Careers in Midwifery

Midwifery is a medical care profession wherein a person, usually a woman, gives assistance and support to a mother during pregnancy, labour and birth of her child. Midwifery is said to be a noble profession. Sometimes, the term 'midwifery' is considered equivalent to maternity care. To excel in this profession, one has to be capable of working for many hours at a stretch and have the understanding of the mother and the infant’s needs. Several job opportunities are available in both public and private sector. Many educational and medical institutes in India have been conducting courses in the field of midwifery, in order to educate students in the field.

Course Details
In India, courses in the field of midwifery are generally conducted at the undergraduate and postgraduate diploma level. The purpose of such institutes is to provide basic education and training to the students in order to become skilled midwives. For UG courses, one has to complete 10+2 examination Biology, Physics and Chemistry from any recognized Board. For the PG diploma programs, graduation in the relevant stream is necessary from any statutory University.

Career Prospects
Midwives can work with hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and health departments, orphanages and old age homes and public sector medical departments etc.

Top Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
Many medical colleges in India are now offering courses in the field of midwifery, at undergraduate degree and postgraduate diploma levels. Some of the prominent institutes are College Of Nursing - All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Delhi), National College of General Nursing & Midwifery (Punjab), Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (Tamil Nadu), College Of Nursing - SSKM Hospital Campus (Kolkata) and Armed Forces Medical College of Nursing (Pune).

Remuneration
The remuneration in the field of midwifery may vary from one organization to the other. As a beginner, one can get around Rs 4000 - Rs8000 per month. After two or three year's experience, the salary may increase to Rs 12000 - Rs16000 per month. The well experience professionals are paid higher salary.