Program Overview
The Midwifery Education Program is a new and unique program at UBC and the foundation for registered midwives in British Columbia and the western provinces. The program functions as an independent unit within the Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine. It is unique within the Faculty of Medicine as it is the only undergraduate program which prepares graduates for direct entry into practice. It has all of the same responsibilities as a school and is directly funded by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Ministry of Health. This is a full degree-granting program with its own admissions and selections process, responsibilities to the College of Midwives and Midwives Association to meet regulatory and certification guidelines. Because the program represents a newly registered profession in the province, it is also responsible for providing primary clinical faculty development, quality assurance for practicing midwives, and community, inter-professional, and governmental awareness education.
As the only academic centre for midwifery education and practice in British Columbia for a newly regulated health profession, the program also must evaluate and apply evidence to midwifery practice, midwifery contributions to maternity health care, and appropriate health human resource allocation. In addition, the program currently serves as the only resource for the development of future midwifery educators, and development of midwifery research capacity.
If you have questions regarding the Midwifery Education Program at UBC please contact the Curriculum Assistant via e-mail at: curriculum@midwifery.ubc.ca. (July 2009 - Please note that due to staff changes and vacation we are not able to respond to inquiries immediately. Responses may take up to six weeks. Thank you for your patience.)
The Program
The Midwifery Education Program at UBC is a four-year, direct entry, full time undergraduate program leading to a Bachelor of Midwifery degree. The curriculum combines broad-based knowledge and understanding in the humanities and the social and bio-medical sciences. A variety of teaching methods are used, including seminars, laboratories, web-based technology, distance-learning, and clinical preceptorship. This teaching is done in preceptor's offices, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, hospitals and labs throughout the province and in international settings. Students develop the ability to use technical skills as well as theoretical knowledge and current research evidence in their clinical practice as a primary caregiver for childbearing women, newborns, and their families. They also experience pregnancy and childbirth from a number of different cultural perspectives, and gain insight on how birth is both influenced and impacts the society in which it takes place. Students can expect to spend at least three terms gaining clinical experience in midwifery practices anywhere in the province.
The program currently accepts 10 students in each class. Space in the program is limited due to the small number of clinical preceptor sites across the province.
The Curriculum
The curriculum is organized around three overlapping themes: human growth and development, pregnancy and birth transitions, and effective care. Human growth and development encompasses the biological and physiological basis of conception, pregnancy, labour and birth, and the early weeks after birth for both the woman and her baby. The transitions that occur during the period of pregnancy and birth are major. Understanding the magnitude of this experience calls on knowledge from a variety of perspectives including sociological, psychological, anthropological, political and feminist approaches and theory. Effective care links the other two components together in midwifery. Midwifery care requires that midwives work in a relationship with a woman and her family using evidenced-based approaches as well as informed choice and decision-making as a foundation for mutual trust and respect. These three themes structure the more detailed curriculum tapestry that consists of interwoven content and processes.
The Clinical Component
The first two years of study are located on the UBC campus and in the area of the Lower Mainland. The final two years, including the summer between years 3 and 4, consist of clinical courses. Clinical courses consist of classroom and clinical skill intensives, clinical placements and concurrent problem-based weekly tutorials using both teleconference and web-based technologies. Classroom intensives take place in Vancouver.
Beginning in the third term, students complete a sequence of courses and clinical placements that develops their knowledge and skills in the areas of prenatal, labour and birth, and postpartum and newborn care. The final course is a clerkship where students have greater independence and carry a workload similar to that of a full time midwife. Extensive clinical practice is an important component of the curriculum. Students are placed in three to five different clinical settings, with exposure to urban, rural, and international midwifery practice. Students may have to relocate for periods of up to three months to complete their clinicals. Travel and living expenses are the responsibility of the student.
Students are prepared for practice in both high tech and low resource settings (home, hospital, rural, international). The Program puts a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and practice which requires detailed coordination and evaluation with various other departments, professions and institutions. In addition, a quality assurance program including preceptor workshops and evaluation are in place to ensure quality educational experiences for students and currency of the provincial midwives.
Interdisciplinary learning is occurring in several ways in the curriculum. Students are taking Inter-professional Health and Human Service Courses as electives through the College of Health Disciplines as well as recommended and required courses in Biology, Pharmacology, Women’s Studies, Anthropology and Microbiology in other departments.
Research and Learning
Developing research capacity is critical to the establishment, sustainability and success of the Midwifery Education Program at University of British Columbia. Midwifery maternity health care research includes academic and community-based researchers, policy makers, administrators and other key stakeholders working together to achieve a comprehensive understanding of midwifery maternity care and services within the health care system in British Columbia. Creating an environment which fosters investigative and evaluative opportunities within and alongside the curriculum will allow the profession to develop academic midwives and to sustain graduate education in the future.
The Division has established a Midwifery Research Steering Committee (MRSC). The MRSC is responsible for setting the research goals and objectives for UBC Midwifery with the primary responsibility of building an awareness of midwifery maternity care in the province of British Columbia and internationally, and developing a research capacity within the Division. The MRSC collaborates with the Research Manager for the strategic planning, infrastructure development, and co-ordination of research support for this new midwifery educational program. Committee priorities also include planning, managing, coordinating, and disseminating midwifery research projects and events within the community of university and community researchers. The core research team is located in Vancouver, however investigators are spread across British Columbia and collaborations exist with researchers and health care practitioners in other Canadian provinces and territories and international jurisdictions. The MRSC represents UBC Midwifery at national public and professional venues, and to international midwifery maternity health care research partners. Several successful research projects have already been originated and completed by the Division and others are ongoing. The research program and team are funded by various institutes and have been institutionally supported through the University of British Columbia, Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine.
If you have questions regarding the research initiatives within the Midwifery Educational Program please contact the Research Manager via e-mail at: patricia.birch@midwifery.ubc.ca.