Pam makes the point that other health professions require some formal
education before sitting an exam, so why don't we.  I think we are moving in
that direction.  Originally, it was only a certain number of CEUs required
plus experience.  Then specific continuing education criteria was developed
ant the CERP was the standardNow applicants must show that they have taken
certain courses.  If there had been a specific educational course required
back in 1985, few that sat the exam would have been qualified.  We currently
have many experts in our field that come from a variety of backgrounds, some
of which would have probably been excluded if there had been such
requirements, yet they have contributed greatly by their experience and
subsequent contributions to the field.  In addition, there are still only a
handful of educational programs leading to a degree in lactation.   As more
and more such courses/degrees become available, I fully expect that future
IBCLCs will need a degree in lactation management before sitting the exam.
If I know my history of nursing correctly, it was similar in the earliest
days of that profession.  Nurses learned primarily by experience and
mentoring.  The profession preceded the formal educational programs.  As a
new profession in the midst of other HC professions of long standing, we do
have the dilemma of the cart or the horse coming first.  Many HC professions
(PT, OT, ST, Social Workers) grew out of the nursing profession.  They cover
"tasks" that were originally under the scope of nurses, but over time became
more specific and grew into their own separate fields with their own
separate educational paths.


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