Becoming a Midwife

This is a long overdue update on what has happened regarding my search and applications for midwife school. Many knew that I was applying to a school in Portland, Oregon and was supposed to hear in January whether I got accepted. I felt that my chances were good, my interview went great, I way over-fulfilled their prerequisites and optional classes...So I was really HOPING to receive a letter of acceptance, but was also ok with a rejection letter. What I was NOT expecting was a letter saying that they were no longer considering my application and were throwing it out because they think I "falsified" information on my application. Crazy. I was rather shocked when I pulled the letter out of the mailbox and read it. It included statements on how they think I purposely tried to lie and mislead them about what I've done and accomplished. It felt very insulting.

So I had a couple days of awfulness. Trying to sort through what happened. Realizing that I would not be moving soon back to Oregon. I wrote an email to the school trying to clarify things and hoped to receive some kind of response back, but it has been a month and I've heard nothing. I know there are good people at that school, I don't want to down on it, but whatever happened in their assessment of me and my application feels very wrong. Through the whole process over the last 6 months I've always had positive responses from them, so what bothers me the most is that they never communicated with me and just jumped to the conclusion that I was lying to them and didn't even tell me till the point that I was hoping for an acceptance letter. Even when I flew out for an interview in person, it was all very encouraging and positive. I can't help if they choose not to believe me.

Good things come, though, from something that seems negative.

I started searching for schools again and found a Christian-based midwifery school that is in the Philippines! I was a little wary at first, but after checking it out and finding that it is fully accredited through the US and offers degrees, I got more excited about it. The program is specifically for training midwives to work in underdeveloped countries which is right where my heart is. So I've just finished my application for that school...and seeing where it takes me! I'm trusting that where God wants me, it will happen.

"According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of the World’s Midwifery Report, Up to 3.6 million deaths could be avoided each year in 58 developing countries if midwifery services are upgraded.

The study, The State of the World’s Midwifery 2011, estimates that an additional 112,000 midwives need to be deployed in 38 countries to meet their target to achieve 95 per cent coverage of births by skilled attendants by 2015, as required under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Globally, 350,000 midwives are still lacking, it says.

The report, launched at the Triennial Congress of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Durban, South Africa, says if adequate facilities were accessible to deal with complications at their onset, many deaths could be averted: 61 per cent of all maternal deaths; 49 per cent of all stillbirths; and three in every five newborn deaths.

The report adds that if midwives are in place and can refer the most severe complications to specialized care, up to 90 per cent of maternal deaths could be prevented."

Midwife International "The Global Call for Midwives"