Midwifery Education
Looking for a college degree
you can attain at home?
Read about Regent's
College
Part I
You have thought to yourself, "I think I might want to become a
midwife" or you would not be reading this page. Throughout the years I have received
many phone calls from women who also had that thought and who were looking for direction.
Some of these women asked to be my apprentice.
I am here to tell you that the road to becoming a a direct-entry midwife
contains many sharp turns, pesky roadblocks, deep potholes, and frustrating dead-ends. As
in any profession, there is no easy way to become a midwife. To succeed, you must invest
years of your time- just as you would for other professions. You must be willing and able
to serve an long apprenticeship with a practicing, experienced midwife. You must prepare
yourself to read many textbooks and hundreds of other midwifery related books and
articles. In addition, you must learn about the legalities of the profession and be ready
to become politically involved because midwifery is not yet accepted as completely legal
in many states.
Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before you commit
yourself to a career in midwifery:
If you have children, who is going to watch them when you
are called out at 3:00 AM for a birth? What if your child is sick and you are called to a
birth? What do you do then? Are you willing to miss your children's birthdays, special
events and even Christmas day with them?
Does your spouse completely understand that you will be
away from home, sometimes for 24 hours or more when you are called to a birth? Is your
spouse aware that scheduling a vacation with the family involves much more foresight and
planning?
Do you realize that midwifery can be very fatiguing?
Sometimes you will be called upon to go little or no sleep for 24 hours or more. And when
you finally do get home, are you ready to meet your normal obligations?
Do you have the money to invest in a car which must be
reserved for your use, for the equipment needed to perform your professional duties, and
for daycare, if needed? Your monthly phone bill will increase dramatically.
Do you have a place in your home where you can meet with
your clients? You need to see your clients regularly. Will your family cooperate with you
when your "office" is open?
Do you understand that your initial education and
apprenticeship is just the beginning? You will need to spend much time and effort
keeping abreast of new developments and attend conferences and meetings with other
midwives.
Are you familiar with the basics of business practices?
Do you understand the implications of being in your own business? Examples: how will you
attract clients to your service? Should you advertise? How do you pay taxes on your
income?
Hi! I am so glad to have found your website and grateful for the
assistance you offer to those of us who are trying to figure out the best way to become
well-educated, qualified midwives, so first of all, "Thanks!"
My name is Bethanie Burkholder and I want to get midwifery training, preferably a
bachelor's degree with a midwifery speciality Currently I am a Licensed Practical Nurse
and working in a hospital's Med/Surg. unit. Any advice you could give me about what
training route to
pursue I would deeply appreciate.
Sincerely,
Bethanie Burkholder
Bethanie,
There are a number of options for you. "Best" is slippery term.
There are midwives with PhD's I wouldn't trust at a rat's birth and ones with no
"credentials", no degrees, that are "best" at what they do.
If you mean, you want a degree and a credential, then go the CNM route and
work in a hospital. You';ll need to first get a nursing degree and then whatever
they want you to have (year of experience in L&D, etc) to apply for the midwifery
training. If your own experience is in the home setting, however, the CNM route may not be
"best" as it is difficult to get good training through most programs that only
use institutions for clinicals. University based midwifery education (CNM-approved)
also do not teach you anything about running a business. But if your plans are to be
an employee--that's the way to go. If the hosptial is your choice of work
place--contact the American College of Nurse Midwives.
All ACNM programs will shortly require completion of at least a master's level of work.
(although no proof exists that this makes for better midwives, better outcomes,
etc. -- they've got a hang-up about it, though) On the other hand, if you want a degree,
because you want a degree, and
you plan to be self-employed and work out-of-hospital, contact the North American Registry
of MIdwives for info on their approved schools. You can still get a degree, but the
midwifery will not necessarily be tied to it. Their certification leads to the
credential Certified Professional Midwife. The training is much more friendly to
women who
have families and apprenticeship is accepted, as well as schools. The clinical
requirements are stricter than the ACNM's.
NARM: cpminfo@aol.com
888-84-BIRTH
Back to the degree. If you just want a degree, check out Regents College in New
York. I just graduated with a degree in Nursing. They are very accepting of
old grades from years ago and permit/require you to take tests to pass certain subjects.
The nursing program is a challenge mechanism -- no courses are offered by the
college. I highly
recommend it to anyone who just wants a legitimate degree.
There is the National College of Midwifery in Taos, NM which offers midwifery degrees.
You would need a preceptor for that one. Florida state has three schools that
require local attendance and grant associate degrees after completion of the 3 year
programs in midwifery.
So far as I am aware, that's it for now for direct-entry programs with state licensed
degree programs.
I hope this helps. Good luck on your path.
Yvonne Lapp Cryns
Frequently Asked Questions (I am presently building this
list--please email me with your questions)
Do I need a four-year college degree to be a midwife?
What is NARM?
What's the difference between a nurse-midwife and a direct-entry midwife?
What is a "Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)"
Do I need to be an apprentice first before I become a
midwife?
Do all experienced midwives take on apprentices?
What if there are no midwives prcacticing near where I live?
What is MANA?
How long do I need to be an apprentice?
Is midwifery "legal" in my state?
