Click here for for more information on the core curriculum required by the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act (LMPA). If you would like additional information on routes of entry into midwifery, including suggestions on how to get started, please go to: Pathways Into Midwifery
Please take a few moments to answer the following questions. When you are done, please copy the whole text and click here: info@socalbirth.org, paste your text into body of message and send. In subject line write: "Survey". You can also print this out, write in your answers and send or fax to the address at the bottom of the page.
About Our Proposed Program:
The Wholistic Midwifery School of Southern California proposes to be a 4 to 5 year program combining academic and clinical training taught by midwives and other allied health professionals. The course of study will be based those required by the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act (LMPA) and the core competencies for midwifery practice as established by Midwives Alliance of North America.
In addition, students will be exposed to complimentary modalities including Oriental Medicine, Chiropractic, Yoga, Homeopathy and Herbology, etc. as they pertain to well-woman, maternity and postpartum care.
We will also offer Childbirth Assistant, Childbirth Educator, Postpartum Doula and Lactation Educator Certifications.
There will pre-requisites for admission to the program including college level anatomy and physiology and biology. You will not need to have a college degree (although a high school diploma or G.E.D. will be required), nor will you need to be a nurse to be admitted to the program, although prior work in the field of maternity care (as a doula, childbirth educator, etc.) is recommended.
The course of instruction will be three years of academic instruction plus clinical instruction and experience (in local midwifery or gynecology practices) in each year, culminating in an Internship in the fourth (and possibly fifth) year(s) as a primary midwife under supervision of a Licensed Midwife, Certified Nurse-Midwife, or Medical Doctor with current knowledge in the field of obstetrics. The Internship may or may not be in Southern California. Internships may exist in other states and countries. The Internship will take place in home, birth center, clinical and foreign-country hospital settings. After completing this process, you will be eligible for California state licensure.
1. If such a program existed in Southern California, would you enroll?
2. What is your educational level? Check one:
Didn't complete high school
High school graduate, no college
High school graduate, some college, at community college
High school graduate, some college at 4-year institution, didn't graduate
Some college
Topics Studied:
College Graduate
Degree Earned (A.A., B.A., B.S):
Major:
Post-Baccalureate Work, No Master's Degree
Subjects Studied:
Master's Degree
Major:
Doctorate or Post-Doctorate
Major:
3. What is your previous experience in the field of maternity care? List any certifications or professional licenses you have:
4. What is your understanding of what a midwife is? What does a midwife do?
5. What is your understanding of the difference between midwives and doctors? Between midwives and doulas?
6.What, in your understanding is "The Midwifery Model of Maternity Care"?
7. Where do midwives work?
8. There are other allied maternity care professions besides midwifery and obstetrical nursing and obstetric medicine, such as labor doula, monitrice, midwife's assistant, lactation educator, postpartum doula. Are you interested in any of these professions as well? Which ones? Would you certify for these with our program?
9. What is your age?
10. What is your ethnicity ? (Black, White, Asian, Native American, Latina, Multi-Cultural-Specify, etc.). What country were you born in? Are you a U.S. Citizen? If not, what country are you a citizen of?
10. In what city and state and country do you reside? If out of Los Angeles area, would you relocateto attend WMSSC?
11. What is your annual family income?
12. How many children do you have? Where they born? (Hospital, birth center, home) and State where they were born. Did you use a midwife for your care? Was she a LM, CNM or CPM or Lay Midwife? If a midwife didn't attend your birth, did you have an obstetrician?
13. Would you use a midwife for your next birth? Why or Why Not?
14. Would you use a midwife for your gynecology care? Why or Why Not?
15. How much money per year would you consider reasonable to pay for a full-time midwifery training program that included didatic instruction and clinical training?
16. Would you apply for Federal Financial Aid (loans, scholarships) if were you eligible?
17. Is graduating from a Department of Education Accredidted or California- Accredited School an important factor for you when deciding on which midwifery school to attend? Why? or Why Not?
18. What are the most important factors you will consider when choosing a midwifery school?
19. What is your Marital Status? (married, single, divorced, separated)
20. What area of Los Angeles County would you like to see the school located?
21. What is your reason for wanting to become a midwife?
21. What are your plans once you have obtained your California midwifery license?
22. What setting would you like to practice? Homebirth, Birth Center, Clinic, Hospital, Other Setting (specify)?
23. In what community and state do you plan to work as a midwife?
24. Is there a specific community you would like to serve (i.e, Native Americans, The Hare Krisna Religious Community, etc.)?
Contact Information (Optional):