Our Students
“Clients are important teachers for midwifery students. The midwifery student should make a client’s care even better.”
Thames Valley Midwives is a teaching practice that provides clinical placements for students of the Ontario University Midwifery Education Program (MEP) and is a bridging program for midwives who are internationally trained (known as the International Midwifery Pre-Registration Program – IMPP).
Midwifery students of the MEP study over a total of four years to gain a degree in Midwifery. Their placements are an essential part of their education, and is how they gain the experience necessary to become an excellent midwife, once they graduate.
Students with varying skill levels work closely with our midwives over an extended period of time, allowing clients to become familiar with them as they participate in hands-on learning. Depending on a student’s skill level, your midwife will make an assessment on how much direct supervision your allocated student will require. Your midwife will always be responsible for your care. Our experienced midwives are skilled in assessing the needs of our students, and work closely with them to achieve an exceptional level of service to our clients.
Midwives who are completing the IMPP program, are already trained midwives and have a 14-16 week placement to complete with competency assessment and bridge any gaps they may have between where they practiced midwifery before and midwifery in Canada.
Because these co operative work/study experiences result in more midwives for Ontario and beyond, we encourage you to allow students to participate in your care. Ontario is lacking in the number of midwives available to provide care to families desperately seeking midwifery care. Currently, our practice turns away approximately 500-600 pregnant families per year; our wait list continues to grow each year.
As we want all of our families to feel comfortable in midwifery care, we fully support your wishes to decline student involvement in any aspect of your care, should you not wish to participate in this program.
Students At Thames Valley Midwives
Hey! I’m Emma. I am excited to complete my final year of the midwifery program at Thames Valley Midwives. I was born into the hands of midwives and grew up hearing great things about midwifery care. I am honoured to be a part of people’s pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience – something so intimate and life changing. When I’m not studying or midwifing, you can find me working at a bakery, reading lit-fic, or enjoying the beautiful waters of Lake Huron.
FAQ:
What are the benefits of having a student?
- The student will give labour support, information and extra time
- The student will be an extra pair of helping hands so that there is more time to spend with you
Will the student be at all of my visits?
- The student will be at as many of your visits as possible so that you can get to know each other
Will the student be at my birth? What will she be doing?
- The student will usually be at your birth
- The student may be watching, helping to take care of you, or catching your baby. The midwife teacher will show her how to care for you and your baby
What if the student doesn’t know how to do something?
- The student will ask the midwife teacher for help and say they do not know
Placements
Midwifery Placement One:
The student learns how to care for clients during pregnancy, labour, birth and after the birth. When students are with clients, the midwife teacher is always with the student. The student learns how to perform clinical skills and provide information. The midwife teacher shows the student how to support the client during birth.
Midwifery Placement Two:
The student acts more and more as the midwife, but they always have the midwife teacher nearby.
Midwifery Placement Three:
By this time, the student is expected to have a vast knowledge base with regard to all aspects of pregnancy, birth and after birth. The student can do much more of the care of the client and baby with the midwife teacher nearby.
Clerkship:
In the last course, the student must show that they can give all the care for the client and the baby from the beginning of pregnancy, during labour and birth, and after the birth. The student will be the midwife, but the midwife teacher is always near.
