After all the reading about this issue, I have decided to add my thoughts to
the subject. In order to obtain the IBCLC certification there is a great
deal of studying and clinical work to be done, as noted on the IBLCE web
site and thoughout this thread.  Then one is elgible to sit for the exam.
If she passes the exam, she must then keep her credential current with
*continuing education* and I emphasize that because there in lies the big
difference.  As far as I am aware, this is the only certification in
lactation that requires continuing education.  After 10 years one must again
sit for the exam, so one needs to be quite up to date with all of the
current goings on in the lactation world.  I have had the experience of
working with other LCs who are not required to do continuing education and
have found them to very often be stale.  Without keeping current in
lactation, one cannot be a good clinician.  That is not to say that the
lactation people who are not IBCLCs don't read and keep current, but there
is no way of knowing without documentation of continuing education or
recertifying by exam.  I strongly believe that it is crucial that our
profession have a governing body (IBLCE).  That way if an IBCLC is not
practicing correctly she can be reported to the governing body and something
can be done.  I have seen LCs who are not IBCLCs practicing in hospitals in
such ways that they should be reprimanded, but there is no one to do it.  I,
myself left one hospital position because of this.  The LC was not a good
clinician and would not tolerate any changes that I suggested to improve
things and most important, there was no one to report this to, other than
the supervisor who didn't know much about lactation at all.  So again, I
state - *continuing education* is crucial and re-certifying by exam will
assure that the lactation clinicians who are out there have kept current and
know their stuff.

Yaffa Stark, MA in Human Development with a specialization in Lactation,
IBCLC
Los Angeles, CA, where the IBCLC fees are higher than in middle America.

> Date:    Mon, 11 Jun 2001 17:09:42 -0600
> From:    LC Mama <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: CLE, IBCLC - ?
>
> While I see there are many differences in all of the certifications, and
> while IBCLC may be the end result for many in the lactation field... I'd
> like to point out that we all start somewhere.  Whether we start out as a
> lay peer counselor or go through a CLC program or a CLE program what have
> you, we all start out with little knowledge and work our way up.  I DO
have
> a problem when we start saying that just because someone has letters after
> their name and those letters are IBCLC that this makes them the end all be
> all in the field.  As someone recently pointed out to me, a mom can be
just
> as well read as someone with years of experience.  It's like saying that
> just because someone is an MD that means they are a good one, no that
means
> they took the training, and they can carry the letters MD after their name
> and nothing more.  It takes much more than schooling to be good at what we
> do.
>
> Melisa
> ~*~*~*~*~

> ------------------------------
>

>

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