Aspiring lactation professionals need experienced mentors like you to help them gain the clinical skills they need.
Why mentor?
Mentoring an aspiring IBCLC helps you become a better clinician! Researching the “why” behind what we do, helping others think critically, and fine-tuning the communication and technique of others hones your own skills. Mentoring is a skill of it’s own and a wonderful opportunity for both personal growth and giving back to the community.
It was a joy to mentor an aspiring IBCLC in a clinical setting. She was bright and fresh, curious, and thoughtful, perceptive and inquiring. Her passion fanned ours. Because she was in classes studying the latest evidence-based lactation information, and the broad range of foundational lactation subject matter, our conversations became an interesting practical review for us. We both had to recertify by exam the next year. (We both passed easily!)
It was not burdensome to have her there. There was no negative impact on our patient care productivity. We would do it again in a heartbeat.
– Kay Banus, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Northeast Baptist Hospital
San Antonio, TX
Did you know you can earn CERPs for mentoring?
Mentors may be eligible to earn CERPs for their time through IBLCE®. IBLCE’s Pathway 3 Plan Guide describes this process on pages 9 in the following way:
“IBCLC certificants who serve as mentors for approved Pathway 3 Plans may receive
CERPs for their service. For the purposes of CERP allocation, each Pathway 3 Plan is
eligible for a total of 25 L-CERPs. Over any given 5-year period of time, IBCLC certificants
may acquire up to a maximum of 50 L-CERPs for their service as mentors to applicants who
complete their approved Pathway 3 Plan.
CERPs will be allocated on the basis of the percentage of time each mentor provided direct
supervision to the applicant following Pathway 3. The Chief Mentor will be responsible for
reporting these percentages to IBLCE. Based upon this report, IBLCE will notify the Chief
Mentor of the number of CERPs each mentor earned.”
A log is also provided on page 17.
For further details on earning CERPs for mentoring, contact IBLCE directly.
How much does it cost?
USLCA members may list their preceptor services on our website at no cost! For the convenience of potential students interested in your mentorship services, please feel free to list the fees associated with your services in the “Mentor” tab of your account.
Fees between mentors and mentees vary and fall outside the purview of USLCA.
How can I be included in USLCA’s Mentorship Directory?
To be listed in the Mentorship Directory:
- Please sign into your USLCA account and navigate to your “Profile” tab.
- Once there, select the radial button indicating that you’d like to be included in the mentorship directory.
- After doing this, a new “Mentor” tab will become available on your account.
- Navigate to the “Mentor” tab and provide any applicable information about your mentorship services, including your available hours, work environment, and any fees you might charge.
