>>>Professional disciplines are usually distinguish by a couple of characteristics:
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>>I agree that the list provided tends to be a hallmark of careers that are considered "professions". At the risk of making a political comment, I find it disturbing that most of the criteria listed involve approval to practice our profession by a governmental agency, but I think that reflects more on how we view the role of government.
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>>(N.B. *Please* don't expand on that thread too much - I only mean it as an observation, rather than espousing my own political agenda)
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>I don't mind expanding - I much prefer success/failure be a result of free market instead of government doing the thinking for us. A relevent story:
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>American family with children are visiting Switzerland. While touring the sites, the family remarked to the tour guide that in America we require guardrails to ensure the safety of our children and to prevent them from falling down steep slopes. The Swiss tour guide replied, "Over here, we teach our children to use their brains."

But we have such great lawyers who always manage to find a way to have the responsibility of oneself passed on to somewhere else. Tort reform needs to get on the platter of government and people in this country need to wake up and assume a little responsibility for themselves and quit thinking that they can sue anyone because they screwed up.

Steve