So, are you still with me? If so, Midwifery Schools and Programs
lists most, if not all, of the current programs in the U.S. This list is compiled from a
newsletter issued by the Oregon School of Midwifery. I am putting together a more detailed
description of each school. My recommendation is that you first read about midwifery on
the Interent and in books/articles that you can obtain through your library; second,
become an apprentice before you invest in midwifery courses. This will help you
ascertain if you are fit for the profession before you undergo large expenses.
Part II
Information about earning your college degree at home.
Yes it is possible to earn a college degree from home! I am nearing the
end of my trail (search) to get a REAL degree. I expect to have a diploma from Indiana
University within the next 6 months and, know what? I've never seen the campus! And, let
me tell you, I'm going to have one big celebration when that happens.
Here is a brief history of my adventures in academia. Just out of high
school I spent a year at Northern Illinois University which I had to pay for out of my own
funds as my parents were not inclined to spend money for a girl's education! Well,
I've forgiven them and now my mother has a different attitude, I believe, with her
grandchildren.
I went to work at Encyclopedia Britannica and took courses at a nearby
junior college and also at Loyola University in Chicago. About a year later I was
married and my husband and I packed up our very small Pontiac with whatever would fit and
headed west with no particular destination in mind. We wound up in Albuquerque, N.M. where
I enrolled in the University of New Mexico full-time taking a variety of courses including
the sciences because I thought then that I might want to be an biomedical engineer. After
two years we decided to return to Chicago to be closer to our relatives.
Upon returning to Chicago I enrolled at two local junior colleges before I
entered the Illinois Institute of Technology to continue my pursuit of an
engineering degree; I took 8 hours there. Within a year our first child, Nathaniel, was
born. We also bought our first house Chicago's far west side (paid $18,000 for a 3 bedroom
brick bungalow with a full, finished basement in 1975!). That pretty much ended my
"formal" education what with 6 babies following Nathaniel and two more houses on
the horizon.
Seventeen years later I decided that my interrupted quest
for a "real" degree would begin again. By then I had accumulated nearly 200
hours of college credits, but I did not have a parchment in hand because I did not take
enough hours at any one school.(This is an issue I'd like to take up with some academic
people sometime) I simply wanted a degree, and I was determined to get one.
Coincidentally, one of my clients who homeschooled her children gave me a
magazine where I saw a story about a family who had also homeschooled and their children
had obtained degrees from major colleges "at-a-distance." This was a new term
and concept for me so I researched this eagerly. What I found introduced me to the world
of colleges without walls.
There are a number of very legitimate schools that offer distance
education and the list gets longer every year. I am going to get my BGS degree from
Indiana University. They offer correspondence courses. You only need to go somewhere
approved to take your tests. I could have spared myself years of depression (when
tied down at home raising 7 kids) had I known what I know now. To understand this fully
you will have to familiarize yourself with two key words: CLEP and
DANTES.An explanation of these are shown below. And using Peterson's Guide to colleges that offer
distance education is important because you must decide where to start educating yourself.
An Important Ingredient
Regents College in New York state
offers fully accredited degrees in many subject areas. This college is definitely for
independent learners. The college employs a unique approach to obtaining your degree. They
do not offer any courses directly from the college. So, you must take your courses
elsewhere, "challenge" courses, or "test-out" of courses by taking
TESTS administered through Regents College. They accept CLEP,
DANTES and other tests.
I strongly recommend you at least take a look into Regents College. This
might be the perfect road for you, depending on your experience.
Now, read the important information below. I will add more information as
I have time, but if you have a particular question don't hesitate to EMAIL me.
College Credit By Examination
Earning college credits through by-pass examinations is an excellent method of
advancing an individual’s college plan. It speeds progress towards your
degree completion and costs you less to do so. The number of credits you can
earn per exam does vary. There are four major types of examinations available
without charge to active duty and reserve component military personnel. They
are CLEP General Examinations, CLEP Subject Examinations, DANTES Subject Standardized
Tests (DSSTs), and ACT Proficiency Examinations (ACT/PEP).
Passing an exam does not guarantee credit--it must be accepted by a college.
Most colleges accept one or more of these exams. In order to
receive credit for taking the exams, three conditions must be met:
- Scores must be submitted to a college which accepts the exams.
- Scores must meet the minimum standards established by the college.
- Subject matter of the exams taken must be applicable to a degree program offered by the
college.
You are advised to discuss your college/testing plans with your Base Education Guidance
Counselor before testing, and to coordinate your testing plans with your academic advisor
from the school where you are pursuing your degree. Counseling is available
through your Base Education Center to help you determine your plans of action.
Information regarding exams and study guides are available at the Base Education
Center. Additionally, study materials are available at the Base Library, the
Base Exchange and most book stores.
CLEP and DANTES exams are available to active duty military dependents and DOD
civilians on a self-pay basis. Exams are available to others on a self-pay
basis through local college testing centers.
CLEP and DANTES exams are offered free of charge to all active duty and reserve
military, but official transcripts require a handling fee.
Would you be interested in obtaining your bachelor's
degree with a concentration in midwifery? We are actively developing some new ideas and
concepts about this. If interested please EMAIL me
and I will put you on a list of those who want further information.
Chart of the
Legal Status of midwives by State
Legislative Packet from MANA
Schools for the study
of Nurse-Midwife
