The UBC Bachelor of Midwifery degree (BMw) prepares students to perform essential midwifery skills after graduation. The curriculum is built around the Competencies of Registered Midwives published by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) and prepares graduates to write the Canadian Midwifery Registration Examination (CMRE).
- All Midwifery courses with the prefix MIDW are restricted to students registered in the Midwifery Program. Only MIDW 326 is open to students outside of the Midwifery Program.
- Candidates must complete two prerequisite courses, BIOL 155 (Human Biology) and WRDS 150 – Writing and Research in the Disciplines (Formerly ENGL 112 – Strategies for University Writing).
- All courses are available in classrooms in Vancouver at BC Women’s Hospital, Victoria at Victoria General Hospital, and Surrey at Surrey Memorial Hospital. Students are assigned to one of these three cohorts upon admission.
- During the first year, students may apply to study via video-conferencing (Zoom) through the Distributed Option in Midwifery Education (DOME). DOME students will travel to Vancouver three times in Year 1 for in-person orientation and intensive clinical skills training.
- All students are able to participate in coursework by video-conferencing during years 2, 3 and 4 when students are in clinical placements around British Columbia.
- Students will be required to complete a number of clinical placements in Years Two, Three, and Four. Placements will be located around the province, and students will be required to move for at least some of their placements. (This requirement is non-negotiable unless an official accommodation is sought and granted through the Centre for Accessibility ).
- Upon completing the program, students meet the BCCNM’s registration requirements for active practice .
Required Courses
All students enrolled in the Midwifery Program are required to take the following courses for graduation. There are no elective requirements. Please refer to the UBC Vancouver Academic Calendar for Midwifery (MIDW_V) Course Descriptions and Degree Requirements .
Term One
MIDW_V 102 (3) Birth and its Meanings
An interdisciplinary study of pregnancy and childbirth drawing on and integrating the disciplines of psychology, sociology, anthropology, women’s studies, and cultural studies.
MIDW_V 103 (3) Applied Health Sciences for Maternity Providers
Introduction to diagnostics related to cellular and humoral immune responses in pregnant women and newborns, the properties of viruses, epidemiology, the principles of bacterial pathogenesis, and related physiologic responses.
MIDW_V 104 (3) Lactation and Infant Feeding for Maternity Care Providers
Breastfeeding physiology, pathophysiology, and strategies for support of the dyad based on best-practice principles. Discussion of major Canadian and international initiatives for the support and protection of breastfeeding.
MIDW_V 106 (3) Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology
Physiology of conception, pregnancy, lactation, fetal growth, labour, birth, transition to extra-uterine life, postpartum. A series of lectures and lab sessions.
MIDW_V 107 (3) Physical Assessment
Principles of physical assessment, physical and psychological assessment of the mother and neonate. A series of lectures and clinical lab sessions.
UBC Health Integrated Curriculum Modules and Discussions
https://health.ubc.ca/collaborative-health-education/integrated-curriculum
Term Two
MIDW_V 101 (3) Counselling for Maternity Care Providers
Theory, knowledge, strategies, and skills of person-centred counselling, including family systems, trauma theory, grief counselling, motivational interviewing skills, self-awareness and mindfulness, inter-professional communication, and cultural competency in continuity of care.
MIDW_V 108 (5) Theoretical Foundations for Midwifery Practice
Scope of practice of a midwife, regulatory framework, skills for basic midwifery practice. A series of lectures and clinical lab sessions.
MIDW_V 115 (3) Research Methods for Midwives*
Research designs used in midwifery research, types of studies reported in the midwifery and health care literature, research methodology and basic principles of epidemiology, biostatistics and social research. *Students with a demonstrated background in research methodologies and practice may be granted an exemption.
MIDW_V 120 (3) Midwifery and Social Justice
Explores a variety of social justice frameworks and issues that arise in midwifery care, and engages students as active participants in knowledge-production.
