Our students

What made you choose midwifery at Teesside University?

I wanted to start my career in healthcare and I knew I needed a degree to get there. I’ve always had a passion for caring for others. However, when I volunteered at my local hospital on the maternity wards, it confirmed that I wanted to study midwifery.

I knew Teesside University was a popular choice for health subjects and I’d heard good things about the health and social care facilities – this was all confirmed when I attended a tour of the University before my interview.

Would you recommend Teesside University?

Yes. The resources, facilities and support are excellent at Teesside University. My degree is required to gain a job as a midwife and my study experiences have really prepared me for this employment and real life practice.

What’s the best thing about your course?

Definitely the placements, they have allowed me to use my theoretical skills in practice and the mentor support that comes with this is great.

I’m studying a module called Providing Holistic Midwifery Care at the moment – the assignment for this involved planning and teaching a parent craft session and delivering this to pregnant women and their partners. My practice mentor will give me feedback on this and I’ll then reflect and evaluate on my teaching style. I really enjoyed teaching the session.

What do you think about the University’s campus and services?

There are lots of different support networks and services available throughout the university – the library, careers service and lecturers are all great. The library has recently been refurbished and there are different areas such as silent rooms and group workspaces to suit different students’ study needs.

The campus is excellent with a range with of places to study, plenty of computing facilities and lots of places for food and refreshments.

What’s your social life been like? Have you done any extracurricular activities?

As the midwifery programme is full-time and includes lots of placements and assignments, there isn’t a great deal of spare time to go out. However, my course friends and I have attended some great social nights at the Students’ Union and we’ve found these really affordable. There are many shops, clubs and places to visit with friends in Middlesbrough.

I’m a member of Teesside University Midwifery Society. The society hosts study days where members can arrange for guest speakers to attend University to educate student midwives. We recently had a baby bereavement study day with guest speakers. This opportunity enhanced my knowledge and awareness of how I can provide the best support in practice to women and families experiencing bereavement.

What have your work placements been like?

I’ve completed various placements so far throughout my studies. I’ve worked in the delivery suite, antenatal and postnatal wards, and community midwifery care. All my placements have helped me to link my theory with practice.

In my second year I had the opportunity to go on an elective placement at a place and country of my choice. I arranged to visit the Dominican Republic with Gap Medics to experience the differences in the maternity services and healthcare there compared to the UK. This was an amazing experience and allowed me to gain a range of life skills such as independence, communication skills and time management.