CNM vs. Med School

[DreamerCNM2b]

Hey all.

I'm 2 years away from finishing up my BSN. My original plan was to apply to CNM programs who don't require experience in my last semester of nursing school as I have no desire to work as a nurse.

Problem is, the med school bug is in me again. I keep thinking that I shouldn't settle for being a CNM while I'm so young(19, 21 at BSN graduation.) I can realistically take another year or two of prerequisites and apply to med school when I'm 23. The thing that bothers me the most about midwifery is the handing over of the cases to the physician when things start getting complicated. I would never forgive myself for not being able to go through with the patient.

Basically, my questions are as follows:

1. At what point do you decide to involve the physician?

2. How respected are you by physicians/ patients?

3. If any of you have done it, how doable is it to take 1 pre-med course each semester along with a full time nursing school schedule?

I am truly at a loss. Any insight will be

appreciated!

[AspiringNurseMW]

At the birth center I worked at a) the clients they took on were low risk to begin with, with means that the likelihood of complications arising were much lower.

B) for prenatal complications care was continuous, and it was very rare that clients were completely transferred out of care. There were even instances when the clients transferred back at 37 weeks

C) complications during labor in no way meant that clients were handed off. Collaborating physicians were consulted and saw the patients, but the midwives provided continuous care. If a section was needed midwives were either by the patient or first assist, and they completed pp visits.

[DreamerMW]

Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up switching to the pre-med program at my university. I feel like I will never forgive myself if I didn't give med school a shot.

[FlyingScot, RN]

Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up switching to the pre-med program at my university. I feel like I will never forgive myself if I didn't give med school a shot.

I did not mean to offend you. And just for the record, I'm not a pre-med student and never was. It's a fact that there are many more educational posts on there than on here.

Okay. I'm a little confused. Are you in the pre-med program at your university or not?

[DreamerMW]

I switched and switched back before I took any classes. This got a little out of hand, so let's just end this now.

[FlyingScot, RN]

I switched and switched back before I took any classes. This got a little out of hand, so let's just end this now.

It really was an honest, non-snarky question. Just trying to see where you're coming from. Had I wanted to call you out I would have posted it on the other thread.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up switching to the pre-med program at my university. I feel like I will never forgive myself if I didn't give med school a shot.

All right, then. Toodle along now, back to SDN.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I switched and switched back before I took any classes. This got a little out of hand, so let's just end this now.

Now I'm very confused. Two weeks after you posted that you switched to pre-med, you wrote "Midwifery is absolutely what I'm meant to do" in another thread.

[DreamerMW]

In those two weeks I did some very serious soul searching and spoke to several midwives and OBs and realized that midwifery IS what I'm meant to be doing.

[simplysuzy56]

I know this post is a few years old, but I've very inquisitive about how you were able to first assist w/ C-sections. What kind of extra training or education is required, or any other helpful info. Thank you :)

[simplysuzy56]

I think it is important to remember that being a CNM is not "settling." Or at least, it shouldn't be. Midwives are not mini-OBs. They are two distinct (yet collaborating) professions.

When you involve a physician will depend on your practice. I did my last semester of CNM school at a collaborative practice, where the midwives managed EVERYONE, from the waterbirths to the IDDM with severe pre-eclampsia. Our physicians were colleagues, not supervisors, and were with us every step of the way (by phone or in person) for any patient that required it. We followed every patient through to the end, no matter the complications or if the actual delivery was conducted by the physician (and for the record, the actual birth is just one part of the whole experience of labor/delivery/postpartum). We first assisted at c/sections.

In contrast, I have also worked in practices without physicians, and any patients requiring collaboration were transferred out of our care completely.

I too struggled with the decision to go for my MD vs CNM. In the end, what settled me is my love for public health, and the realization that my love of midwifery was based in a strong passion for public health, not a passion for being in the OR all day (not that I don't love me some surgery, because I DO!). What sealed the deal is that I have two special needs children, and I was not willing to take on the grueling schedule of med school and residency.

I know this post is a few years old, but I've very inquisitive about how you were able to first assist w/ C-sections. What kind of extra training or education is required, or any other helpful info. Thank you

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

I know this post is a few years old, but I've very inquisitive about how you were able to first assist w/ C-sections. What kind of extra training or education is required, or any other helpful info. Thank you

There are courses you can take and the ACNM has a reference book about it, but generally speaking it comes from on-the-job experience, going into the OR with an OB. It depends on the institution where you work how many sections they would like you to assist on before being credentialed.

Here is the link to ACNM's handbook about it: The Midwife as Surgical First Assistant - Digital