MIDW_V 125 (3) Pharmacology for Maternity Care Providers
An overview of basic concepts in pharmacology, pharmacy, and therapeutics relevant to the practice of midwifery in Canada.
UBC Health Integrated Curriculum Modules and Discussions
https://health.ubc.ca/collaborative-health-education/integrated-curriculum
Term One
MIDW_V 200 (6) Midwifery Clinical Care - Antepartum, Postpartum and Newborn
Clinical care of women experiencing normal pregnancy, labour, birth, and puerperium. Clinical education experiences in preventative and therapeutic midwifery care with emphasis on prenatal and postnatal midwifery care. Clinical practice education opportunities within the province.
MIDW_V 201 (9) Midwifery Theory for Antepartum, Postpartum, and Newborn Care
Online situation-based learning tutorials occurring simultaneously with MIDW 200 clinical placement.
MIDW_V 210 (3) Evidence-Informed Midwifery
Principles of evidence-informed midwifery, what counts as evidence? Making sense of the evidence, applying the evidence in practice.
UBC Health Integrated Curriculum Modules and Discussions
https://health.ubc.ca/collaborative-health-education/integrated-curriculum
Term Two
MIDW_V 215 (1) Ethics in Midwifery Care
Ethics using ethical theory in health care and midwifery.
MIDW_V 230 (6) Midwifery Theory for Primary Care
Care of normal pregnancy, labour, birth, and puerperium with an emphasis on the intrapartum period and assessment and management skills. Includes a four-week intensive session in Vancouver, a series of online tutorials, and simulation and skills lab practice.
MIDW_V 240 (9) Midwifery Clinical Care - Intrapartum and Postpartum
Clinical education experiences with the preventative and therapeutic midwifery care of normal pregnancy, labour, birth, and puerperium with an emphasis on the intrapartum period and assessment and management skills. A clinical practicum in locations around the province.
UBC Health Integrated Curriculum Modules and Discussions
https://health.ubc.ca/collaborative-health-education/integrated-curriculum
Term One
MIDW_V 305 (6) Midwifery Theory for Variations in Primary Care
Theoretical principles of care for pregnancy, birth, and the puerperium with an emphasis on the recognition and management of variations of normal and findings outside of normal. Consists of a one-week intensive time in Vancouver, during which emergency skills certification is acquired, and weekly web-based tutorials.
MIDW_V 320 (11) Midwifery Clinical Care - Variations of Normal
Clinical education experiences with the preventative and therapeutic midwifery care of pregnancy, birth, and the puerperium. Emphasis on the recognition and management of variations of normal and findings outside normal. A 10-week practicum in locations around the province.
MIDW_V 326 (2) Dialogue and Decisions: Advancing Person-Centred Care
In the introductory module, Person-Centred Care, learners from different professions will explore how a culture of dialogue and choice facilitates healthy outcomes across birth settings. The subsequent modules address core topics in Communication and Teamwork, as well as the more advanced topic of Interprofessional Conflict Transformation. Shared Decision Making and Collaborative Leadership are concepts threaded throughout the course and applied to simulations at the completion of the course.
*This course is offered in Terms 1 and Summer Term. Midwifery students are required to take it one time (timing dependent on Term 3 course selection).
*Open to non-midwifery students.
Term Two
MIDW_V 322 (8) Midwifery Primary Care Clinical
A clinical course focusing on the consolidation of skills and knowledge of all aspects of midwifery care.
MIDW_V 326 (2) Dialogue and Decisions: Advancing Person-Centred Care
In the introductory module, Person-Centred Care, learners from different professions will explore how a culture of dialogue and choice facilitates healthy outcomes across birth settings. The subsequent modules address core topics in Communication and Teamwork, as well as the more advanced topic of Interprofessional Conflict Transformation. Shared Decision Making and Collaborative Leadership are concepts threaded throughout the course and applied to simulations at the completion of the course.
