Margery,
Your suggestions are excellent for more hands on and ways to get clinical
skills.  Again I will say with more of us practicing now there are places
that can give experience.  We need ways to become official mentors.  I get
fairly frequent requests from people to spend time with me, and I love it
when I can spend time with other LCs.  I need to figure out a way to do this
and really need to charge--it is school time--because it really slows down my
day, and takes a lot of time and energy to have someone "shadow" you.  We
spend a LOT of time talking and teaching.  Also have to get permission from
each mom seen to permit the extra person to observe her consult, etc.
There is a new program at Bowman Gray in Winston-Salem that gives 2 great
clinical days involving clinic, home visit, and NICU rounds!  More programs
should offer and promorte this.
Jane