Harriet Smith

What did you do before you started your course?
After school I took a year off to figure out what I wanted to do. I've always been into art, so I got into a Fine Arts degree in Jewellery Design. I did that for one year then realised that I wanted to have a solid career - that's when I looked into midwifery at UTS.

What motivated you to study this course?
I've always been fascinated by pregnancy, and I've done a lot of babysitting and nannying since high school. I wanted to go to UTS as it is in the city and it has an excellent reputation. I thought about doing nursing, but after learning that UTS was the only university in Sydney to offer Midwifery, I looked into it and thought it would suit me a bit better.

Why did you choose UTS?
UTS has an excellent reputation as you get hands-on experience while studying. It is the only university in Sydney to offer a Bachelor of Midwifery, meaning I didn't have to study 3 years of Nursing prior to doing a post-graduate degree in Midwifery. UTS is in a central location with lots of public transport close-by so it is very convenient!

What is it like to study at UTS?
I spend half the semester in lectures, labs and tutorials and then I spend a block period placed in the hospital as a Student Midwife. During that time I have competencies I have to meet and an educator helping me learn more technical skills.

At the hospital I am placed in each section of the maternity ward so that I get to learn everything. As  I am not employed by the hospital, it means that I am never left to work alone or unsupervised and I get the chance to learn skills from other midwives. On top of my clinical block, I have ten women a year (20 throughout the course) that I follow from the early weeks in pregnancy through to the birth and postnatal period. These women are part of the "follow through experiences" and display how positive continuity of care can be. I attend all their hospital visits and I get called at any hour to attend their birth.

What do you most enjoy about your course?
I really enjoy how UTS encourages me to have experience both models of work- shift work and continuity of care, preparing me for work in any hospital. I get to know the women throughout their pregnancy and even get to be there during birth! This means that as a Student Midwife, these families know me a bit better and have an understanding of my skill level. This gives me a chance to practise my skills on women who have faith in me. I also get to be with families through one of the most intimate and life changing events.

Is there any advice you would give to students studying this degree?
Always ask questions and learn from doing! Don't sit in the back and watch, get in there and get the hands on experience that is so valuable!

What would you like to do once you complete your degree?
I want to work as a midwife for a few years to find out what my strengths are, and then hopefully I will be able to do a Masters in Midwifery. I would like to become a midwifery educator as I feel the people who teach me at UTS are people I can always look up to and hopefully in the future I will be able to inspire other student midwives like they have inspired me.