Midwifery Programs At Maternidad La Luz
Maternidad La Luz offers several educational options for those with a calling to the art and practice of midwifery, with the capacity to accommodate a maximum of twenty-five students. The Maternidad La Luz midwifery program is a direct entry program providing an integrated model of academic and clinical training.
All options involve a very intensive program of study and clinical training.
The programs are flexible, giving students the opportunity to make educational choices based on their individual midwifery goals.
Programs are organized on a quarter system.
Each quarter is approximately thirteen weeks in length, building on the learning and experience from the previous one.
The academic programs are based on the MANA Core Competencies and the clinical programs are based on Texas standards and NARM requirements. The curriculum is designed to build students’ knowledge sequentially, beginning with pregnancy in the first quarter, progressing to labor and birth in the second, and moving to advanced midwifery skills and knowledge in subsequent quarters.
Midwifery research is an integral part of the program to prepare midwives to have a questioning and reflective attitude towards their own practice and to continue to gain new knowledge.
MEAC-Accredited Midwifery Programs at Maternidad La Luz
Maternidad La Luz offers two MEAC-accredited programs—the One-Year and Three-Year.
Students in the One-Year Program may choose to complete additional quarters for further clinical experience, to have more on-call clients or to take advantage of more advanced academic classes.
If a student attends a program at MLL not accredited by MEAC, she will not qualify to take the NARM exam to become a CPM except through the Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP).
THE ONE-YEAR PROGRAM
- The One-year Core Program
All requirements for the One-Year Program can be completed on-site within one year plus an additional three weeks for the orientation.
- Three-Month Grace period
The majority of students attend the one-year program on-site and then take advantage of the off-site three-month long grace period to complete their academic assignments.
There is no fee for the grace period.
- Extended Program
The extended program is designed for students who have family commitments or for those students who want to complete the program at a slower pace.
Students in the Extended Program complete the academic component on the same track as those students in the one-year program.
However, the clinical requirement is adjusted to two twenty-four hour shifts a week and rotation at births is also modified.
To make up for the adjusted clinical time, students in the extended program stay an additional two weeks for each quarter that they are on an extended schedule.
There are fees for each quarter that a student does an extended program.
- The Fifth Quarter Option
Students may attend the One-Year Program and wait to do the majority of the on-call clinical component with a lighter clinical schedule after completion of course work.
A student may take one on-call each in the second, third and fourth quarters and two in the fifth quarter, or one each in the third and fourth quarters and three in the fifth.
There is a fee for tuition for the Fifth Quarter.
- Advanced Placement for the One-Year Program
An applicant with prior midwifery experience and education may challenge the First Quarter and begin the program in the 2nd quarter.
This requires documented proof of equivalent competency in the academic, clinical, and birth requirements needed to advance to the second quarter.
At least 25% of the NARM clinical requirements must have been successfully completed in order to apply for Advanced Placement.
Individuals who may apply include midwife apprentices, advanced students from other schools or practices, practicing midwives, nurses and other health care providers.
Applicants interested in advanced placement must contact MLL to request a packet with further documents to be submitted with their application.
A supervisor or colleague will have to complete a skills evaluation form documenting the applicant’s level in prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum skills.
Accepted applicants must successfully complete the First Quarter exam and skills evaluation and attend the September or March three-week orientation.
There is a fee to complete the Advanced Placement procedure.
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THE THREE-YEAR PROGRAM
The Three-Year Program at Maternidad La Luz is a continuation of the One-Year Program and consists of nine quarters.
Students who have completed the first four quarters continue their studies in quarters five through nine. The Medical Board of California accepts the MLL Three-Year Program as a vehicle for licensure.
The program is intended to further enhance and consolidate clinical skills while providing care for women prenatally, during labor, birth and postpartum.
Students also continue to gain academic knowledge while attending advanced classes.
There are various options to complete Maternidad La Luz’s Three-Year Program.
- The Three-Year Core Program
After completion of the One-Year Program, students may enter the Three-Year Program and complete it in an additional 15 months (a total of 27 months).
- Prior Learning and Experience Program (PLEP)
This program was designed to evaluate and give credit for prior midwifery education and experience.
NARM Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) may now advance place into MLL’s Three-Year Program via the Prior Learning and Experience Program (PLEP).
Possession of a CPM credential in good standing and a thorough audit of documentation of experience will be considered equivalent to completion of the Maternidad La Luz One-Year Program.
Interested CPMs must complete the PLEP application included in this catalog and send a copy of their CPM certificate, both of which will be audited.
Once accepted, students will enroll in the Prior Learning and Experience Program and either pursue the California Challenge Process approved by the Medical Board of California, or begin the advanced placement option.
Advanced placement in the Three-Year Program consists of attendance in the fifth through ninth quarters (15 months), including academic classes and clinical shifts as a senior intern in the birth center.
