When deciding on where to study midwifery it felt like I was embarking on a major detective investigation. I was looking at every uni with a fine-tooth comb, trying to weigh up what made each uni different to the next. No matter what uni you look at, midwifery is a course that must follow the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) guidelines. Therefore, this meant all the unis I researched were all offering the exact same training with the exact same goal: to make competent and compassionate midwives that abide by the NMC code!
Why I chose Surrey
Well, you know when brides-to-be have that profound moment when they find their dream wedding dress? I suppose I had a similar experience when it came to University of Surrey. When I was deeply interrogating their midwifery page, I was blown away by their attention to detail. Everything was so slick and modern. Now, I know first impressions aren’t everything, but I knew I wanted to study midwifery at a uni that hadn’t left it to get crusty on top of a bookshelf. It was clear that midwifery at Surrey was a course they were proud to show off! And then, the piece de resistance… I found their numerous videos showing off the midwifery course and the healthcare facilities. I suppose the point of the videos are to pull you in, but once again, it showed me that this was a uni that was taking their midwifery course seriously and it was something I wanted to be a part of!
Out of all the unis I investigated with my magnifying glass, I found Surrey to encompass all I needed: a friendly and knowledgeable lecture team, a course structure that made sense to me and facilities that blew my mind away.
Course structure
Like most undergraduate courses, the midwifery course at Surrey is three years long and runs over 49 weeks each year, with seven weeks of holiday usually over the winter, spring, and summer.
At first, I thought my life was over with how little holiday time I would have, but as you start the course and fall in love with the training you end up not minding simply because you’re grateful for all the time you can get to learn as much as possible!
Within your theory block you have two theory days a week where you are either having lectures or group work, or you will be in the simulation centre learning clinical skills or role-playing clinical situations with actors!
You also go into placement in your first year, which will involve being in the community, labour ward and postnatal ward!
Like any good old uni course, there are exams and assignments that must be done, but there are many lecturers and extra support available at Surrey to help you along the way with your academic studies.
Facilities
If you have watched the video showing off the Kate Granger building, I can confirm that the facilities are just as impressive as the video makes it out to be!
The dummies they have, which we use to learn our clinical skills on, can breathe, talk, have a heartbeat, pulse, and even have blood running through them! The equipment they have is just amazing and furthers your learning that little bit more. Not only are the simulation rooms amazing to be in, but because the building was only built a few years ago the classrooms and auditorium are welcoming spaces to be in. And we can’t forget the CPR café!
Elective placement
Another pull about studying midwifery at Surrey is that they offer the chance to do an elective placement in your second year. This can be either in the UK or anywhere in the world! You do have to fund and organise this yourself, but it’s still an amazing opportunity. Some students in the past have worked with maternity services within prisons and some students have even gone all the way to Australia to see what midwifery is like out there.
Favourite parts
Before I wrap this up, I thought I should quickly mention some of my favourite parts of the course and placement so far. Any clinical skill session must be up there! Nothing beats wearing your uniform and practising hands-on how to do certain skills – in particular, practising venepuncture (taking blood). Within placement, I’ve found my favourite part is being able to put theory into practice and deliver my first baby! That is a memory I will always remember, even though it did happen at 3am.
