When considering which midwife school is the best choice, a prospective student would be well advised to step back and start the search by finding out about licensing in the jurisdiction where they would like to practice. Other considerations for finding a midwife school include whether the school is accredited and the quality of the curriculum. The employment rate among graduates of particular program is another factor to consider.
Each jurisdiction has its own requirements for licensing midwives, and a person who is looking for a midwife school needs to learn about what these requirements are before choosing an educational institution. A school may have a quality curriculum taught by competent instructors, but if it doesn't adequately prepare a student for being accredited, then it's not the right choice. For example, if the jurisdiction only recognizes graduates of a three-year program as certified midwives, then a person considering midwifery as a career should focus her attention on 36-month programs.
The curriculum is another factor that must be considered when looking for a midwifery school. Students in this type of program can expect to take courses in anatomy and physiology as part of their training. Other topics covered in a midwifery program include gynecology, nutrition, human development and chemistry. The midwife will also need to be familiar with laboratory tests that may need to be conducted on her patient. Since a midwife provides care to the mother and newborn after delivery, the curriculum at the midwife school should also include courses covering parent and child bonding, breast feeding and family planning. Prospective midwives will also learn about how to care for a newborn, medical care in the postpartum period, and preventive health as part of their training.
A midwife school should also include clinical experience where students are given hands-on training under the supervision of a fully qualified midwife. Through this process, they learn how to take a patient's history, perform physical examinations and offer support and advice. Part of the clinical training also includes attending at deliveries, first as an assistant and then acting as the main caregiver during the process.
If the midwife school is accredited and offers a quality curriculum to students, the next factor to consider is the placement rate. The institution should have some statistics about how many graduates are able to find work in their field after completing the program and how long it took them to find a job. The school may also have information about how satisfied the graduates were with their experience. This type of anecdotal information can help a prospective midwifery student make the right choice.
