The following explains some of the relationships between courses and credentials, and what is needed for adequate breastfeeding support in our communities. A course will teach you something about a topic. Some courses ask that the student do additional reading outside of class. Those students that complete the reading assignments will ultimately learn more, and will probably get more out of the in-class sessions as well.
Some courses have a test at the end to see if the student mastered the material.
Completion documents are often used by employers as demonstrations of a certain level of competence. If you want to test yourself, try one or more of the three complete practice exams including clinical pictures in my book Comprehensive Lactation Consultant Exam Review. Certificate courses run by nationally recognized organizations, like the American Heart Association's BLS courses, are more valid than Joe Schmoe's Heart Attack Rescue Course taught only in Podunk, Ohio. To date, there are no international standards for lactation courses. ILCA has been working on this project since 1992 with the help of many people in lactation and educational fields.