Breastfeeding Fellowship
The LILAC Fellowship
What is "Lessons in Lactation Advanced Curriculum" (LILAC)?
LILAC is a 2-year fellowship-level curriculum for post-residency physicians and providers who would like to practice full-scope Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine with competence and confidence!
Why LILAC Was Created
We created LILAC in response to the lack of provider-level training in Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine (BFLM). Without a pathway, learners with an interest in BFLM are left to collect education credits from a variety of conferences and online sources that don’t necessarily fit together, result in understanding all aspects of the field, or create confidence in practice.
What is the Value of a Fellowship in BFLM?
More medical providers of all types are stepping into breastfeeding and lactation support. Some will, and most won't, have any comprehensive learning to support their work. As a specialty involving at least 2 patients in a dynamic interplay with several organ systems, the complexity of caring for this population cannot be understated. Fellows will not only excel in the care of these patients, but their medical systems will feel confident in their providers' skills, recruit patients to their health systems by offering this brand-new subspecialty, and expand billing to support their work.
Why URMC is Uniquely Suited to Provide Lessons in Lactation Advanced Curriculum (LILAC)
We are the first and only fellowship site for Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine in the world! The University of Rochester has graduated the only 2 formal fellows in this field, and has unique experience in educating advanced medical learners in this area. Faculty practice full-scope inpatient and outpatient Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine in an interprofessional setting. The Teachers College of Columbia University has provided expertise in nutrition education to deliver content in the most up-to-date interactive methods with a focus on online adult-learning principles.
Does URMC Offer Accreditation in Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine?
There is currently no accrediting pathway for fellowships in Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine. This program covers the content of comprehensive competencies documents. The core faculty is involved with efforts to develop accrediting pathways, and intends to meet all future requirements for certification.
Will CMEs/L-CERPs Be Provided?
Yes. CME and L-CERPs are offered for first week introduction lessons and our module lessons.
Requirements
This curriculum was created for post-residency physicians and advanced learners of other types (CNM, NP, PA). Most providers will come from the fields of pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, family medicine and preventive medicine, but other fields are not necessarily excluded. At this time, LILAC is not available in Spanish or other languages. English language skills, both comprehension and communication, are required for learners.
Who are the Module Authors?
As a long-time leader in the field, many of the authors are from the University of Rochester. The fellowship director, Dr. Casey Rosen-Carole, is a fellowship-trained physician in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine and a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. For the other modules, we are pleased to partner with leading experts in their content area to provide the most up to date information on each topic.
Each module includes background readings, a high-level expert video and a clinical skill to master with one’s clinical mentor. The 1.5h online class time will include a learner case presentation, discussion with expert(s), activities depending on the topic, and fellow QI/research updates.
- Bioactive Components in Human Milk Dr. Bridget Young, URMC, NY
- Breastsleeping, bed sharing and sleep safety Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, Cooper University Health, NJ
- Allergic GI disorders and management of infant food allergies Drs. Kirsi Jarvinen-Seppo and Amy Burris, URMC, NY
- Contraception and Lactation Dr. Sarah Betstadt, URMC, NY and Dr. Cheryl Godcharles, USF, FL
- Substance Use Disorders and legalized drugs Dr. Maya Bunik, University of Colorado, CO
- Cultural Competency and Communication Ms. Nekisha Killings, Lioness Lactation and Melanated Mammary Atlas
- Postpartum Mood Disorders Ms. Michele Burtner, CNM, URMC, NY
- Medications in Lactatio Dr. Rogelio Perez, MotherToBaby, URMC, NY
- Donor Milk Dr. Maryanne Perrin, UNC Greensboro, NC
- Ankyloglossia Dr. Margo McKenna, URMC, NY
- Breast Disorders Dr. Rachel Yang, UCSF, CA
- Breastfeeding and Lactation for Sick Infants Dr. Catherine Krafft, URMC, NY and Dr. Misty Virmani, UAMS, AR
- Pumps and Milk Expression Lisa Anders, PhD, UNC, NC
- Medical Conditions in Mothers and Lactating Parents Dr. Pamela Berens, UT Houston, Tx
- Advocacy and Research Guest: Dr. Ann Dozier, URMC, NY
- Billing and practice management Dr. Karen Bodnar, Inova Childrens, VA
- Education in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine Dr. Casey Rosen-Carole, URMC, NY
- Skin to Skin and Nurturescience Dr. Dani Dumitriu, Columbia University, NY
How to Use the Curriculum
Learn about the important role of mentors and how they enhance the program. If you are having trouble identifying a clinical mentor, please reach out to us at: casey_rosen-carole@urmc.rochester.edu and aubrey_pusey@urmc.rochester.edu.
$6500 USD for Category 1 and Category 2, and $1000 for Category 3 countries.
Please see Step 2.5 below to determine in which Category your country of practice resides. Need-based scholarships are available, please request an application.
Purchase the Curriculum Here
Countries in Category 1: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and The United States / Puerto Rico
Countries in Category 2: Andorra, Austria, Bahamas, Brunei, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, New Zealand, San Marino and Spain
Countries in Category 3: Abkhazia, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua/Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo-Kinshasa, Congo-Brazzaville, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (North & South), Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia (FYROM), Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nagorno-Karabakh, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Cyprus, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Somaliland, South Africa, South Ossetia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Province of China, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Transnistria, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Didactic work: There are 18 modules with background readings, an expert video and assessments. Modules are each month with the exception of December and June. Time taken to complete modules varies. On average, modules take fellows 4 hours to complete. Class time associated with each module is 1.5 hours per month. Every 6 months, the fellow and mentor will have a 30 minute SOC (Scholarship Oversight Committee) meeting with the LILAC faculty to review progress.
Clinical work: Fellows should have the ability to work towards 1000 clinical hours over 2 years (average of 10 hours per week), and the ability to obtain specific clinical skills including frenotomy. Because we practice in a growing field with limited resources, completion of 1000 hours is not always achievable. Therefore, at this time it is a goal and not a requirement for graduation.
Scholarship project: Through carefully curated research projects designed by Dr. Anna Sadovnikova, fellows work in small groups to transform their clinical interests into evidence-based contributions to the field. Each project provides comprehensive research experience, from protocol development through manuscript publication, offering opportunities to develop various research skills such as IRB creation, survey design, qualitative analysis, and scientific writing, among others. To support this goal, we hold a 2-hour research seminar monthly.
Important Dates for the Fellowship Class of 2024-2026
First week workshop: July 8–12, 9 a.m.–5:00 p.m. US EST
Seminar Dates:
7/8/24–7/12/24, 8/8/24, 9/12/24, 10/10/24, 11/21/24, 1/9/25, 2/13/25, 3/13/25, 4/10/25, 5/8/25, 6/12/2025, 8/14/25, 9/11/25, 10/9/25, 11/21/25, 1/8/26, 2/12/26, 3/12/26, 4/9/26, 5/7/26, 6/12/26, 6/19/26 (graduation)
Important Dates for the Fellowship Class of 2025-2027
First week workshop: July 7–11, 2025, 9 a.m.–5:00 p.m. US EST
Seminar Dates:
7/7/25–7/11/25, 8/14/25, 9/11/25, 10/9/25, 11/21/25, 1/8/26, 2/12/26, 3/12/26, 4/9/26, 5/7/26, 6/12/26, First week Class of 2028: 7/13/26–7/17/26, 8/13/26, 9/10/26, 10/8/26, 11/12/26, 1/14/27, 2/11/27, 3/11/27, 4/8/27, 5/13/27, 6/10/27, 6/17/27 (graduation)