If you are not a Health ProfessionalI’d like to be a Lactation Consultant . . . IBLCE frequently receives inquiries from people who have met an inspiring Lactation Consultant, often in relation to their own breastfeeding experience, and now they are interested in becoming an IBCLC themselves. Unfortunately, this is rarely a realistic option. Passing the IBLCE’s international certification exam is the only recognised pathway to becoming a Lactation Consultant. To be accepted as a candidate, applicants must first meet eligibility pre-requisites. These include participation in lactation education as well as achieving the required clinical competencies through extensive prior experience as a breastfeeding counsellor, in an accredited capacity. Most candidates acquire this experience working as a Health Professional in a hospital or community setting. A few have served for many years as Accredited Mother Support Counsellors. However, personal breastfeeding experience, wonderful as it is, does not meet this requirement. Most candidates are already qualified and experienced Health Professionals or Breastfeeding Counsellors before they take the next step to become a “Consultant”. IBCLC's are the specialists that mothers (and other Health Professionals) turn to, usually when standard measures have not solved the problem. The skills and knowledge required to pass the exam cannot be solely learnt from books, which is why clinical experience is necessary. IBLCE’s eligibility requirements are based on data collected over the years that indicate the minimum requirements for a candidate to have a reasonable chance of passing the exam and being competent to enter the profession. At this stage of development of the profession, there is no single complete training program that covers both the education and practical experience required. Additional requirements for candidates who are not Health Professionals An applicant who meets the experience requirements (eg an experienced Mother Support Counsellor) but is not a health professional will also be required to document background education in:
“Background” is defined as a minimum of four hours by the clock (not semester hours) of didactic education in each of the six disciplines above, and is further defined as basic or introductory in content and not as applied to lactation. It should be taught by someone who is qualified to teach that subject at the lowest post-secondary level, at least. Please contact the IBLCE Office if you would like information about on-line and other options for doing these short courses. To get maximum benefit from your lactation education program, you should do this background education first, there is no time limit for the period between when you do these courses and when you do the exam. To demonstrate background in these disciplines, an applicant who is not a Health Professional must submit the following documents relevant to each of the subjects listed above: Official transcript from a college, university, or post-secondary institution, if the course title reflects the discipline claimed as background OR A content outline or course syllabus or signed statement from the lecturer, if the course title does not reflect content that the applicant wishes to claim. NB: A copy of a license, registration or degree in a healthcare profession constitutes sufficient proof that these additional background prerequisites are deemed to have been met. |
