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Lactation Consultant: Pathway 1

Professional Certificate

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About the Lactation Consultant: Pathway 1 Program

Courses

Delivery Method
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  • Live Online
  • In-Person
  • Online
  • Hybrid
  • Number of courses: 1 class
  • Total units: 12
  • The didactic material can be completed asynchronously, however, there are assignments with weekly due dates
  • This course fulfills the 95 hour didactic requirement needed to take the IBCLC exam
  • UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies uses Canvas as our learning platform for all courses. Canvas is not compatible with smart phones or tablet devices. We recommend students plan to use a lap top or desk top for our courses.

Only 1 of the courses below required depending on approved Pathway

Pathway 1 - Lactation Consultant EducationRMED-40030

Units: 12.00

$1,195

This Lactation Consultant Pathway 1 professional certificate program expands the clinical knowledge of the breastfeeding professional who interfaces with the breastfeeding client by understanding prob...

Upcoming Start Dates:
Typically Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
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Pathway 1 Qualifications

Pathway 1 candidates are defined as having both of these requirements:

  • Have an IBLCE approved license, be a registered or recognized health professional or have completion of all 14 IBLCE Educational Requirements. (IBLCE Approved Health Professions: Dentist, Degreed Nutritionist, Dietician, Midwife, Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Pharmacist, Physical Therapist or Physiotherapist, Physician or Medical Doctor, Speech Pathologist or Therapist).
  • Ability to complete1000 clinical hours directly with breastfeeding dyads within a 5 year period prior to sitting for the exam (verifiable by employer).

Certificate Guidelines

Although UC San Diego does not issue the credential of Lactation Consultant, they support the IBLCE.

If you would like this Professional Certificate of Completion, there is a $95 fee. However, this physical certificate is not required by the IBLCE to sit for the exam.

Applications are accepted quarterly.

Scholarship Opportunity

Military spouses are eligible to use My CAA $4000 scholarship. Apply at MyCAA.
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Lactation Information Session

Learn how to expand your current knowledge and provide the best patient care in lactation education and how to become a Lactation Consultant.

Frequently Asked Questions

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How do I become a Lactation Consultant?

What are the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies application requirements of pathway 1?

Pathway 1 Candidates: The UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Lactation program for Pathway 1 is 120 hours of didactic education which meets the IBLCE lactation course requirement for the IBLCE exam. The general education requirement must be completed before the start of Pathway 1.  The UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Lactation program recommends but does not require that all Pathway 1 applicants have met the clinical requirements (1000 hours) of the IBLCE before taking the Pathway 1 education. These requirements can be reviewed at IBLCE.org. All Pathway 1 candidates will sign a memorandum of understanding stating that the candidate is responsible for meeting the clinical and professional educational requirements of the IBLCE.

What is the application deadline for the UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies Pathway 1 course and when is the IBLCE test date?

Pathway 1:  Offered every quarter (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer)
UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Pathway 1 education course is 2 quarters in length (~6 months)

UCSD Diego Division of Extended Studies Pathway 1 program and IBLCE Exam Application and test dates:

  • Fall/Winter Quarter: IBLCE application due May and IBLCE test date is September
  • Winter/Spring Quarter: IBLCE application due May and IBLCE test date is September
(Due to IBLCE test application date this section is 18 weeks of academia and 22 weeks of course access)
  • Spring/Summer Quarter: IBLCE application due November and IBLCE test date is April
  • Summer/Fall Quarter: IBLCE application due November and IBLCE test date is April
(Due to IBLCE test application date this section is 18 weeks of academia and 22 weeks of course access)

Who is eligible to apply to the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Pathway 1 program?

Pathway 1 Candidates: The general education requirement must be completed BEFORE the start of the UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Lactation Pathway 1 program. The UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies Lactation program recommends but does not require that all Pathway 1 applicants have met the clinical requirements (1000 hours) of the IBLCE before taking the Pathway 1 education.

1. General Education Requirement: Licensed, Registered or Recognized Health Professional OR has the 8 college courses AND 6 CEU courses as described at IBLCE.org. In the IBLCE Exam application, you will be required to identify your health profession and you may be required to submit a copy of your license, registration, diploma or transcript.

Health professionals include: physicians, nurses, midwives, dietitians, occupational, physical and speech therapists, physician assistants, dentists, pharmacists and chiropractors. If your profession is not on this list, please see IBLCE.org for more information about whether or not your professional training will satisfy the general education requirements.

