The field of midwifery involves professionals who work with birthing people and their families during the perinatal year. Midwives provide practical guidance, assistance during births, and resources on natural ways to care for newborns and their families.
This profession is different from becoming an OBGYN, as midwives often see their clients outside of traditional healthcare settings and they do not assist in high-risk births the same way that OBGYNs do. However, midwives fill a critical role in perinatal care, as they can provide more inclusive and personalized care to their clients, and they work to break down barriers to healthcare and make the birthing process one that bestows dignity and agency for birthing people.
Midwives feel a unique sense of pride and satisfaction when they contribute to their communities.
Understanding Your Goals and Needs When Searching for Midwifery Schools
Midwifery is a diverse and varied field, so even within the broader context of helping birthing people, there are variations in how midwives work. Identifying your career objectives in this field is crucial. Choosing what type of practice you want to work in and where you want to work are both things that can help guide your midwifery school decision.
Other important details you need to consider when searching for schools are lifestyle factors like program length, location and flexibility. If you’re going back to school, you likely have more responsibilities than you did as an undergraduate student, so finding a school that matches your current needs for your schedule and commitments is vital.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Midwifery Program
There are some metrics you should look for in every program you consider, no matter the location:
Accreditation: It’s essential to select an accredited program so you have credibility when you graduate and peace of mind about the quality of your education while you’re in school
Curriculum: You want to ensure the program’s curriculum aligns with the latest industry standards and your learning preferences. Accreditation can help with this, but it’s essential to research the program’s courses and see if they align with current best practices. Choosing a program that offers classes in any niches or concentrations you’re interested in within the midwifery field is also essential.
Clinical Training: Beyond your courses, look for programs with robust clinical training. This will give you practical, hands-on experience to take into your midwifery career.
Faculty Expertise: Who teaches your courses and advises your internships matters. Look for programs with esteemed and recognized faculty who have experience in the sectors of midwifery you’re most interested in working in. These faculty can also connect you with those in the industry, so looking for a school with strong professors and a robust alumni network is critical.
Student Support and Resources
Ensuring your chosen institution has adequate student support services can make your graduate degree experience easier. Look for programs with support services like mentoring, career counseling and academic assistance.
Other crucial student support services include having access to comprehensive resources like libraries, research opportunities, student organizations and more. Seeing that your school prioritizes these supports is a good sign that they value students beyond their academic performance or what they can do for their enrollment rates.
Alumni Network and Midwifery Job Opportunities
As we covered earlier, choosing a school with an active and supportive alum network can help your professional journey. You’ll have access to alum mentors and graduates working in different concentrations of midwifery so you can better understand what the day-to-day might look like for you in various roles.
Alum connections can also help you have references and contacts with midwifery practices, leading to potential job placements.
Bastyr University's Midwifery Program
Bastyr University approaches wellness and healthcare justice from a whole-person perspective. That view is the same in our Master of Science in Midwifery program, where we work with students to train them in the best practices of midwifery, keep them up-to-date on field developments, and empower them to bring competent, compassionate work to their communities.
Our accredited Master of Science in Midwifery program houses a comprehensive holistic and science-based care curriculum. Students also have clinical training opportunities and interact with expert faculty throughout the program. Courses include:
- Genetics and Embryology
- Perinatal Nutrition
- Counseling for the Childbearing Year
- Professional Issues Seminar: Midwifery Legal, Ethical and Professional Framework
- Challenges in Practice
Understanding the Broader Impact: Becoming a Midwife
There are enduring health disparities in perinatal care. Midwives provide holistic, justice-driven care for those marginalized and discriminated against by the traditional healthcare systems.
Our program prepares students to serve families within their community, ensuring they look back on their birth experience feeling empowered and respected. Graduates will know how to care for clients with normal, low-risk pregnancies, labors and postpartum periods, and routine newborn care.
To learn more about how midwifery addresses health disparities and provides perinatal care for birthing people, download our guide to Midwifery and Maternal-Child Health Systems.
Choosing the right midwifery program is crucial to your career success and aptitude for joining a graduate midwifery program. For a program that wants to watch you thrive as a student and a person, choose Bastyr University’s Master of Science in Midwifery.
