I don't think people want to admit it, but there seems to be a great many fields where practical experience can lead to a practioner who is as competent or more so then one with formal study/degrees and less experience "in the field" as it were. And face it, there are a lot of places where "underlings" of one type or another, most without any kind of formal training in the particular field do a great deal of the day to day work. AND can function without the "boss" - but frequently the "boss" CANNOT function without the "underlings"