When applying to the program, candidates must demonstrate completion of these courses by submitting documentation from accredited colleges or universities.

2. Clinical Hours Requirement: Working in a paid or volunteer job in which you provide care to breastfeeding families and can document a minimum of 1000 hours working directly with moms and babies and breastfeeding. Documentation must be verifiable by a supervisor and must be completed within a 5 year period prior to submitting an application to take the exam.  For more information about how to calculate the clinical practice hours required by Pathway 1, please see IBLCE.org.

 

How Do I Calculate my Clinical Hours?

Instructions for Calculating Lactation-Specific Clinical Care Hours:

Download Calculation Form.

  • Column 4: The number of months you worked on each job
  • Column 5: If you worked every week of the month, please enter 4 in this column. If you worked 2 weeks each month, please enter 2 in this column.
  • Column 6: This is Column 4 x Column 5
  • Column 7: If you worked full time, please enter the number of hours considered full-time for that job. If you worked part-time, please enter the number of hours, on average,that you worked each week.
  • Column 8: This is Column 6 x Column 7
  • Column 9: The percentage of time, on average, that you spent helping breastfeeding families. Please use this guide: Peds/OB/Family Practice Office 5%, L&D 5%, Post-Partum Nurse 20%, NICU 10%, Peer Counselor 80%, Employed as CLEC 80%.
  • Column 10: This is Column 8 x Column 9

What are the Required 8 College Subjects and 6 Continuing Education Subjects?

See IBLCE Health Sciences Education Requirements

If you are not a licensed, registered, or recognized health professional, you will be required to submit proof of completion of the 8 academic course and 6 CEU courses as described by the IBLCE.org. These course must be form an accredited college or university.

Health professionals include: physicians, nurses, midwives, dietitians, occupational, physical and speech therapists, physician assistants, dentists, pharmacists and chiropractors. If your profession is not on this list, please see IBLCE.org for more information about whether or not your professional training will satisfy the general education requirements.

1. 8 College Subjects: Must be from an accredited college or university and at least one academic term in length. Candidates must have received a passing grade in each course.


2. 6 Continuing Education Subjects: Available at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies ONLINE
 

What are the IBLCE exam dates and IBLCE test application dates?


2023 March 8 - 17: IBLCE Exam: 
Apply for IBLCE Exam: October 21 - December 5, 2022

2023 September 20 -29: IBLCE Exam:
Apply for IBLCE Exam: May 10 - June 22, 2023
 

How do I enroll in a class?

To enroll into a class, click on the class link in the matrix and that will take you to that class page. There you can find a course description, prerequisites, and the start date for that course. To enroll in the course click on “Add to Cart” which will lead you to complete the registration/payment process.

How are online courses formatted?

Online courses are asynchronous. Students do not need to meet at a specific time online, but will need to log in each week to view the lessons, participate in course discussion, and complete and submit coursework/quizzes/tests.

When will I have access to my online course?

You will have access to an online class on the official start date of the class. Access will be available at 7:30am Pacific Time. Enrollment to online classes can take up to 24 hours to process and sync with our online classroom platform. For example, if a class started on Tuesday and that is the day a student enrolled, they will likely not have full access to the class until 24 hours later on Wednesday.

Advisory Board

Kristina Chamberlain, CNM, ARNP, IBCLC, Lead Instructor

UC San Diego, Division of Extended Studies

Sandra Cole, RN, IBCLC

Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns

Rose deVigne-Jackiewicz, RN, IBCLC

UC San Diego, Instructor

Jamie Felice, BSN, RN, PHN, IBCLC

County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency

Ruth Hammer, MSN, RN, IBCLC

UC San Diego Health

Michelle Lee, PhD, RN

Kaiser Permanente

Maryann O'Hara, MD, MPH

Seattle Breastfeeding Medicine

Christina Tenorio, IBCLC, CLC, ICCE

Huntington Memorial Hospital

Nadette Torres, MSN, RN, PHN, IBCLC

Kaiser Permanente

Nancy Wight, MD, IBCLC, FABM, FAAP

San Diego County Breastfeeding Coalition

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This certificate requires an application before taking any courses. There will be a $0 fee to apply to this program. Students will also be required to pay a $95 certificate fee upon enrollment into the program after acceptance. View the complete Certificate Registration and Candidacy Guidelines.