Michelle said,
> There is reason to worry about liability, of course. This is sad because
> with discrediting these "pre-ibclc" and peer programs, we are really
> throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
>
>
I don't think the problem is the education program -- the problem is that it
is the education program itself that is doing the CERTIFYING.  And that is
where the confusion lies.  You state you had an excellent 150 hour lactation
management education program, and that is fantastic!   Much more education
that most people get.  BUT -- what you have is an
end-of-educational-program-certification -- and using that term -- CLC, CLE,
CBS, CLS, C---whatever -- is a major problem.

A "CLC" walks into a patient's room and says, "Hi, I'm Mary Jones, and I'm a
certified lactation consultant."

Another "CLC" walks into a patient's room and says, "Hi, I'm Lucy Ricardo,
and I'm a certified lactation counselor."

An "IBCLC" walks into a patient's room and says, "Hi, I'm Jane Smith, and I'm
a certified lactation consultant."

A "CLE" walks into a patient's room and says, "Hi, I'm Suzie Brown, and I'm a
certified lactation educator."

A "CBS" walks into a patient's room and says, "Hi, I'm  Marge Simpson, and
I'm a certified breastfeeding specialist."

How's the patient supposed to know what is what and who is who.  And where
does she go to complain if there is a complaint to be made?  And if she is in
private practice, WHO is taking the responsibility for appropriately
protecting the public by having the ability to "defrock" her if necessary?

And as someone pointed out -- many, many certified -- whatevers -- think that
is the end of the line, and there is nothing more that needs to be done.
They are certified -- who needs the headache, aggravation, study, and most
importantly, who needs to spend the money to take the IBLCE exam when they
are ALREADY certified -- since no one knows the difference anyway?

Scares me, it does.

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC -- Wheaton IL
Lactation Education Consultants
www.lactationeducationconsultants.com

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