Every first Tuesday of the month, the Seattle School of Midwifery holds an open house for prospective students. We have five or six faculty members and former students come in and talk about what our programs are like. SMS trains women to become independent licensed midwives. Unlike nurse-midwives, licensed midwives, or direct entry midwives as they are sometimes called, train at small, independent schools. Some enter the profession after working as doulas, labor assistants or childbirth educators, while others are inspired by their own experiences with natural childbirth.
Many students come into midwifery as a second career or after raising their own children.
Once accepted, the midwifery program includes four quarters of academic classes emphasizes clinical sciences related to pregnancy, women's health, and childbirth. During clinical courses, the students provide prenatal exams, deliver babies, and give post-natal counseling under the supervision of licensed midwives. Between the classes and clinical work, the SMS program takes a minimum of three years to complete. They also have to have really good problem solving skills and judgment. SMS accepts only a small number of students each year, usually between twelve and fifteen new students.