Ruthy, I consider it appropriate and ethical for you to refuse to assist someone to go into independent practice without appropriate training, supervision and without appropriate certification. Whether you want to help someone set up in competition with you is secondary issue, where once again you have every right to refuse. You have raised some pertinent issues about professionalism. The IBLCE's primary purpose is to serve the best interests of mothers and babies by setting standards and by certifying only those who can provide quality care. Mothers and babies deserve no less, and that is why it is there. We should not be encouraging anyone to set up in a business which provides less. It would be a different issue if she were asking you to take her into your practice as a student and have you supervise her until she is competent to be independent, a few years' from now. I think you should refuse her request on ethical grounds and make her aware that she cannot possibly provide quality care after two week's training. She won't even have begun to know what she doesn't know. Get her a copy of ILCA's excellent Standards of Practice and tell her that unless she is working under supervision, she first has to be independently competent in every standard. Can you scare her out of this venture? Remind her that would be leaving herself WIDE open to litigation. Remind her that mismanaged babies can die or become brain damaged. What is it about breastfeeding? What other profession would people expect to join and set up in private practice with only two week's training? Ask her if she could help you become a dental hygienist in two weeks? Why not a dentist? Ros Escott BAppSc IBCLC Tasmania, Australia The shortest training program that *claims* to make you an LC in this country takes about 6 weeks - we must be slow.