Hi All,
I am planning on attending Vanderbilt in the Fall as a pre-specialty student for the CNM/FNP degree. What makes me different than most midwifery students is that I am male. I started my college career with the goal of becoming an athletic trainer for a professional football and or baseball team, but through certain courses, shadowing experiences, research, and study abroad experiences, I realized that my calling is in working with babies, women, and their families in the holistic lens. Isn't life ironic sometimes?
However, Vanderbilt isn't cheap. Although I had considered this before, the cost of the program recently became much more real when I signed off for my loans. This is my concern: pursuing the dual-degree at Vandy will cost me an extra 2 semesters of tuition, living expenses, etc. Since there are so few male midwifes out there, I'm not confident in the demand. I do not want to end up in a situation where I borrow an extra $50k in loans, but cannot get hired for a position that will allow me to utilize my NMW certification. Let me be clear: my heart is in midwifery. But at this point in my life, I have to be realistic about such significant financial decisions.
I would appreciate some perspective. Am I better off to only pursue the family specialty, or should I go for the dual-degree and have faith that there are employers and patients out there who know that good care is not dependent on one's sex?
Thanks!
Nate