Looking for Help - 3rd Time of Applying

Hiyah

Im Debbie. Ive applied to Plymouth twice before. Im currently and Adult Nurse and started this in september this year only because i was unsuccessful for a 2nd time. I thought that maybe i could get to be a midwife the long way instead. Apparently though the bolt on course to become a midwife is being phased out!!! so im having one last bash at it cause if i dont i will wonder what if? and i only get 4 years funding so after that it would be too tough to keep trying. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or help in the personal statement or anything. Please please please, i really want this.

Debz

hi

dont know if i can help, but perhaps the mods will let you post your PS on here so we can all help. Did you get through to the interviews last time?

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Student Midwife jan 08



forum buddy!!!


Have you just been offered a place? If so and you want a mentor please post in post this forum (also post here if you would like a mentee)

Hi Debbie,

When I wrote my personal statement we had a midwifery programme leader come to the college and give us a talk.

I remember she said she threw out all applications that didn't have the word midwife in the first line of the personal statement.

Also any expirence that you have try and make it relevant to midwifery. So if you have worked on the peadiatric ward or neonatal unit whilst training write a bit about that.

Hope that helps
Cinders X

Can't offer any advice hun. Sorry

Just wanted to say, hugs to you and sorry you didn't make it.

xxxx

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Hi Debz

I have been thinking for a while that we should ask members that are happy to share their personal statements to post them here in a section, so will do that now I have a good reason to ask!

My PS is on a past PC and I dont have a copy but heres how I did mine, and given I got in first time, I guess its along the right lines!

In short tell them why you would make a good midwife and a good student and back it up with examples and let your passion show!

Why I wanted to be a midwife - personal passion, to work with women and families, to be an advocate for women, to care for women, to provide women with informed choice, to educate women, to give them the birth experience they want, to work as an independant practitioner, to work as part of a multidisciplinary team

Relevant skills to bring to midwifery i.e. transferable skills from a past life, personal etc

Here's some examples;

• Working as an HCA/MCA in care environment ( I didnt have any direct care experience)
• Being a birth partner/doula (I was my sisters pregnancy/birth partner and was hooked)
• Coming from a large family where pregnancy and birth were normal events, so you are familiar with pregnancy/birth/new babies
• Having a baby
• Skills you may have, maybe you have volunteered for an organisation or worked in a particular role that makes you a good organiser, listener, having experience of working with women and families, or as part of a multidisciplinary team.... even if you havent worked for years and have been raising a family - how you organise family life and responsibilities, how you have fed your love of midwifery in that time

If you have NVQ's/qualifications that are relevant then highlight these and explain why they are relevant. If you have a degree already say how you are educated to degree level, show you can complete degree level work, if not say how your access course has prepared you, or your A Levels, or that you have the 210 UCAS points via whatever route it is you have them! You will need to show evidence that you have studied in the past 3-5 years (usually) even if its totally irrelevant to midwifery put what you have studied and if you got good grades then tell them you are an excellet student!

Say how you organised your time between home and study, whatever your age and background say how you achieved a study/life balance and how you enjoyed researching assignments or reading or whatever it is you loved!

Your passion for midwifery - what you have read, books you have read, articles, websites (like this one shows interest and enthusiasm in midwifery plus lots of Unis now have a link to us from thier websites so thy must like what we do here ), journals, midwifery magazines The Practising Midwife, British Journal of Midwifery, Midwifery Matters, organisations you are part of/aware of Royal College of Midwives, Association of Radical Midwives....

Im off to create a new thread now ....

Hope this helps Debz, Im happy to look over anyones PS, I had a previous life in employment law and personnel (from recruitment to case work) so have lots of experience of application form sifting and interviewing, writing person specifications etc

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StudentMidwife.NET Founder & Director

What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?
(George Eliot, 1860)

I don't have mine now, sorry, and my cohort leader said I was lucky to get a place as it wasn't enough about midwifery, but then all the others I said are just telling you waht you already know except in a more naive fashion, and look at me I'm still here, qualify in June 2008 after a 4 year course, so its really unfortunate that they've admitted in the past they've only looked at heavily led midwifery ones and have had high retention rates, you can phone the students union and ask to speak to an advisor there, they know what all the courses are and get info' on what they expect to see in statesment and entry criteria etc.. They also put you in touch with other student midwives at that uni for advice, well ours do, as I've been asked to do it over the hols, and have now been giving advice to 2 different (now just applied they have told me) potential students, so any enquires they are really good to talk to about them x

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Forum Buddy


Have you just been offered a place? If so and you want a mentor please post in post this forum (also post here if you would like a mentee)

Guys thanks for you advice its been really helpful. i will post the amended personal statement a little late and im open to any help of critism constructive of otherwise.

in answer to the question about getting to interview stage, up to now Plymouth have never interviewd. Im being informed that this will all change next year, not sure if thats good or bad but i suppose if they interview lots more than they need then thats the time to shine...

debs
z

Hi Debz

Sorry dont have my PS anymore either. My college tutor advised us to demonstrate some kind of evidence for every statement written i.e. don't just say I enjoy reading, explain what you read.

Show commitment and passion to women's health. Don't mention babies at all, that's a no no.

Try to demonstrate that you understand that it's not all happy (too true) and not all women want to be pregnant. Try to show that you are realistic about the job.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

Hope it helps

Debx

hi debbiedoo

funnie thats a nickname my mum and brother use for me....

ive posted my new personal statement on the thread page relevant to that, take a look please and see if you can offer any advice. cheers debs

Hi

Yes my nickname too when I was a little girl aaahhh!

Will take a look at your PS asap.

Debx