Hello Lactnetters,

I have started this...closed the posting...and started again so many times.  I 
have finally decided to go ahead with sharing my frustration I have with 
IBLCE.  I will apologize in advance for the length of this posting but I felt this 
is something everyone on Lactnet should be informed about.  I am an aspiring 
IBCLC and was told by IBLCE in January 2007 Pathway F was going to be 
reinstated for exam year 2008.  Pathway F is a minimum 500 directly 
supervised hours by a re-certified IBCLC (mentor) covering ALL Clinical 
Competencies.  I emailed IBLCE my contact information Feb. 8th (per their 
instructions) to receive the Pathway F materials when they were completed.  
I contacted IBLCE a month later and the response I received from the Regional 
Director was they were still working on them.  Okay....I'm not an inpatient 
person but when I keep getting told this with no other information available I 
became quite frustrated. 

This provoked me to emailing two Executive Committee Board members, on 
April 1st, my frustrations of the lack of information I am receiving from the 
IBLCE office in regards to Pathway F; copied and pasted some Pathway F 
FAQ's that was on the old IBLCE website that were of concern to me (i.e., 
application approval before accumulating hours, time to complete the minimum 
500 hours - all hours have to be completed by May 15th of exam year, and 
can hours previously accumulated count towards the Pathway F 500 hrs - 
which the answer to this FAQ was in limited circumstances and the hours must 
have occurred within 12 mos before starting Pathway F and must have been 
supervised by the same mentor who is supervising you under Pathway F).  All 
these areas were of concern to me because here it is...April and still no 
application or materials yet.  I made it clear that I am very enthusiastic in 
becoming an IBCLC, and we all know that one can get other certifications for 
an LC (CLE, CLC, LE, etc) and how many people do not realize the difference 
in these initials (a shame)...however with the lack of specific answers and a 
date of when these materials will be released it may push me to go one of 
these other certification routes.  I let them know that I felt it is only in the 
best interest of mother and infant dyads that I obtain the gold letters of an 
IBCLC! I felt it was the ethical thing to do for myself, moms, babies, and other 
IBCLCs.

The Regional Director responded to this email stating the delay of progress 
towards finalizing the materials is due to recent personnel changes.  (and I am 
thinking..as all business people know, business does not stop in the midst of 
personnel changes!)  The Reg. Dir. explained the process of Pathway F (which 
I already knew from reading the FAQs on the website) and again, didn't tell me 
a definite date for the release of the materials.  The one Board Director 
emailed me, as well, asking me to extend my patience a little longer and IBLCE 
is currently without an Exe. Dir. which has influenced timely responses from 
the office.  Also, commending me for pursuing the IBCLC credential.  Again, no 
concrete information regarding the pathway.

I emailed the Regional Director back, thanking her for her response (because I 
am a polite person and give everyone the benefit of the doubt).  I replied back 
on April 12th asking if the time line for the completed hours will remain the 
same as the previous time (May 15th), again voicing my frustrations that this 
is not going to give someone enough time considering the paperwork process 
still needs to be completed before these hours can be accumulated (and yet, 
no documentation/application is finalized and released yet)..and not to 
mention a pre-requisite of a certain number of observing hours "may" be added 
to be eligible for the pathway.  

The Reg. Dir. replied back "empathizing" with my frustration (hmm....do you 
think?  I don't!)  and can't give me any firm answers and reiterated the plan 
needs to be approved before counting hours and the min. 500 hrs need to be 
completed by May 15th (app deadline)...asked if I had a potential mentor 
(which I do...at least at this moment but who knows if this keeps dragging 
out) and stating that many institutions are not allowing training to occur so 
practice settings are hard to find.  Little does the Reg. Dir know, I am WAY 
ahead of her on my plan!!  

I emailed the Reg. Dir. this morning my reasoning of wanting to go through 
Pathway F (it is a rigorous pathway; having an IBCLC mentor and the wealth 
of knowledge I would gain versus the other pathways and how one 
accumulates the hours).   Asked if I could get a interim or draft plan that 
IBLCE requires to be submitted by Pathway F applicants, if there is any way to 
start collecting my supervised practice hours now, before the program 
documentation is finalized.  I reiterated what was stated in the Reg. Dir's email 
how many institutions are not allowing training and is hard to find and how I 
would hate to lose this opportunity over their lack of organization.  Also 
pointed to the old FAQ where in some circumstances hours can be 
accumulated prior to the approval and asking this to be reinstated.  And most 
importantly was my closing paragraph which I will copy and paste:

"If this falls through for me, I more than likely will pursue obtaining the CLC 
certification instead of the IBCLC.  I thought I was trying to do the right thing 
and be ethical to other IBCLCs to obtain the IBCLC certification, however I am 
finding out that the IBLCE organization is not very supportive to aspiring 
IBCLCs.  IBLCE needs to realize this is something that can't continue to be put 
on hold, especially if you are not going to be flexible to allow special 
circumstances to take place to adjust for this lack of organization.  If the 
directly supervised hours can't accumulate until the plan is approved AND  all 
hours have to be met by May 15th, I am asking to please consider flexibility in 
one of these directions.  How can the IBLCE organization say they protect, 
promote and support breastfeeding when they are not protecting, promoting 
or supporting the IBCLC profession."

I know many of you have frustrations with IBLCE (referring to the SoP) and it 
appears IBLCE is lacking in more ways than one.  I don't understand how an 
organization can continue to thrive on the path they are going down right 
now.  It makes me wonder if I want to commit money and most importantly my 
time (that is treasured, as I have a nine yr old and 15 month old- who is still 
nursing) to obtain this "gold credential" when the organization that is behind 
this appears to be very incompetent.

Warmly,
Kelly 
(hmm....some day have initials but the crystal ball doesn't know just yet which 
ones!)

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