Dear all:
I've been thinking about a potential solution if we don't
get resolution on the off-topic problem.
And a solution to something that many of us feel is needed,
an advanced credential. Many of the
IBCLCs that have kept current or even gone on to advance the
frontiers of lactation doing what I
consider to be crucially important research on intervention
strategies really should have advanced
level qualifications and I certainly, would immediately work
myself to the bone to get such an
advanced level credential.
I was thinking this would be unbelievably complicated or
impossible or too costly. BUT the
internet might actually make this feasible.
Here's what I envision:
A consortium of sponsoring universities, with a mentor IBCLC
in place at each university. An
online course made of the the IBCLCs that are pushing the
envelop of practice and intervention
research in their areas of specialty. Each would develop a
curricula on a particular topic that
would be in-depth and cover the equivalent of a semester of
course work. No one day dabbling
that one gets at mini conferences or oversaturation that one
gets at larger conferences. This
would be a day a week gradually over the course of a
semester. The course attendee would be
required to spend a certain amount of time per week
consulting with the IBCLC at the nearest
university about the implications of the course work for the
IBCLCs practice. This would both
benefit the course "attendee" and the IBCLC mentor
because there is nothing like having to think
about how this applies to your own practice to really make
it useful.
At the end of each course there would be a final exam and an
evaluation jointly by the IBCLC
mentor and the course facilitator of application of the
course content to the course participants
practice.
This would add a depth and richness unattainable by any
course that was primarily in one setting.
It would remove the high costs of facility use. It would
provide an opportunity to go through an
alternative credentialing body. One could develop a
consortium credentialing body of public
health, nutrition, psychology, and many varied fields. I
choose these fields because I think we
have not been paying as much attention as needed to the
long-term breastfeeding relationship
from prior to pregnancy through weaning.
When I looked at IBCLE's exam score breakdown, I was not
surprised. Contrary to the popular
wisdom that most IBCLCs don't know enough about premies, and
the early postpartum period, the
scores in this area were dramatically higher than the scores
for knowledge of breastfeeding for
7-12 month olds. Also, the number of questions for each
period were dramatically skewed
towards earlier nursing and not the entire relationship. We
should, as a profession, if we are really
to have an impact on breastfeeding be equally skilled across
the spectrum of breastfeeding OR
subspecialize.
Best regards, Susan E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC
Who is entirely serious and would love to take this up at
the next ICLA meeting on controversies in
lactation. Boy will that be a hot meeting.
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