Training to become a Midwife

People arrive at a career in midwifery from varied backgrounds and by varied pathways. The NHS is an equal opportunity provider and accepts applications regardless of age, gender, disability, religion, ethnic group or nationality. Men are welcome to apply and there are practising male midwives. The UK requires a diverse network of midwives to reflect the country's diverse population.

Useful links:

• www.nhs.uk/careers (visit this website for more detailed information on careers within the NHS)
• www.rcm.org.uk (visit the Royal College of Midwives website for more information on entering a career in midwifery)


How do you train to become a midwife?

There are two routes to qualification as a midwife:

• Direct pre-registration; a 3-4 year diploma or degree programme in midwifery.
• Post registration; an 18 month top-up programme for Registered Adult Nurses

All courses are organised to give you both the theoretical background and hands-on practical experience with women and their families.


What are the entry requirements?

The minimum entry qualifications for a diploma course is five GCSE (or equivalent) A-C grades, to include English Language, Maths and one science subject. A number of other alternative qualifications are accepted and include:

• Double Award Vocational A level
• NVQ level 3
• BTEC National
• Access to Higher Education course

Admission to the diploma route is made through the Nursing and Midwifery Admissions Service. (See www.nmas.ac.uk ). You receive a Diploma and a Registered Midwife qualification.

The minimum requirement for degree courses is two A levels ((200 UCAS tariff points). Science is one of the preferred subjects. Application to the degree route is through UCAS. (See www.ucas.com). You will gain a degree and Registered Midwife qualification.

Entry requirements are broad and variable. To encourage applicants from a variety of backgrounds, institutions will consider alternative qualifications to those listed here. Experience and personal qualities count for much. Mature students should be able to demonstrate recent study. As each university has its own selection criteria, it can be useful to seek advice direct from a university admissions department or at an open day.

Contact individual institutions directly with queries on entry requirements-see 'Useful Links'.


Do courses vary between universities?

As far as programme content goes, there is little variation between institutions as professional registration has standard study requirements. Wherever you study you can expect to follow modules in:

• anatomy and physiology
• behavioural science
• clinical midwifery skills
• nutrition, infant feeding
• handling complexities in childbirth
• sociology
• psychology
• law, ethics
• research skills

However, there may be variation in methods of teaching and assessment between the institutions. Some institutions assess solely through assignments whilst others have examinations. Problem based learning has been adopted by some institutions and has a particular teaching and learning philosophy. For clinical practice, some programmes require you to experience working in 2 or 3 different hospitals, others send to you to just one for the duration of the course. View the universities' own websites for specific programme information.

As a student you can expect to spend 50% of your time at university and 50% on clinical placements. The first months will most likely be in the university. The course really is full-time and you will have to make up any missed clinical hours or teaching sessions. There are no exceptions as the university must comply with NMC guidelines. In the clinical setting - ward, delivery suite, community - you will have a mentor. You'll be expected to follow their shift pattern, which may well include nights, weekends, and on-call. Some placements are observational, others will be assessed by your mentor and a link lecturer. As the course progresses, you'll be expected to work with increasing independence. Other clinical placements may include: Special Care Baby Unit, Theatre, Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit, Antenatal Day Assessment, but again this will vary with the institution. You may also have the opportunity to arrange an elective placement, where you can develop and further your own clinical interests.