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Frequently Asked Questions for Prospective StudentsPlease click here for a complete listing of ACNM Division of Accreditation (DOA) accredited education programs.
Q. How can I learn more about what it's like to be a midwife? We encourage persons interested in becoming a midwife to spend some time with a local midwife, learning about the profession, practice settings, and prospects for the future. Use our Find-a-Midwife search engine to locate a midwife in your local community. In addition, there are a number of books that are either written by midwives about their lives or include interviews with midwives, that will provide a picture of the ife of a midwife. (See our selected reading list.) Q. What kind of courses should I be taking in college to prepare myself for a career in midwifery? It is best to have a thorough grounding in basic sciences, such as chemistry, biology, and microbiology. In addition, courses in sociology and women's studies will be very helpful for a career in midwifery. Majoring in nursing is probably the most efficient route for a career in midwifery. Q. What are the minimum requirements to get into a nurse-midwifery education program? All programs accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives Division of Accreditation (ACNM DOA) require a Bachelor's degree for entry. Many also require that applicants be a Registered Nurse, although 22 programs currently have options for non-nurses. Many programs require that the Bachelor's degree be in nursing. Most programs have a limited number of spaces to admit new students each year because of the intensive faculty to student ratio needed to graduate quality nurse-midwives and midwives. It is, therefore, not unheard of for a prospective student not to be accepted the first time she/he applies to a nurse-midwifery or midwifery education program. Contact the program you are interested in directly about specific program prerequisites. (See our list of accredited programs and contact information.) Q. What kind of salary does a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) or Certified Midwife (CM) make? CNM salaries vary widely based on geographic region, responsibility and experience level. A number of variables can affect salaries for CNMs and CMs including: type of practice setting (private practice, hospital, birth center, home birth, health clinic), geographic part of the country, type of location (urban or rural), benefits packages offered with salary, hours worked per week, and type of care provided (full-scope of women's health services, pre-natal care, gynecologic care, etc.) A summary of the results can be found in the most recent ACNM salary survey. Q. What are the job opportunities for CNMs and CMs? CNMs and CMs work in a variety of settings including private practices, hospitals, birth centers, health clinics, and home birth services. The numbers and types of opportunities available to new graduates often depend on the individual's work preference and vary across the country and in different locations (urban or rural). Visit the online midwifery career center at www.MidwifeJobs.com. Because there is only one education program producing Certified Midwives (CMs), there are relatively few CMs in practice, and the CM credential is only recognized in three states (New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island). Therefore, job opportunities for this profession are rather limited across the country and most CMs are practicing in New York. Q. What type of degree will I receive upon graduation? The type of academic credit and certificate or degree awarded may be different for each program. By 2010, all programs will award a MS or MSN degree; a number of graduate programs are beginning to offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree; some programs offer a Master's completion option for CNMs who do not have Master's degrees; and several programs offer a post-graduate certificate option for those advanced practice nurses who want to expand their practice to include midwifery. Upon graduation from an American College of Nurse-Midwives Division of Accreditation (ACNM DOA) accredited program, individuals are eligible to take the national certifying exam offered by the American Midwifery Certification Board. Upon successful completion of this exam, individuals are granted a Certificate in either Nurse-Midwifery or Midwifery. Q. What if I'm NOT a nurse but DO have a Bachelor's degree?
Becoming a nurse, either prior to or concurrent with the midwifery education, offers the most flexibility for practice. One can do that by applying to one of the many programs that combine nursing and midwifery. Combined programs typically last 3 years. (See our list of combined programs.) Another option is to attend a two-year nursing program, either an Associate's degree program or a second Bachelor's degree program, and then attend one of the accredited midwifery/nurse-midwifery education programs. Q. What if I AM a nurse, but do NOT have a bachelor's degree? Individuals who are Registered Nurses, but do not have a Bachelor's degree, may become Certified Nurse-Midwives either by completing a BSN or Bachelor's in another field, then attending a Master's midwifery program. Many accredited nurse-midwifery programs are in schools of nursing that offer bridge programs to facilitate progression through the Bachelor's degree in nursing to midwifery and the Master's degree. (See our list of bridge programs.)
Q. What if I'm NOT a nurse and I do NOT have a Bachelor's degree?
For an individual who is neither an RN nor has a Bachelor's degree, obtaining a BSN is probably the most efficient route with the most flexibility. Q. What if I don't want to become a nurse? There is currently one ACNM DOA accredited education program for non-nurse midwives.. After completing this program, the student will be eligible to take the same certification exam that students of nurse-midwifery programs take. The credential that the midwifery student will earn after passing the exam is Certified Midwife (CM). Currently, CMs are licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. SUNY Downstate considers applicants who are non-nurses from a variety of backgrounds. Q. What are the differences between a certificate and Master's degree when I try to find employment? As a clinical provider, there is no difference between a certificate or Master's prepared nurse-midwife, or a graduate of a nurse-midwifery or midwifery education program. However, the number of states or employers who require nurse-midwives to be Master's prepared in order to practice is increasing, and by 2010, all graduates of midwifery education programs will be required to have a Master's degree in order to be eligible to take the national certifying exam offered by the American Midwifery Certification Board. Q. What are the differences between a master's degree and the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree when I try to find employment? The DNP is a very new degree and it is not clear whether or not employers will offer any salary differential for this degree. Although several schools of nursing in which nurse-midwifery education programs reside are beginning to offer the DNP degree, ACNM will not be requiring the DNP as an entry to practice midwifery. Q. Are midwifery programs rated or ranked in any kind of order or preference? No. All nurse-midwifery and midwifery education programs must meet the ACNM DOA criteria in order to receive preaccreditation or accreditation status. Unique features or aspects of the individual education programs may better suit individual learning styles, but do not mean that program graduates are "better" or "more competent" CNMs or CMs. Q. What if there isn't an education program near me? Nurse-midwifery and midwifery education programs have been in the forefront of expanding access to education. Many education programs offer distance learning options to students on a state, regional or national basis, for both academic course work and/or clinical experience. These programs meet the ACNM DOA criteria to receive preaccreditation or accreditation status. They are identified as either "fully distance" or "partially distance" in the list of accredited programs. Q. Why are some programs preaccredited while others are accredited? Preaccreditation and accreditation status do not denote which programs are better than others. Nurse-midwifery and midwifery education programs must receive preaccreditation status before they can admit students who will be eligible to take the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) national certification exam upon graduation, and before the program can receive accreditation status. After a preaccredited program has graduated its first class, the program is eligible to receive accreditation status from the ACNM DOA. The Criteria for Preaccreditation and the Criteria for Accreditation are virtually the same requirements. Q. What kind of labor and delivery experience is required and for how long before Nurse-midwifery and midwifery education programs differ on whether or not labor and delivery experience is necessary before applying to the education program. Contact the individual program(s) you are interested in directly. (See our list of accredited programs and contact information.) Q. Can I study midwifery in another country and come back to the U.S. to practice as a CNM or CM? It is possible to do this, but it will be very difficult to then meet the requirements for practice in the U.S. Please refer to the publication: Information for Foreign Educated Midwives and Nurse-Midwives. Q. Can a man be a certified nurse-midwife or certified midwife? Yes. Approximately 2% of CNMs are men who find this as highly rewarding a career choice as their female colleagues. |
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