Frontier CNM preceptor in gainesville, fl or ft myers, fl area

[excitedtobeamidwife]

Hey there! I'm so excited to be pursuing admission to Frontier for this Fall semester. I've heard such great things about their program and am so excited to finally fulfill this dream! I can think of no more humbling opportunity and high honor than to attend births for the rest of my life

One of my colleagues is currently doing the program and she is having to travel to Atlanta, which is 6 hours from here in Gville, fl for her clinicals. I was wondering if any of you have any contacts (it's hard here b/c of competition for preceptors with UF) in the north central florida area or in the Cape Coral / Ft Myers, Fl area (i have family there), that'd be greatly appreciated. I'll hopefully be talking with the Frontier folk next week but would love some guidance from you too :)

Thank you sooo much! also, any advice/insider tips about frontier are welcome!

[MidwifeMom]

Have you heard anything about Frontier requiring pelvic exams on each other? I was considering Frontier, but I read in their handbook that students "will give and receive pelvic exams at clinical bound". I emailed Frontier to verify this, but haven't received a response yet. If Frontier insists on using real people for pelvic exams, we pay enough for gynecological teaching assistants.

[Selke]

You may have to travel for clinicals. Many students do. That said, you need to pursue potential preceptors in your area. How to do this? Contact Frontier and ask if they can share with you their list of preceptors for your area. Also ask them if they can share a listing of alumni in your area and contact them. However, their lists of preceptors are notorious for being out of date and inaccurate. But it's one place to start your list of midwives on a piece of paper -- keep track of those who won't take students as well so you don't contact them twice. The other place to start is look at the ACNM website and look under the find a midwife part. If you are a member, you can get access to member lists by state, but I think there is a listing for nonmembers. Contact CNMs in your area. Do a google search for a Florida midwives association or FL ACNM chapter -- again the ACNM website may help you with this. If all else fails, email ACNM and tell them you're looking for a listing of midwives in your area and maybe they can help you. You have to make google and the yellow pages your friend to find a preceptor, as the school, and the RCCs, view it as the student's responsibility to do this (another issue students have with them). Another thing to keep in mind is Frontier students, because it is a distance program, can be more flexible as to when they do clinicals; brick and mortar schools usually send students for integration in spring semester. You may be able to do clinicals at sites where the other FL school sends students if you can work around when those students will be there; don't write them off until you talk to somebody in the program. They might also have suggestions for clinical sites for you, too. You have to learn to hustle and network.

[excitedtobeamidwife]

thanks for the replies. sorry it's taken me so long to re-post. Jaime, i'm not sure about the pelvics but it wouldn't surprise me if students do them on one another...a lot of programs seem to work this way and after all, we'll be doing them on 1000s of women as professionals....why not treat one another in a professional/patient role at clinical bound.

thanks for your tips, Selke, regarding finding a preceptor. The search will be in full-force now as I found out yesterday that i got accepted to class 62 - FB next month!! I'll be working and going to school, both FT, starting this semester - busy times!

I'm really hopeful to find a preceptor here around g'ville...and need to figure out the proctor situation as well. Any specific counsel anyone has would be greatly appreciated!

I'm totally stoked to be part of a community with such heritage!!