Midwifery Opinions

[shellbell]

Anyone have experience or opinions on Ancient Art Midwifery? It's an online midwifery school (study at home) which encourages apprenticeship. Says they can prepare students for the NARM but not a MEAC approved program. Thoughts on this program?

[nashvillemidwife]

AAMI is not actually a school, it is a guided study program. They do not necessarily "teach" you anything, they offer a format to help you organize your own studies.

I enrolled but never finished, actually submitted very little. I was very frustrated with the way the assignments were laid out. It may have changed since then, but when I enrolled in 2000 you were required to set up a notebook system that just never worked for me. Carla Hartley kept saying to trust her, that she was teaching me how to learn and giving me tools to organize my learning, but at that point I already had one college degree under my belt; it was pretty obvious I already found and implemented a system that worked for me and this wasn't it. Ultimately I did not finish the program for this reason, but the process of working on the curriculum was invaluable for giving me some structure to learn the academics.

[MidwifeErika]

I am an AAMI student and I am really enjoying it. Once I got through orientation I suddenly started to feel like I was learning so much! And it is really designed so that your work isn't just busy work, but is stuff you can refer back to over and over again. There are actually quite a few AAMI students around here.

[shellbell]

Thanks for the replies!! Hotwings, do you plan on taking the NARM after completing the program???

Shelly

[cristeen]

I am also an AAMI student.

If you look into the Student Midwives thread under Finding Your Tribe, you'll find a handful of us there to answer any questions you may have about the program. I know Reha is near the end of the program, and submitted her portfolio for the NARM just recently.

[MidwifeErika]

Originally Posted by shellbell

Thanks for the replies!! Hotwings, do you plan on taking the NARM after completing the program???

Shelly

Yep, I sure do. Infact, depending on how fast or slow I get through AAMI, I might actually take the NARM exam first.

[Peppamint]

I'm a student at AAMI as well... so far I like it though I'm still only in Orientation.

[MamaRabbit]

Another AAMI student here. So far, it's perfect for me and the way I study and for how I want to be prepared to practice.

[jenmidwife2b]

Another AAMIer here. I do love this school, so much I am on staff there for special projects. I'll take the NARM long before I am done, but that is the beauty of this school, you can get extensions and set your own timetable to graduate.

[mousebandit]

Another AAMI student here. I adore the program. It is so freaking comprehensive and far-reaching. We're not just studying to pass the NARM (although most students do take and pass with flying colors - often long before graduation) - we're learning how to do our own research and stay up to date for the rest of time that we are in practice. We're learning to study the issues from every angle, and not just do what's always been done, just because it's done that way. We're forced to dig much deeper and go for the evidence to determine if the "usual" practices are really needed, effective, etc. There's so much to it! Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss more.

Tracey Mouse