Clare Sandy

After having children, I realised how important midwives are to women and how much they can make a difference during your pregnancy. I wanted to be able to give other women the support and care that I had received from my midwives. 

I decided to study at UTS because it sounded like a supportive university. Attending an open day showed me that I was right – the staff were friendly and approachable, and the labs were great spaces to learn in. 

The most rewarding aspect of studying Midwifery has been seeing how I have made a difference to women and their families, even as a student. All the hard work of juggling uni, family and work is worthwhile when you are thanked and told by a mother that she was so glad you were at her birth. It is incredibly rewarding. Throughout our degree, we follow ten women throughout their pregnancy; attending their appointments, being on-call for their births and visiting them postnatally. You are able to form a strong bond with these women and we are so lucky that they are willing to share this special time with students like us. 

Another amazing thing about this course is the staff here. Nicki Watts is the course coordinator and she is incredible – she is very approachable and always happy to help students. All of the faculty are like that. We have been fortunate to have guest lecturers throughout the degree, which is incredibly useful as we can learn from the experiences and perspectives of so many professionals who have worked in the field of midwifery.

For future students, I would say: don’t give up. If you don’t get into the course, don’t lose hope. I wasn’t accepted the first year I applied; I completed the STAT test, did a year of the Bachelor of Nursing and then reapplied and was successful. 

Make sure to ask for help at uni if you need it. Teaching staff, librarians, technical support, clinical placement unit and lab staff are all here to help you. As well, be organised. If you are juggling work or children (or both!), it can be difficult at times but if you are passionate about the course and about being a midwife, then you will make it happen. 

Working as a student representative (SPROUT) with the UTS Health Marketing team was a great experience as well. I was able to participate in university open days and talk to potential students about what the course is like from a student perspective – and hopefully was able to inspire them to take up this degree! 

Find out more about the Bachelor of Midwifery at UTS.