Kathy Boggs wrote:
>I know our best hope lies in a formal educational program with set
>requirements that all must meet. This would include classroom hours,
>preceptorships, etc. and no wishy washy log of hours that can be met in
many
>different ways. Even then, however, there will be LC's who pass the test
and
>give bad advice.  Don't we all know doctors, nurses, dentists, teachers who
>aren't doing such a bang up job?  Credentialing can't fix everything, but
>standardizing our requirements and pathways can help.

Respectfully, Kathy, I think you might be confusing schooling with
education.  One can be schooled yet uneducated, just as one can be educated
without formal schooling.  Your post seems to imply that only classroom
education and preceptorships are valid learning paths.  You deem a log of
hours "wishy washy".  This devalues the important contribution of highly
educated LCs who have chosen a non-schooling path.

I am a retired RN (who used to work OB) and my learning about breastfeeding
truely began with preparation for the birth of my first child. I continued
my breastfeeding education by participating in volunteer run breastfeeding
support groups.  Becoming a LLL Leader gave me access to a plethoria of
research based written information,  professional workshops, and the
opportunity to accumulate a log of hours that could not be considered "wishy
washy" by any means.

I feel that IBCLCE is on the cutting edge in recognizing the validity of
other learning pathways.  I'm sure that its model will come to be accepted
in other leading professions and organizations in the not-to-distant future.
The requirements and accepted pathways are standardized already.

/Rheta  White
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