California Midwifery Students

Welcome to the California Association of Midwives student page! Whether you are currently enrolled in a midwifery program, or are just starting out on your path to becoming a midwife, we are excited to represent you as your statewide organization.

If you are just starting out and looking for a preceptor, becoming a CAM member is a great way to connect with senior midwives and become more involved in your local midwifery community. You can join CAM here. For those of you looking to connect with other midwifery students in the state, please consider joining our CAM student Yahoo Group.

Further down this page you will find a step-by-step guide to becoming a midwife in California and listings of midwives who are looking for students or have internship opportunities. New resources are coming soon so please check back for updates!

A Guide to Becoming a Licensed Midwife in the State of California

California’s licensing process requires students to both enroll in an approved midwifery school and complete a certain amount of hands-on experience. Most students work on both components simultaneously, and some schools require it, but other students will complete one aspect before the other. Here is a step-by-step guide to the basic steps of becoming a midwife in California.

1. Find a school

The Medical Board of California maintains a list of schools whose graduates are eligible to take the California State Licensing exam upon completion of their academic and clinical coursework. The current list can be found here: Approved Schools of Midwifery.

There are other excellent schools, some Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) accredited, some not. If you chose to attend a school not approved by the medical board and you want to get your license, you can apply to take an approved midwifery challenge exam. Schools providing challenge exams are listed at the bottom of the approved schools page.

2. Find a preceptor or apprenticeship

No matter where you go to school, your teacher(s) will play one of the most important roles in your education. Some schools require preceptorship (see #4 below). Some students prefer to gain their knowledge through apprenticeship with a midwife independent of their course of study. They gain their academic knowledge through independent midwifery classes, college courses, workshops, study groups and self-study. If you choose the apprenticeship model and want to get your license you can apply to take the midwifery challenge exam.

3. Complete the academic portion of your education

The material you will learn as part of your academic education will prepare you for the hands-on part of your education, for your NARM exam, and for caring for your clients once you are a licensed midwife.

4. Complete the clinical part of your education

You cannot become a midwife without hands-on experience! Some schools require that students gain clinical skills through apprenticeship with a precepting midwife. Sometimes, the school helps the student to find a preceptor, other schools expect students to find preceptors on their own. Some schools have students gain clinical skills through clinics or higher volume birth centers.

5. Apply for your midwifery license:

Once you’ve completed school and/or your apprenticeship, you need to apply to the Medical Board of California to take your licensing exam. For more information and applications, contact Robin Jones, Associate Analyst, at (916) 263-2393, RJones@mbc.ca.gov, or write to:

Medical Board of California
Attn: Midwifery Program
2005 Evergreen Street
Sacramento, CA 95815

Internship Opportunities for Midwifery Students

8/11/08: I am currently looking to fill a student /apprentice position here in Oceanside (near San Diego).  I have an active practice and have been working as a midwife since 1990.  Interested students can e-mail me at birthmatters@sbcglobal.net and view my website at birthmattersinc.com.  I am hoping to fill the position to start by September 15th.  I have been part of the apprenticeship model to several students and have been a preceptor to several also.  — Michelle Freund, LM

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8/8/08 - One to two month midwifery internships are available at a rural clinic in Uganda. Contact: Carrie Sparrevohn at: cskirabo@yahoo.com

If you have an internship opportunity you would like to be listed here, please contact Katie at p.granatum@gmail.com