Far more people toy with the idea of midwifery than ever apply. It has all the features of a very attractive career at first glance, and TV programmes like ‘One born every minute*’ while not exactly glamorising the profession, certainly raise it as a possibility in a lot of people’s minds. *(read our resident midwife Emily’s personal account of appearing on the show!)

Most people ‘self-select’ out. They conclude that it would be too hard to do the necessary studying, that the hours wouldn’t fit with family commitments, that they might not be cut out for it emotionally.

But what about you? If you’ve considered those factors and are still keen, let’s look at some other considerations.

Do you have the correct qualifications?

To apply for a midwifery place at uni you need:

Other suitable qualifications:

A wide range of other qualifications may be considered on an individual basis, such as:

Candidates require:

GCSE A-C in five subjects, including English Language, Mathematics and Science equivalent qualification e.g. Functional/Key skills level 2 in numeracy and literacy; Level 2 Applied Science.

Non-native speakers who do not have the equivalent of GCSE English at grade C (e.g. Functional Skills Level 2 Literacy) require an ‘IELTS score’ of 7.0 or equivalent.

If you haven’t got these qualifications, another route is to do a year-long health specific access course. (GCSE Science grade A-C is not required from students undertaking a science or health based access course).

Do have the right experience?

We discuss this in more detail in the page on personal statements.

If you are just finishing school or colleague you may be concerned that you don’t have enough experience to be a credible candidate. Relevant extra activities can definitely help, so use your free time wisely! You may wish to take a year out before applying to uni which will give you plenty of scope for gaining experiences which will support your application. These might be through working in caring professions, volunteering or even travelling (you’ll need to prove you spent your time doing something more worthwhile than bar-hopping for this to count!)

You may be further along in your existing career and looking for a change, or considering a return to work after having a family. Many applicants in these situations have concerns that they don’t have the right sort of experience, or that time spent in the home won’t be regarded favourably. Again, it’s what you do with any extra time plus how you present the evidence of what you have done which will make or break your application.

Don’t worry, with help, even a CV which you feel has little to offer can still have the potential to shine! It just depends on what sort of person you are, how you have used your experience and how you present it. We can offer lots of help with this, click here for more details

Do you have the right personality?

Being caring and compassionate is of course very important. But you also need to be tough, disciplined, methodical, conscientious, fair, assertive, respectful…..the list goes on and on! Many unis will be interested in your approach to working with other people, your dedication to high standards and how you communicate with others.

Are you committed enough?

The first hurdle to becoming a midwife is passing the 3 year course, which involves academic study as well as practical work on placement. Uni tutors will be keen to see evidence of how well you balance your existing priorities and of your approach to studying. This will give them insights into how committed you are likely to be to seeing the course through. It’s worth taking an honest look at your motivation, energy and dedication to study and honestly assessing if you really think you have what it takes.