Midwifery Courses In South Africa

This article contains a well-detailed and comprehensive guide or information on the top midwifery Courses In South Africa.

When people decide to become midwives, they rarely realize the diversity of options that are available to them in South Africa. Midwifery schools in South Africa can vary from being highly competitive, with extremely difficult application processes and strict rules and regulations, to being extremely relaxed and simple to join. The 10 most popular midwifery schools in South Africa are listed below (ranked in alphabetical order) 

Midwifery Courses In South Africa

Below are midwifery courses in South Africa include;

1. Cape Peninsula University of Technology 

CPUT offers a 2-year course in midwifery at its Khayelitsha campus. Clinical placements are carried out at Netcare Wynberg Medi-Clinic, Netcare Cullinan Hospital and Life Blue Horizon Clinic. The Cape Peninsula University of Technology is based in Cape Town, Khayelitsha Campus: 39th Avenue – 7401 Khayelitsha, Western Cape (Rondebosch). 

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences: A 4-year Bachelor’s degree in Midwifery is offered by The College of Nursing and Health Sciences, located on the Groote Schuur Campus. Placements are carried out at various hospitals around Cape Town including Groote Schuur Hospital, Somerset West Day Hospital, Hermanus Private Hospital, Beaufort West Community Hospitals as well as several primary health care facilities. 

2. University of Johannesburg 

The University of Johannesburg is a public institution that specializes in medicine, science, engineering and technology. Established in 2005 after a merger between Technikon Witwatersrand (founded in 1902) and Rand Afrikaans University (established in 1934), UJ has seven different faculties. The university’s motto, Ex Pecunia Virtus translates to From Money Comes Virtue. In 2015 UJ saw its share of funding increased to $1 billion by the government. As part of its efforts to bring more black students into higher education, UJ launched an outreach program called Project Khulisa which means enthusiasm or drive in Zulu. The program is designed to help disadvantaged students apply for scholarships at universities like UJ. 

3. University of KwaZulu-Natal 

The University of KwaZulu-Natal, or UKZN for short, is a large public university located in Pietermaritzburg. It was founded in 2004 after a merger between two other universities: the Durban University of Technology and Natal Technikon. 

The result is an institution with 8 faculties and 24 different campuses throughout KwaZulu-Natal province. With these facilities, it is no surprise that UKZN has many professional programs related to health sciences. One such program is the Bachelor of Midwifery degree, which prepares students to work as midwives under the supervision of doctors. Students are expected to complete a total of five years at

UKZN before they can graduate with their bachelor’s degree; however, they can choose to specialize in areas like high-risk obstetrics or family planning during their last year at school. 

Why Consider a Career in Midwifery? 

A career in midwifery is a wonderful option for those with a passion for helping others. A midwife’s job is to attend and care for women during their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods. While some may associate midwives only with childbirth, they also provide care throughout all stages of a woman’s reproductive life. 

There are many different types of midwifery, including homebirth, hospital-based obstetrics, and community health services. 

Each type offers an exciting opportunity to help families through one of life’s most precious moments: bringing new life into the world. Many people choose to pursue a career as a midwife because it allows them to have a positive influence on many lives. And while there are certainly challenges that come along with such responsibility, it’s hard not to feel rewarded when you know you’ve made a difference in someone else’s life. 

Studying for a Career in Midwifery 

The field of midwifery has its place in history, and today’s practitioners are a testament to it. With more midwives currently delivering babies than ever before, there is plenty of demand for skilled professionals who can help bring life into being and nurture it once it arrives. 

While many individuals choose to start a career in midwifery later in life, you can also choose to start studying from an early age. 

For example, if you want to become a midwife but have no prior experience with childbirth or related medical procedures, then it might be best to enrol in a nursing program first. 

Once you earn your degree as a registered nurse (RN), then you can pursue additional training that will allow you to enter your chosen profession as a licensed midwife (LM). If your goal is simply to take classes on childbirth and pregnancy while maintaining your current occupation as something else entirely, then consider enrolling in one of these programs 

Professionalism, Standards and Aptitude 

As with any reputable medical education program, a midwifery course requires you to meet certain minimum standards. 

While there are different requirements for each country and region, most midwife courses will require that you hold a high school diploma, be at least 18 years old, have no criminal record and be able to speak English or another language of instruction.

Many also require that you take an aptitude test to determine your suitability for a career in medicine. If you can’t find information about these tests online, contact your local university directly to find out what they expect from their students. 

Most importantly, remember that some countries may not allow you to study midwifery if you don’t already live there. For example, if you’re living in Australia but want to study midwifery in Canada, it may not be possible—especially if one of those countries has stricter educational requirements than the other. 

Working Conditions, Salaries and Outlook 

The outlook for midwives is positive. While there was some decline in births between 2007 and 2010, they are expected to increase by more than two million annually through 2015 due to the ageing of their population. 

Better health care access and greater awareness of prenatal care contribute to the increasing demand for midwives. As a result, employment opportunities will be good in most areas through 2015 as hospitals continue to expand services and offer additional programs and outreach services aimed at improving maternal health. Job prospects should be best for those with formal training and certification from an accredited program. Employment of midwives is expected to grow much faster than average through 2018. 

Hospital midwife or community midwife? Which one is right for you? 

The field of midwifery is huge, and there are many different kinds of midwives. The first major distinction you’ll have to make is whether you want to be a hospital midwife or a community midwife. Hospital midwives deliver babies in a hospital setting, and community midwives usually practice in their patients’ homes or workplaces. If you’re planning on having more than one child, it might be worth looking into becoming a hospital midwife—the majority of births are planned these days (versus unplanned), so you can choose when to start your family. However, if your goal is to work with low-income families or those who don’t have access to healthcare, then becoming a community midwife might be right for you. 

What are the prerequisites to enroll at midwifery school? 

Many prospective midwives will tell you that a high school diploma or GED is all that’s required to enrol in an accredited school. 

While these minimums are generally true, there are other elements of your background and academic record that can affect whether or not you’re granted acceptance into midwifery training. Candidates who wish to pursue medical assisting certification will benefit from relevant experience working as medical assistants in a clinical setting. Aspiring midwives with no prior healthcare experience may find it difficult to gain admission into certain programs without having completed some prerequisites, such as anatomy

and physiology courses. If you have any questions about what you need to do in order to apply for a specific program, contact admissions at one of your top-choice schools. They should be able to provide you with more information about their requirements. 

Conclusion 

Planning to take up a midwifery course in South Africa? If so, you’re not alone. Plenty of women want to learn the ropes on how to help bring life into this world, and if you’re one of them, you might be wondering which courses are best suited to your needs and requirements. By comparing different options and keeping the following tips in mind, you can ensure that you select the very best midwifery courses in South Africa – and have an amazing time throughout the duration of your studies!