Baystate Medical Center Midwifery Program

Hey there! So I haven't attended this program but ill tell you what I know about it. I attended the information session recently and really loved the director and was also impressed by the sound of the clinical component. The program however, does not offer any financial aid (no govt/private loans or scholarships). There is a local credit union which may be an option (one of their current students has loans through them) but it sounds less than ideal for me (you must have a residence in the area, you have to make payments on the loan monthly while in school and you can't borrow for living expenses, just tuition/books.) I think this is probably the reason that their classes are incredibly small. The director mentioned up to six, but the average over the past several years has been two or three students. I think this may ultimately make the program not very competitive, both in the sense that its easy to be accepted and in the sense that they're not screening out less than qualified candidates. Several years ago I had a home birth CNM tell me that she has let a couple of their students apprentice with her after graduation and she was not impressed. Still, I didn't get the sense that program itself was lacking in any way, just that they can't be choosy.

My only other issue with it is that they do not award an MSN at at the end. The final degree which is actually done in a distance format through Philadelphia U. awards a Masters of Science in Midwifery. While this definitely appeals to me, I worry that it could make me less competitive in the job market since every other program awards a MSN/ MS in Nurse Midwifery. I know for a fact that you couldn't work in Oregon w that degree because they require their CNMs to have a masters in nursing. I don't know if there are other states but I sort of feel that with all the work its taken me to get where I am I don't want to limit myself in any way.

Currently, Ive just applied for Frontier and am really hoping to get in. I may not hear before Baystate's deadline though and may still send in my app to them. I haven't ruled them out completely, because as I said I think it may be a good program (both their current students at the info session spoke highly of it). But I'm not sure if its ideal for me. Hope this helps!

I'm hoping to attend their program this fall, primarily because it is local to me and I really do not want to do distance learning for my CNM program. I am currently getting my MSN in nursing education through WGU, so I won't have to do the MSN component when I am enrolled at Baystate.

I would do Frontier except that you have to find your own preceptor, and it is really difficult to do that since most CNMs have students placed with them through their institution.

The financial part is a huge problem. Still not sure how I will handle it.

So true Brittanynicole! Its annoying that there aren't more options in MA. I think Cayenne06 has an excellent point - if you're near the Baystate program (western MA) it could be difficult securing a preceptor. But I was told by Frontier's regional coordinator that in the Boston area, I shouldn't have a problem. Do you have your nursing degree already? Are you working as an RN? I looked for maternity nursing work in the Boston area but was turned away as a new grad. I went to nursing school specifically to become a midwife and can't quite force myself into any other area of nursing. I hope that I'll be able to start midwifery school soon so that I won't have to worry about this issue anymore...