Midwifwery Education Program Objectives and Philosophy

The purpose of the Baystate Midwifery Education Program is to prepare you to be a competent clinician who:

• is eligible to take the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) certification examination
• is committed to providing care to all women, with a particular emphasis on meeting the health care needs of vulnerable populations
• will contribute to improving the health care system for women and families through practice and involvement in quality improvement, community and professional activities.

Our program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME).

Program objectives

As a graduate of the Baystate Midwifery Education Program, you will be able to:

1. Utilize a family-centered approach in accordance with the management framework process, principles and skills to:
   
   1. Manage the primary, reproductive and gynecologic health care of essentially healthy women
   2. Collaboratively manage the primary, reproductive and gynecologic health care of women with obstetrical, gynecological or medical complications
   3. Manage the care of the normal newborn;
2. Provide relevant patient education to foster health promotion and disease prevention in an understandable and culturally appropriate format
3. Assume responsibility for your own professional growth and for fostering the professional growth of other midwives
4. Work effectively with diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic populations
5. Develop and evaluate midwifery services targeted to improve health care delivery for women.
6. Achieve certification by the American Midwifery Certification Board

Review our Course of Study.

Our philosophy

The faculty and staff of the Division of Midwifery and Community Health, in congruence with the philosophy of UMass Chan Medical School, believe that formal education represents only a part of the learning continuum, and that the primary aim of midwifery education is to provide an experience that will enable students to become caring, knowledgeable, and competent clinicians.

The curriculum is designed to be challenging and to stimulate active learning, logical analysis, and critical thinking, rather than rote learning. While the faculty provide educational opportunities, the student is responsible for their own education and learning both while in school and after graduation. The faculty and staff believe students learn best in an environment that recognizes individual strengths; motivates; and fosters individual growth and self-confidence.

We honor midwifery’s long history caring for diverse and marginalized populations and strive to educate midwives who will continue this commitment. We recognize diversity and inclusion in midwifery education is necessary for effectively addressing the needs all communities.

We also fully embrace the philosophy of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

In addition, we adhere to Baystate Health's mission to improve the health of the people in our communities every day with quality and compassion.

Commitment to social justice work

The Baystate Midwifery Education Program is committed to standing up against racism and discrimination.

We are committed to providing an environment in which all students are respected for the individual differences and varied backgrounds they bring to their education. We welcome students regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, language preference, religious belief, or immigration status.

We are also committed to fostering a culture of equity, inclusion, sensitivity, humility, support, and respect for all students, faculty, staff, patients and their families. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia have no place in our education program or in the larger community of Baystate Medical Center. There will be opportunities throughout the program to engage in education on the topics of racism, bias, and its detrimental effects on health.

Baystate Midwifery Education Program is part of the larger Baystate Health community, and working together, we can decrease disparities in the lives of our patients, students and colleagues of color.