Certificate in Naturopathic Midwifery Program* Exceeding the scope of the midwife and the naturopathic doctorAre you planning to become a naturopathic doctor (ND)? Are you a doula or naturopathic doctor who wants to further develop your career and expand your scope of practice by becoming a certified professional midwife (CPM), licensed midwife (LM) or naturopathic obstetrician? Bastyr University’s Certificate in Naturopathic Midwifery program is designed to equip naturopathic physicians with a distinct set of qualifications and skills as naturopathic midwives. Naturopathic doctors who focus on maternity care and natural childbirth — generally homebirths and births in freestanding birthing centers ― exceed the traditional scope of the midwife by providing women and their families with a unique continuum of naturopathic care from preconception through pregnancy, birth and pediatric care. This program prepares naturopathic doctors with extensive training in natural childbirth, equipping graduates to greatly improve the quality and breadth of care offered to women and their families. The naturopathic midwifery certificate program qualifies graduates to obtain midwifery licensing in states that license midwives, as well as in states that use the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) process or the American College of Naturopathic Obstetricians (ACNO) examination. *EligibilityThe naturopathic midwifery program is open to graduates of, and to students currently enrolled in, any naturopathic medical program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). Eligible applicants will have current neonatal resuscitation provider training, current adult CPR training, TB and Hepatitis B status recorded, and will be in good academic standing if enrolled in Bastyr's naturopathic medicine program. See a complete explanation of the certificate’s prerequisites. Program RequirementsThe Certificate in Naturopathic Midwifery program requires approximately 37 additional classroom and lab credits and more than 1,350 clinical hours, in addition to a degree in naturopathic medicine from a CNME-accredited program. The program is generally interwoven with the last two years of the naturopathic medicine curriculum, but can also be completed after ND graduation. It adds approximately one year to the naturopathic medicine program. Learn more about the program’s training requirements. Advantages of Bastyr's Certificate in Naturopathic Midwifery Program- Only program of its kind that trains naturopathic physicians specializing in natural childbirth.
- Training promotes the building of a family practice that emphasizes women’s health and pediatrics.
- Graduates are eligible for: licensure as midwives in the state of Washington and in other states that license midwives; the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) exam; and the American College of Naturopathic Obstetricians (ACNO) specialty licensure exam in states that include natural childbirth within the scope of a naturopathic physician.
- Opportunity for naturopathic midwifery students to travel to Vanuatu, and island nation off the coast of Australia, to assist in a midwife-run hospital ward.
- Highly qualified faculty coupled with a strong academic advising program.
- First-hand training prepares students to directly manage the care of normal healthy women through their entire pregnancies, including prenatal visits, birth, postpartum and newborn care.
- Opportunities for internships with local licensed midwives and naturopathic doctors who specialize in natural childbirth.
Professional Options for Naturopathic Midwives- Owning a private practice as a full-scope family doctor focusing on birth-center and home births
- Qualifying for registration in Canada as a midwife who practices in homes, birth centers and hospitals
- Developing practice partnerships with midwives, other naturopathic doctors and/or conventional doctors
- Developing and/or working in a community birth center
- Acting as a consultant to conventional medical practices
- Becoming a childbirth educator, doula or lactation consultant
- Working internationally to teach and provide care
- Serving as a national policy advocate
- Functioning as a "country doctor" in rural settings
|
