Iona the Midwife runs

These tips are based on my own experiences and circumstance. I am no expert but if you need any advice let me know

1. Make the most of your holidays!

This might seem like a weird one but this applies to before you start your degree and during your degree. This might mean working to make some money or spending time with family. Either way make sure you’re not trying to cram revision in- you’ll have plenty of time for that during your degree. You won’t get holidays like these while your working in the NHS so make sure you make the most of this time!

2. Get bits to get excited

Starting Midwifery is exciting and getting through the application process is a big achievement! If you want to reward yourself with useful bits that will get you excited to start. This will look different to everyone whether it is a bag or a badge holder. Some Midwifery-specific bits I can recommend are: birth counters and milestone cards

3. Get less exciting bits to get organised

There are lots of bits that aren’t the most exciting to get but are so useful. Pens are a must and they seem to disappear so get a few. Scissors and tape are useful but no essential. Think about what you want for Uni and what you want for placement ,e.g. deodorant for placement bag.

4. You don’t need to buy loads of books

You don’t need a lot of things before starting Uni but especially not books. Your university may give you a list of books and it might be useful to buy a few of those but apart from that a lot is either online or in your university library.

5. Believe in yourself and build your support network

Well done! You’ve got this far and this is just the start! There are no two ways about it a Midwifery degree for so many reasons is hard(not to scare anyone, anything too easy usually isn’t worth doing) so you’ll need support. Support could be your family, friends and partner. It’s also useful to look at who else is starting your course to make connections and some of these people might end up being your friends for life.

These tips are only based on my experiences. I secured a place on a Midwifery degree in 2017. This was before MMIs(Multiple Mini Interviews) were introduced. I attended 3 interviews while applying. I have also been part of interviews while in my 3rd year at University

1. Each University Interview is different

In each of the 3 interviews I attended they were completely different. The basis of all of them tended to be: a maths and English test, a group interview and a personal interview. The difficulty of the maths and English test can vary massively (I failed one of my maths tests) so always try to look for past tests online or from the University. In terms of the interviews I looked online for all the different questions coming up in different interviews and made flash cards to brainstorm my answers. Remember the university wants to know you fit with them.

2. Show you know what Midwifery is

If I could only give one tip this would be it! You would be surprised how many people going to interview don’t understand the role of a Midwife. Midwives look mainly after women rather than babies. You might be asked this in interview or something similar like ‘What does a Midwife do in a day’. Showing your understanding of Midwifery should be the focus of your interview. If you want to know more about Midwifery use Ellie Durant’s book ‘Becoming a Student Midwife. The Survival Guide For Passionate Applicants’ (it was my bible while applying.

3. Apply your experience to Midwifery

It is the ultimate cheesy line but ‘No one else is you’. No one else has lived your experiences whatever they are. Midwifery is a patchwork of strong, caring people from every walk of life you can think of. You don’t have to have hospital experience to apply for it to be valuable. It could be your studies, your past jobs or your personal experience. The value in each experience is how you APPLY it to Midwifery. Just telling your interviewers your experiences doesn’t communicate your understanding of the value behind that experience. For example, a part time job can show your commitment and ability to work in a team. I made a list of my main experiences and the skills they helped me demonstrate specific to Midwifery. Remember the interviewers might not be the people who reviewed your personal statement so if you’ve written something important about your experiences make sure to say it as well

4. Show you know research and key terms

Showing you know the climate of Midwifery is also really important. Retention in Midwifery as a degree course and profession is poor and interviewers want to know you know the current climate. Reading research can be a great way to show you understand the reality of the profession, e.g. Better Births Report, MBRACE reports and Francis Report. Key terms are also a great way of showing you know about the atmosphere ,e.g. MDT(Multi Disciplinary Team).

5. Hang in there and good luck!

Midwifery is a highly competitive course and it is hard! Know yourself and why you want to be a Midwife. It doesn’t have to be a grand answer but just enough to keep you going. We need strong, compassionate student Midwives and failing an interview doesn’t mean you won’t be just that. Interviews are strategic and you can have all the perfect qualities but might not be showing yourself off. Good luck to you all!

5 Tips for Starting a Midwifery Degree

5 Tips for Degree Midwifery Interviews