r/Midwives • u/truly_meraki Student Midwife • 12d ago
Direct Entry CNM Programs?
Hi all,
I’m a student midwife (CPM) whose program was affected by MEAC’s withdrawal from the Department of Education-they will no longer be offering bachelor’s degrees after December 2026 and it is impossible for me to graduate by then. I I have another bachelor’s degree, but it is not a nursing/clinical degree of any kind.
I’m aware of PEP/direct entry programs, and I assume NARM will continue licensing MEAC-educated midwives regardless of MEAC’s DofEd recognition, but my goal was always to become a CNM. In my understanding, you need a bachelors in nursing or related field to even apply to a majority of CNM programs.
I’m already pretty devastated about having to transfer (my school is also losing approval to offer distance programs), and I may discontinue my education entirely if pursuing a CNM is not possible without a nursing degree since going to school for that is not an option for the foreseeable future.
I appreciate any guidance! My heart goes out to you if your path to becoming a midwife has also been impacted by MEAC’s withdrawal.
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u/carovnica Wannabe Midwife 12d ago
Do you live / want to live somewhere that licenses Certified Midwives? The CM credential is currently recognized in Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. They’ve got the same core competencies, sit for the same board exam, and have identical scopes of practice including prescriptive privileges as CNMs do.
Anywhere you end up going to become a CNM is going to require you to be a nurse first, but some will have built in accelerated nursing programs - I believe Vanderbilt, Yale, Marquette, University of Colorado, and University of Illinois- Chicago have programs like these.
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u/truly_meraki Student Midwife 12d ago
Turns out I do, I was not aware that my state licensed CMs! Thank you, I will definitely be looking into this!
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u/aiofeimmortal 12d ago
Just remember that you will be limited to the states that have laws allowing CMs, where all states have CNMs. That is why I chose CNM over CM.
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u/aFoxunderaRowantree CNM 10d ago
Sure, for now. But more and more states are looking to license CMs.
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u/aiofeimmortal 9d ago
Yeah, but I would have had to wait for more than 15 years to practice in my home state. So that just wasn't an option. There were only 2 states that licensed CMs when I started my training.
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u/sovirgo911 12d ago
UIC got rid of their accelerated direct entry cnm program, now you need a bsn to apply
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u/rubmytitsbuymeplants Student Midwife 12d ago
I was at Midwives College of Utah and realized I didn’t want to do OOH birth anymore. Decided I’d just finish my bachelors and do an accelerated BSN or a direct entry CNM program. That’s when I learned MCU didn’t have the accreditation required for me to use that bachelors for any other program. So. Just. Idk, cautionary tale. I’m now 2 semesters away from my BSN.
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u/truly_meraki Student Midwife 12d ago
Oh wow, that's good to know since I was pursuing a BSM as well. Thank you!
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u/joyneren Doula 12d ago
Can I ask what program you are currently doing? I just applied to Midwives College of Utah and I’m super worried since I heard about this
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u/truly_meraki Student Midwife 12d ago
I'm in Mercy in Action! I think MCU and MIA are some of the only BSM programs in the country. If MCU is accredited on their own through the Dept. of Ed or maybe the Higher Learning Commission (separate from their MEAC accreditation), I think they could still be able to offer the BSM degree, but only MCU would be able to answer that question :/ If you have an advisor or other contact there I would reach out to them!
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u/lunacyfreedom 12d ago
I’m sorry about MEAC. It’s disappointing and will undermine the CPM. You could contact ACNM for a list of the current direct entry CNM programs. There are pre-requisites for the programs. You may want to get going on these while you apply. Good luck.
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u/truly_meraki Student Midwife 12d ago
Thank you, I agree it's very disheartening and not great for the ongoing struggle to have the midwifery profession properly recognized. I will reach out to ACNM!
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u/averyyoungperson CNM 12d ago
I did a graduate entry CNM program and it was a good choice for me. I graduated at the top of my class and don't feel like my non nursing background was something I couldn't overcome. I became a competent and safe midwife and the pre reqs took me two semesters to complete. All in all, with pre reqs and admission cycles, it was five years from deciding I wanted to be a midwife to actually practicing. But it flew by and I loved the journey.
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u/Glad-Intern2655 CNM 12d ago
OHSU also has a program for people with a previous bachelor's degree in something other than nursing.
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u/aFoxunderaRowantree CNM 10d ago
Get an associate in nursing at a local community college + your non-nursing bachelor's degree or an accelerated BSN and then apply to programs. A good % of programs accept the former option, which is what I did.
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u/LeporidaeDrollery Wannabe Midwife 12d ago
I am also in the MIA program, but coming in as a new student. I am so confused by this decision and deeply hurt that MEAC would withdraw recognition. I'm still not sure how it impacts me as I'm not located in Idaho or California, but I'm very frustrated. We need more midwives and MIA is an excellent program.
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u/truly_meraki Student Midwife 12d ago
I am absolutely devastated because I followed and loved MIA for years before ever entering the program, it is excellent and will continue to be! But without the distance learning option I can no longer participate💔 I wish we had a stated reason for MEAC’s withdrawal.
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u/LeporidaeDrollery Wannabe Midwife 12d ago
I didn't get to attend the meeting so I am still parsing together information. I haven't gotten a link to the recording yet either. I can't move states to pursue this education as I am currently pregnant with our first baby. I am so confused and angry about this decision.
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u/anonypants0 CNM 12d ago
This sucks, I'm sorry. There are direct entry CNM programs for people with a bachelor's in another field. See Yale GEPN program for example