NMI or other?

[aumismommy]

I just wanted to see who took what form of schooling - pros and cons, etc.  Can you share with me your thoughts?  I am currently looking at NMI but have heard that for the cost (12k) that I could find a better education elsewhere.  Please enlighten me!  I am in the Sacramento CA area.

[phathui5]

I am currently going through NMI for school. One thing you can do to save on tuition is to work out a work study arrangement with your preceptor. It looks like about $2400 of the tuition goes to preceptor fees, so if she waives that, you could save a lot of money.

Another thing you can do if you haven't already is sign up for Heart & Hands first (which costs less) and apply the cost of that to your NMI tuition when you complete it.

[DoulaDalton]

I live in Seattle and I am looking at NMI as well. I am a little confused about getting started. I know you can take the Heart and Hands Workshops and if I am not mistaken you get hands on clinical experience but I think you have to go to these workshops in person. I would like to do the distance learning but I am confused as to how you find a preceptor if you live in another state. Can anyone give me some insight. Does anyone know what part of California NMI is located?

[CindyCindy]

I am only still on my journey to picking out the exact school I want to attend.  But because our state has really high standards for licensing a midwife and our state midwifery association recommends it, I am only going through a school that is MEAC accredited.  For me, if you go by those schools, NMI is the least expensive.  The other distance education schools are Bastyr ($20,000 for the first year), College of Utah (for an associates $23,000), Birthwise ($30,000, plus travel expenses), and National College of Midwifery (their site states $5,000, but that does not include preceptor fees, which they recommend to be $500 a month - also it seems as though your preceptor has to do more work than with the other schools, they have to administer and correct tests, etc). 

There seem to be a lot of other non MEAC ways to get an education as well.  You have to decide which way you want to go.

[phathui5]

DoulaDalton,

I found my preceptor myself, actually through a posting here on MDC. You can also contact midwives and birth centers and ask if they are looking for students.