Midwives who are certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) are prepared to provide prenatal care, labor and delivery management, postpartum care, well-woman gynecologic care, and primary health care to essentially normal, healthy women and to care for normal newborns. The increasing demand for midwifery services throughout the United States has created practice opportunities within a variety of clinical settings. Midwives work in private or group practices, birth centers, health maintenance organizations, hospitals, and ambulatory care centers. Although certified midwives are independent practitioners, they consult and collaborate with physicians when women in their care develop complications. They also initiate referrals as appropriate.
The Midwifery Program is a graduate level program that prepares students to become safe beginning practitioners in accordance with the standards established by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. The program accepts individuals with a variety of professional and educational backgrounds including, but not limited to, Registered Nurses and other health care providers who wish to become midwives. Students may be eligible for one of two tracks: The Master of Science (MS) in Midwifery (52-56.5 credits) or the Advanced Certificate in Midwifery (40 credits).
The Advanced Certificate track is available only to students who enter the program with a graduate degree in a related field at the discretion of the Midwifery Program faculty.
Graduates of either of the tracks are eligible to take the national certifying examination administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).
The Masters track is a three-year program and the Advanced Certificate in a two-year program. Students who are health providers, such as Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners, may take certain courses with permission of the faculty via challenge mechanisms and possibly do the program in a shorter time.
The Midwifery Program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).
Suite 1230, 8403 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: 240- 485-1803
acme@acnm.org; www.midwife.org/acme
State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
2000 Duke St., Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314Tel: 240- 485-1803
support@theacme.org
