Jay,
Do phone hours count- yes and no.
The purpose of requiring practice hours is to give one a fair shot at passing
the exam.  The best way to do this is face to face- housecalls, clinic or
postpartum floor observation or assisting, LLL meetings.  Many things cannot
be done over the phone.
        The exam is not about information, it is about being able to put the
information you have to good use in clinical situations.  Being an LC is like
being a detective - you need to sniff out the clues, assign the 'blame', and
then find solutions that are acceptable to all parties.  The 'blame' is rarely
clearcut, usually there are mommy problems, baby problems, and dyad problems
all tied up in each breastfeeding difficulties, and there are no solutions
that work in every situation, as Alison expressed the other day.
        You are starting in the right place.  You know you are ready to move
from phone to face-to-face work when you are frustrated over all the things
you can't tell over the phone.  Give yourself time, this is meant to take
years.  No one should call themself a consultant (any kind of consultant)
without broad experience, that is the meaning of the term.
Good luck.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  NYC  [log in to unmask]