I am a little concerned when I hear people say that we that we need to only certify IBCLCs who have been through a four year lactation program in order to "be like the other professions" for several reasons. Until quite recently, even the professions mentioned, like law and medicine, allowed for self-study (i.e., "reading law") and apprenticeship, followed by exams to lead to the professional qualification. In fact, the state of California still allows lawyers to qualify in this way, if I'm not mistaken. The state of Louisiana allowed this in the case of professional engineers (P.E.s) until the past 10 years. This allows for the "lateral entry" of very qualified individuals who have not gone the typical route. Also, when I was working on a master's degree in education, I saw the same angst in that profession. There was great concern over the public's view of the professionalism of teachers and a move toward requiring more and more education and examinations for a profession once populated by the recent graduates of their own one-room schoolhouses - often with a great deal more success. I don't think the move to greater requirements changed anything except made it much harder for those highly qualified lateral entry teachers. For example, it is nearly impossible for a chemistry professor to get hired to teach high school chemistry unless he gets an education degree! Several states are in the process of changing this and going back to eased requirements for lateral entries (highly qualified, but not typical applicants, perhaps those changing careers...) And finally, I am extremely concerned that a move to requiring a four year degree in lactation, or a nursing degree, would eventually put us in the same place we are in many states in regard to midwifery. In my state of North Carolina, there is no legal option for lay midwifes, so that one midwife I know, who has delivered far more babies safely than most young OB/GYNs, is at constant risk of being arrested for practicing medicine without a license. I do *not* want to see a time when experienced mothers don't dare to help other mothers breastfeed or even when that experienced mother who has been a lay counselor for years can't do a lateral entry into our profession, when she knows far more than the single girl who just graduated from college. I do understand that an experienced lay counselor may not know a lot about dealing with premies in the hospital, but some of the nurses I've known who got their IBCLC knew practically nothing about introducing solids or weaning, either. Both can be remedied by some experience outside their expertise. I think our profession needs to work for state licensure of IBCLCs, and inform the public what to ask for. I think one of our problems may be how awkward our "initials" are. My own friends can't remember how to ask for an IBCLC at the hospital without getting the letters mixed up. I tell them to ask for a board certified lactation consultant. Perhaps the move to RLC may help. BTW, I agree that adding an "allied professional" certification that requires less than the IBCLC is way too early in our profession's development and will only encourage cheapskates to hire the lesser credentialed person, since there is not yet an expectation that the LCs be only IBCLCs. My two cents :-) Melanie Young IBCLC, LLLL Johnston County, NC USA *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html