*This course is offered in Terms 1 and Summer Term. Midwifery students are required to take it one time (timing dependent on Term 3 course selection).
*Open to non-midwifery students.
MIDW_V 328 (3) Professionalism in Community-Based Care
Prepares students for interprofessional and community-based placements. Professionalism and principles of community health and healthcare in rural and remote, Indigenous communities, and global health contexts.
Term (Summer)
MIDW_V 355 (8) Interprofessional Placements in Perinatal Health
Eight weeks of rotation through different interprofessional clinical settings. Students develop inter-professional competencies, working with and learning the roles and scopes of various general practitioners and/or specialists in perinatal care.
MIDW_V 365 (4) Community Health Placement
A student-selected, four-week clinical or non-clinical placement in one of 4 settings: global community health, rural and remote community health, Indigenous community health, or a self-selected focus in community health.
Term One
MIDW_V 405 (3) Theory for Advanced Midwifery Care
Theoretical principles for midwifery care of pregnancy, labour, birth, newborns, and the puerperium. Emphasis on assessment and management skills for abnormal situations. Includes a five-day intensive session in Vancouver, a series of online tutorials, and lab practice.
MIDW_V 420 (12) Midwifery Clinical Care - Abnormal and Unexpected Conditions
Clinical education for midwifery care of pregnancy, birth, and the puerperium with an emphasis on abnormal situations in pregnancy, labour and birth, and in newborns. Clinical practicum around the province.
Term Two
MIDW_V 435 (4) Comprehensive Midwifery Theory and Practice
In-depth review of the theoretical principles and evidence basis for comprehensive midwifery care. Tutorials carried out in an online live classroom setting.
MIDW_V 440 (13) Clinical Clerkship
Students assume a primary care role in clinical placements in midwifery practices across the provinces. Demonstration of independent decision making and application of the full range of their academic knowledge to professional practice. A practicum under the supervision of a registered midwife.
UBC Health Integrated Curriculum Interprofessional Education
In addition to the required courses, Midwifery students are required to complete the UBC Health Integrated Curriculum, alongside their student colleagues in other health disciplines. The Integrated Curriculum is made up of a series of modules and workshops which are for embedded into required courses in Years 1 and 2 of the Program.
Under the umbrella of UBC Health, the health professional programs at the University of British Columbia have implemented an integrated approach to health professional education that supports learning that is unique to each profession; seeks economies of scale for foundational knowledge common to all programs through technology; creates relevant opportunities for interprofessional learning in complex areas of healthcare; and supports programs to meet accreditation standards related to interprofessional education in a meaningful way (interprofessional competencies shown in surrounding spheres) around content areas that benefit from a collaborative approach (shown in the inner circle of the diagram).
Key principles are integrated throughout each activity (shown in the outside circle of the diagram). Integrated topics are delivered in an order that makes sense and builds learning across sessions. The integrated curriculum is designed to ensure interprofessional learning is not an add-on, but a meaningful, required component of students’ programs.
BACKGROUND
The National Interprofessional Competency Framework, developed by the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative, was used as a foundation for the development of the Integrated Curriculum. UBC, through the College of Health Disciplines, contributed to the development of this framework (Bainbridge et al., 2010), particularly through the development of the BC Interprofessional Competency Framework (Wood et al., 2009) that was used as a basis for the National Framework. The National Framework identifies six competency domains: Interprofessional Communication; Patient-Centred Care; Role Clarification; Team Functioning; Conflict Management; and Collaborative Leadership. The goal of the Integrated Curriculum is to ensure that all health professional students at UBC build each of these competencies.
References
Bainbridge, L., Nasmith, L., Orchard, C., & Wood, V. (2010). Competencies for interprofessional collaboration. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 24(1), 6-11.
Wood, V., Flavell, A., Vanstolk, D., Bainbridge, L., & Nasmith, L. (2009). The road to collaboration: Developing an interprofessional competency framework. Journal of interprofessional care, 23(6), 621-629.