I guess I'll speak my piece on this one.  For one thing, I think that having
many different paths to IBCLC has strengthened our profession.  It brings so
many perspectives to the fore.

However, I would agree that having a degree does not seem to me to be
relevant to the number of practice hours required.  I am a diploma nurse with
90 hours of college credit and no degree.  I read extensively.  I passed the
exam 6 months after a lactation educator's course.  I do not see any evidence
that I should have needed more practice hours than a PhD or physician or even
a degree nurse.  As we all know, most of us received relatively little useful
information related to breastfeeding in our basic educational programs.

 I was able to show sufficient hours due to the many hours I have spent as an
OB nurse.  I have always been a breastfeeding advocate, having nursed all
four of my children including a 34-week premie.  However, I would have to
agree that QUALITY of practice hours rather than QUANTITY would make more
sense.

What I learned before I took the CLE course was very helpful, but the
practice hours afterwards helped me to apply what I had learned.  Following
another IBCLC and then doing supervised practice hours would have no doubt
provided a better education than what I received.  500 - 1000 practice hours
obtained after a basic lactation education course would, I think, be more
meaningful than 4000 hours obtained over 10 or 15 years with practice often
based on misinformation during much of that time.

I also think it would be feasible to develop some sort of basic lactation
exam which could be taken prior to practice hours.  This would verify
current, accurate basic lactation knowledge prior to obtaining practice hours
for those who obtained this knowledge in less traditional ways.

Applying to take an exam at $370  was powerful motivation to study.  I feel
that the exam is one of the best I have ever taken. It required practical
problem solving based on a sound scientific knowledge, which is what made it
a good test.