensees do not follow prescribed rules, they risk losing the ability to work at all. Certification may be used for control. However, it is more limited. If those who are certified do not follow certain rules, certification may be withdrawn. However, they may still practice their trade, albeit without certification.
SUMMARY
The definitions, features and implications of licensing and certification are summarized in the following chart for quick reference.
LICENSING
• Permission to perform an activity.
• Generally is mandatory to perform the activity.
• Involves the police power of the government.
• Presumes that working in a particular field of activity is a privilege. Establishment of licensing shifts the activity from a right to privilege. The privilege is given and may be withdrawn at any time by the issuing agency.
• Increases the power of government, and reduces the power of the individual consumer.
• The purpose is to restrict entry and strictly control the profession or activity.
CERTIFICATION
• A statement of completion or meeting a standard.
• Voluntary
• Does not involve the police power of the state.
• Presumes that working the field is a right.
• Certification may be withdrawn at any time by the issuing agency. However, this does not stop one from working.
• Preserves and enhances the power of the individual consumer to decide upon the practitioner of his choice.
• The purpose is mainly to inform and educate.
REGULATION
Professions that carry a risk of harm require government regulation. Unregulated professions are not overseen by government regulatory bodies, but rather by professional associations that uphold standards. Certification through a certifying organization provides consumers with more information about a practitioner, as well as offering practitioners the opportunity to enhance their skills through exams and coursework, and to promote their completion of such coursework.
Prospective registrants must meet specific standards of competency to demonstrate to the public that they have fulfilled the educational, ethical, and professional development requirements of their certifying body.
The title of Medical Doctor (MD) is protected and reserved for allopathic medicine, which encompasses all forms of medicine that utilize drugs and surgery. It is misleading and contrary to the principles of natural medicine for a practitioner in this field to suggest that they are an allopathic practitioner.