• Studying to become a certified nurse-midwife is rewarding.baby image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
  
  Certified nurse-midwives are advanced-practice nurses who specialize and receive advanced training in administering prenatal and postnatal care to women, including the delivery of infants. Midwives offer individualized, one-on-one care to mothers and babies and are licensed to administer medications. Several schools offer both nurse-midwife certifications and licenses for women's health nurse-practitioners. Research which type of licensure best suits your career goals before choosing a school.
  
  

Oregon Health and Science University

• Ranked as the country's top nurse-midwife program in 2007 by U.S. News & World Report, Oregon Health and Science University welcomed its first certified nurse-midwife to the staff in 1975. Licensure in Oregon requires a master's degree; those seeking midwifery certification do so through various channels (including programs for registered nurses as well as programs for individuals who are not RNs but hold other graduate degrees). OSHU certified nurse-midwives ultimately hold advanced degrees.
  
  Oregon Health and Science University
  School of Nursing
  3455 SW US Veterans Hospital Road
  Portland, OR 97239
  ohsu.edu/son/nmw/index.shtml
  
  

University of Pennsylvania

• This Ivy League institution's highly-ranked midwifery program offers special concentrations in public policy, complementary therapies and fetal evaluation. The Penn program offers a dual-major track, and graduates may choose from the certification exam for Certified Nurse-Midwives given by the American Midwifery Certification Board or seek certification as Women's Health Nurse-Practitioners by the National Certification Corporation. Students who hold bachelor's degrees may attend a two-year full-time program or pursue degrees part-time.
  
  University of Pennsylvania
  School of Nursing
  420 Guardian Drive
  Philadelphia, PA 19104
  nursing.upenn.edu/whcs/Pages/MidwiferyProgram.aspx
  
  

University of California-San Francisco/San Francisco General Hospital

• The top-ranked midwifery program at the University of California-San Francisco was established in 1975. Dedicated to the service of underprivileged women, this two-year postgraduate program culminates in a Master of Science degree. Some online courses are available to accommodate students in rural or inaccessible areas. UCSF also offers separate tracks for Certified Nurse-Midwives and Women's Health Nurse-Practitioners.
  
  University of California-San Francisco
  San Francisco General Hospital School of Nursing
  2 Koret Way #N-411
  San Francisco, CA 94110
  nurseweb.ucsf.edu/www/spec-mwf.htm
  
  

The Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing

• Located in the heart of the Appalachian foothills of Kentucky, the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing midwife certification program is the child of the original Frontier Nursing Service, a group of midwives-on-horseback founded by Mary Breckinridge in the 1920s. The modern-day FSMFN allows students to use distance education to complete didactic coursework, while gaining clinical experience in their own communities. With its rich history and flexible coursework format, FSMFN is a popular choice for many midwifery students.
  
  Frontier School of Midwifery & Family Nursing
  195 School Street
  Hyden, KY 41749
  606-672-2312
  midwives.org/home.html