Switching CBE certification to ICEA?

[mollycce]

Late last week I learned that ICEA has a new (I think, since it the first I've heard of it!?) certification option for CBEs in which if you are already certified by another organization, you can basically just take ICEA's certification exam and be certified by them as well (or instead of), rather than going through the whole program or even the "experienced educator" accelerated route. Info here. You have to pay $30 for the study modules and $200 to take the test.

I've been thinking about changing my certification affiliation for quite some time and was thinking of CBI. This option seems cost effective and quick though and I'm thinking I will do it! ICEA's overall philosophy seems a little more "medical model" than my personal philosophy, but I already own three of their birth class curricula and they are are very well done and I use a lot of material from them (probably more from them than I do from my original certifying program's teaching binder).

Anyway, I just wanted to post to see if anyone else here had pursued this "certified certified educator" option with ICEA? Any other feedback on ICEA in general?

Best wishes,

Molly
--
Talk Birth

[tlcdoula]

I did my certification through them via this route!

[JessicaE]

Michelle, what was your original certification? Also, did you have to study a great deal for the certification exam, or were you able to take it based on your general knowledge?

I'm on this path with ICEA right now. I've joined as a member and "entered" the program. I think I have one year to take the exam.

Like you, Molly, I'm not sure ICEA is the best philosophical fit for me. However, what I really wanted was an organization that would give me some letters behind my name and then basically leave me alone. I already have my curriculum developed (an 8-week natural childbirth course) and I don't need a lot of support from a certifying agency, so given the relative ease of transferring certification, it seemed like a good match. I'm sure I would never have chosen ICEA for my original training, but that's OK.

Keep us posted if you decide to go this route! I'd love to know how it works out for another CBE sister.

[tlcdoula]

Originally Posted by JessicaE

Michelle, what was your original certification? Also, did you have to study a great deal for the certification exam, or were you able to take it based on your general knowledge?

I'm on this path with ICEA right now. I've joined as a member and "entered" the program. I think I have one year to take the exam.

Like you, Molly, I'm not sure ICEA is the best philosophical fit for me. However, what I really wanted was an organization that would give me some letters behind my name and then basically leave me alone. I already have my curriculum developed (an 8-week natural childbirth course) and I don't need a lot of support from a certifying agency, so given the relative ease of transferring certification, it seemed like a good match. I'm sure I would never have chosen ICEA for my original training, but that's OK.

Keep us posted if you decide to go this route! I'd love to know how it works out for another CBE sister.

My original certification was through CAPPA and if I were basing my knowledge alone off of what I learned through that training/certification I would have NEVER passed the test. In my case I started my ICEA certification via another route, and then they changed and added this new route so I switched. Between the two I had purchased and read all the required reading, and had been teaching for over two years.

I really think it depends on your own background knowledge as to whether you could pass it or not without studying extra. I know I needed to know lots more then my original certification offered me.

[JessicaE]

Thanks, Michelle! I was originally certified as a Bradley Method instructor, so I have no idea how that will compare with the ICEA materials (although I did find my training to be pretty intellectually rigorous). I bought the ICEA study modules, so I think I'll delve into those and see how things stack up. The test is multiple choice, as I understand it, so that will be nice. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[mollycce]

Originally Posted by JessicaE

Like you, Molly, I'm not sure ICEA is the best philosophical fit for me. However, what I really wanted was an organization that would give me some letters behind my name and then basically leave me alone. I already have my curriculum developed (an 8-week natural childbirth course) and I don't need a lot of support from a certifying agency, so given the relative ease of transferring certification, it seemed like a good match. I'm sure I would never have chosen ICEA for my original training, but that's OK.

Keep us posted if you decide to go this route! I'd love to know how it works out for another CBE sister.

Well, I decided to just go ahead and send it in! It feels kind of hasty, but I decided it really only represents a $30 gamble. I'm already and ICEA member and if after I get the modules I decide I don't want to proceed and take the exam, then I'm only out $30.

Do you have the modules already? I'm wondering how similar they are to the ICEA Educator's Guide that I have already.

I'm all about the ease of transferring in this case. That is definitely what hooked me. I never even considered ICEA when I was originally deciding which program to choose. As I look through the materials I have from them already, I'm thinking that it might be nice to be affiliated with a program with such a long history. And, as I said, despite the feeling like not quite a philosophical match I really like their materials that I already have, so maybe I'm more of a match than the initial "feeling" is! I don't know. I think organizations are like people and you can pick up a certain "vibe" from them.

Thanks for your reply!

Molly