Everybody is probably getting sick of this thread, so I apologize for being
fixated.  I have been thinking about the issues Jane Bradshaw eloquently
raised about people sitting for the exam with all those hundreds of contact
hours of BAD breastfeeding experience being counted.  I have been obsessing
about what would be a better way.  Perhaps the number of hours required to
sit for the exam is too high.  Perhaps this way to try to "control" the
candidates is off the mark.  It seems to promote exaggerations and force
interested people into gray areas where they must fudge or give up the idea
of ever sitting. After they get the IBCLC some seem to take the attitude
that they have nothing else to learn.

  Perhaps we should drop the number of hours drastically, but mandate what
they should look like.  For example:  Require that candidates document a
specific number of hours acquired in counseling, anatomy and physiology,
oral-motor function and dysfunction, drugs and bfeeding, latch-on technique,
clinical issues, etc.  Then IBLCE could approve specific curricula in
various institutions and for various traveling road shows.  Mentor-LCs could
be identified to do some teaching, some clinicals, perhaps grand rounds
whenever that could be arranged.  A standard way to document acquisition of
these hours could be developed and perhaps even some sort of testing, or
self-paced modules.  Now this is very like what it sounds like BSC is
attempting to do, which may be a way to not re-invent the wheel if somehow
they could be brought in.  And no, I have no financial connection to them,
and no I haven't discussed this with them, so its just an idea and if this
latter part is stupid, forgive me.
Barbara