Dear Barbara-
     I agree!  I know that we've walked down this path before.  I believe that
we need to have bookwork AND supervised clinical hours.  We need to be sure
that IBCLE candidates have a wealth of varied experiences.  By the time the LC
is ready to be independent, she should have completed a comprehensive
internship and be *ready* to apply all the knowledge, experience,and thinking
skills she has acquired to her consultant practice.  This is part of any
health care *profession* .  That is what we are, right?  Health Care
Professionals.
   Debi Page Ferrarello, RN, IBCLC
who learns more that I don't know every day, but am glad that I know a little
more today than I did yesterday, and lots more than I did 10 years ago when I
first vventured out.