Wanting to be a midwife has been described by some as a ‘calling’
Some, fall into midwifery by having a baby and feeling that being a midwife is for them, or watching Call the Midwife and become inspired.
If you are lucky enough to know what you want to do when you’re at school, then you are ahead of so many people that try other jobs and then find that midwifery was always their passion.
When applying for midwifery while at school, current midwifery students say that they were concerned about their age being an issue when applying. They were worried that university would think they were ‘too young’ or ‘lacking life experience’. In reality you are not a better midwife for having your own children, from having a life full of experience or having worked several jobs.
Being a midwife comes from passion, dedication and a wish to make women’s experience of pregnancy and childbirth better. Age has nothing to do with this, but how do you get this across on your application?
From my experience of mentoring students of different ages and being on the interview panel, my advice would be:
- Midwifery is so competitive – so you need to make your application stand out.
Your grades may be excellent and your tutor may give you a glowing report, but what makes you different from some of the applicants that may have more experience then you? - We don’t expect you to know everything about midwifery (after all that’s what the degree is for!) – but read around topical issues, understand what’s important now and what you could talk about in your interview.
- Understanding what it is like to be a midwife, many hospitals offer volunteering opportunities, so contact your local hospital. If that’s not possible then think outside the box, are there breastfeeding groups you go to or any other local midwifery related groups?
Are there any other support groups that you are interested in that you could find out more about? These opportunities are difficult to find, so don’t worry if you are not able to find one. - Look at what you can offer, your skills and attributes. You could have a part time job in a tea room, a supermarket or have a younger sibling, everything has aspects that are transferrable to midwifery. You need to write this down, highlight this in your personal statement.
