Study midwifery abroad

The role of midwife is one of the most vital in any society. As a midwife, you provide the essential care, advice and support for women and their families during pregnancy, labor and early stages after birth. It’s a demanding and rewarding career where you can play a key role in one of the most important experiences in a person’s life.

The study of midwifery abroad will help you develop all the technical and personal skills you need to practice as a midwife. Most programs have strict entry criteria, for example you usually need good grades in subjects like biology, and to show you have the personal qualities required to be a midwife. Midwifery programs are available all over the world but do your research before you choose which country to study in. For example, you may need a bachelor’s degree before you can study midwifery in some countries like the USA, whereas many others offer it at undergraduate level.

The type of midwifery degree programs available differ depending on where in the world you study. For example, in countries like the UK and Australia you can study it at undergraduate level as a BSc or BMid (Bachelor of Midwifery) over three years.

Make sure the program you study is accredited by the country’s governing body, for example the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the UK. This should allow you to work as a midwife at home and abroad once you graduate, but you may also need to register with the body of the country you want to work in.

In the US, it can take up to eight years to qualify, as you will need to first complete a bachelor’s in nursing, followed by one year’s nursing experience before you can study a midwifery program.

Midwifery courses can be demanding, and you can spend as much of your time on hospital wards as in the classroom. You will work on placements where you will be able to observe specialists and get hands-on experience, and you’ll be assessed through coursework, exams, presentations and clinical practice.

Some of the core modules and areas you can expect to study on a midwifery degree program include:

• Introduction to midwifery
• Antenatal care
• Postnatal care
• Labor and birth
• Professional development and communication
• Clinical skills for practice
• Midwifery care for complex needs
• Laws and ethics
• Caseload practice
• Midwife emergencies

As a vocational degree, most midwifery graduates go on to work as practicing midwives. However, there are different areas you could choose to work in. Here are some of the jobs you can pursue as a midwifery graduate:

• Midwife
• Community midwife
• Birthing partner
• Health visitor
• Birthing teacher
• Community worker
• Health writer
• Nurse

Remember that you will need to register with the midwifery governing body of the country you want to work in before you can start practicing. It’s also possible to continue your education and study a master’s in midwifery or a related subject.