CM in NY

**LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM** · Oct 29, 2015

I'm a CNM in NYC at a hospital that is part of the public hospital system, HHC. Most HHC hospitals have large midwifery practices and are a place where many new grads get their first job. At least in that system, CMs are employed and looked at as the same as a CNM. Also paid the same. The only other CMs I know who don't work in the HHC system are midwives in private homebirth practices. I haven't met any CMs working in private practice with MDs, for example. I'm not as familiar with the rest of NY state. I do know many graduates of the SUNY Downstate program, and most speak very highly of the program itself. I know their enrollment continues to increase and so therefore does the amount of midwives with the CM credential. I hope that helps!

mamagui · Nov 4, 2015

Keep in mind that if you choose to move out of New England, you won't be able to practice with the CM credential. Also, there are accelerated RN programs where you can graduate in 4 semesters (I am about to graduate from one in December, although in a different state). That being said, I want to be a midwife, and if I had the option to do it without going to nursing school, I would take it, assuming that it wouldn't preclude me from working. Nursing school has been...painful. Lost of forcing myself to study what I do not find particularly interesting. I know it is important, so I do it, but yeah. It pretty much sucks.

CNMidwife2Be · Nov 5, 2015

So true mamagui. I felt the same way about nursing school. The accelerated 1 yr BSN was the hardest year of my life. But I'm grateful now to have the flexibility to work in any state.

To the OP- I also seriously considered the CM at SUNY Downstate also bc the idea of the long haul from liberal arts degree to nursing before midwifery felt like forever. I've heard nothing but great things about Downstate and nearly went to midwifery school there. I interviewed and was very impressed w the director. I ended choosing Frontier bc I didn't want to live in NYC. I have heard that there is bias against many CMs in NY though and that even though the state laws treat them the same as a CNM many hospital bylaws do not reflect that. This can lead to discrimination when looking for a job. For example, insisting that a midwife candidate is supposed to have an RN license too. This is especially true in New Jersey and Rhode Island.

My recommendation is to go for the long haul and get the RN first. It's worth the flexibility. Midwifery school is hard and you don't want to put in that kind of time and effort only to be seriously restricted. I know of several CMs who went back to school for their RN to become CNMs for that reason. I know it feels like it will take forever but I'm nearly done w my midwifery degree and it's all been worth it. I would even say that some of the nursing knowledge has proven quite valuable. Good luck!

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Nov 11, 2015

I agree with the advice to bite the bullet and go for your CNM. You don't want to find yourself stuck if you ever decide to move. I went to RN school to become a CNM (was a CPM first), and I won't lie- nursing school suuuucked. I did learn a lot of valuable information and I am grateful for that, but I never wanted to be a floor nurse. I didn't even attend my pinning ceremony. But I am SO glad that I did it. I work ass a CNM now but I still moonlight as an RN, and it is nice to have that option. And it is reassuring to know I can move anywhere with my license. When I was a CPM, I was licensed in Florida and could accept incur and and Medicaid. But when I moved to mass, I was not eligible for licensure (and I am not convinced CPMs *should* be recognized nationally, not unles NARM is willing to thoroughly revamp the credential). It sucked to see all my hard work essentially count for nothing.