International clinical experience for midwifery students

Area of Science:

• Global Health Education
• Midwifery Training
• International Clinical Rotations

Background:

• Accredited midwifery programs in the US were surveyed to understand the availability of international clinical experiences for students.
• The survey also aimed to gauge interest in pre-trip preparation and potential program collaborations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the types and extent of international clinical experiences available to student midwives.
• To assess the demand for an online pre-trip preparation course.
• To explore possibilities for future collaborative initiatives between midwifery programs.

Main Methods:

• An electronic descriptive survey was distributed to Directors of Midwifery Education (DOME) at 38 accredited US institutions.
• Response rate was 76% (29 out of 38 institutions).

Main Results:

• 31% of responding programs (9 out of 29) currently offer international clinical experiences.
• 80% of programs not offering international experiences expressed interest in developing them.
• Only one program with international experiences reported a formal pre-trip preparation course.

Conclusions:

• A significant interest exists among US midwifery programs to develop and share international clinical experiences.
• There is a clear need and interest in creating a formal, collaborative pre-trip preparation course to enhance student midwife global health education.
• Collaborative efforts can foster sustainable international experiences for student midwives.