Students who successfully complete the 5th
through 9th
quarters will receive Maternidad La Luz’s Three-Year Midwifery Program diploma.
- Special Midwifery Residency
Students in the Three-Year Program may apply for this program after completing the One-Year Program and obtaining midwifery licensure in Texas.
They earn their three-year diploma while working as a midwife in the birth center.
Students receive a stipend and a scholarship for tuition while doing the residency.
Other Midwifery Programs at Maternidad La Luz Maternidad La Luz offers several other midwifery programs for aspiring midwives in various stages of training—from those with absolutely no midwifery training, to students enrolled in other schools of midwifery, to apprentices or licensed midwives who want a birth center experience.
Clinical Placement for Students Enrolled in Accredited or State Approved Midwifery Programs
Students who have completed or are nearing completion of the academic portion of a midwifery program in another accredited or state-approved school may do a 3-month or 6-month intensive clinical placement at Maternidad La Luz.
After a 3-week orientation beginning either March 1 or September 1, students begin working two to three clinical shifts each week, providing prenatal and postpartum care to clients, as well as attending births.
Students in this placement will be required to attend some designated classes, but are welcome to attend any 1st
or 2nd quarter classes that are offered while here.
During this clinical placement, students are able to meet most of the NARM requirements for certification.
It is the student’s responsibility to find out from her midwifery school the requirements for signing off skills and to come with the appropriate documents.
Students enrolled in the 6-month long placement may take three continuity-of-care clients in their last 3 months, in addition to working two clinical shifts each week.
(Students in the three-month long Clinical Placement Program may not take on-call clients at Maternidad La Luz.)
MLL cannot guarantee that these students will fulfill the NARM requirement for three continuity-of-care clients.
However students may spend additional time at MLL to complete the NARM requirement of three continuity-of-care clients.
This would involve additional fees.
Students who are enrolled in or have completed non-accredited or non-approved midwifery programs are welcome to apply to the Introductory Midwifery Practicum or our Six-Month Program.
- The 6-Month Program
Some students choose to attend just the 1st and 2nd quarters of the One-Year Program. Students are able to meet many of the clinical requirements for licensure and NARM’s Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) during this time, as well as completing a significant portion of the didactic information needed to prepare to sit the NARM exam.
- The 18-Month Program
Students who have completed the Maternidad La Luz One-Year program may stay an additional two quarters (six months) and earn a total of 875 academic contact hours and 3,280 clinical contact hours to meet the requirements of certain jurisdictions, as well as take more on-calls.
- The Introductory Midwifery Practicum
The Introductory Midwifery Practicum is a three-month program for those exploring the profession of midwifery and for midwifery students who do not wish to enroll in an accredited program.
This program that begins every March 1 and September 1 provides the student midwife with the opportunity to learn and acquire basic midwifery skills, attend births, catch babies, and provide prenatal and postpartum care.
The practicum includes:
- A 3-week orientation to the clinic and MLL policies, procedures, and protocols.
- Didactic and practical classes in essential midwifery and well-woman care skills
- Attendance at births as primary, assist, or documenter.
- Providing prenatal and postpartum care to clients
- Signing off of NARM skills and requirements
- A written evaluation and certificate at the end of the practicum.
- Students who complete the Introductory Practicum may get credit for the first quarter and continue their studies to complete other programs at MLL.
Advanced Midwifery Practicum
The Advanced Midwifery Practicum is a 3-month long program designed for midwives and midwife apprentices with at least one year of experience who wish to gain more hands-on experience and improve their clinical skills.
The applicant must contact MLL to request a packet with further documents to be submitted with her application, including forms to provide documented proof of at least the following:
- 10 births as active participant
- 10 births in primary role
- 35 prenatal exams
- 10 initial exams
- 10 newborn exams
- 20 postpartum exams
- Letter of reference and evaluation from preceptor or supervisor
- The practicum is scheduled individually at the convenience of the applicant and Maternidad La Luz and includes the following:
- A two-week long one-on-one orientation to the clinic and MLL policies, procedures, and protocols.
- An assessment of the participant’s midwifery and well-woman care skills and private instruction in areas that need improvement.
- Opportunity to provide prenatal and postpartum care to MLL clients.
- Opportunity to attend births as primary, assist, or documenter.
- Signing off on NARM skills and requirements as completed.
- Invited to attend any 1st or 2nd Quarter classes offered during the practicum.
- A written evaluation and certificate at the end of the practicum.
- Prior Learning & Experience Program (PLEP)
Maternidad La Luz is offering a new program for CPMs who wish to complete the California Challenge Process or advance place into a three-year midwifery program.
Interested CPMs must complete the PLEP application included in this catalog and send a copy of their CPM certificate, both of which will be audited.
Once accepted in the PLEP, students will enroll in the Prior Learning and Experience Program and either pursue the California Challenge Process or advance place into the Three-Year Program.
- California Challenge Process
Maternidad La Luz offers an option to midwives in pursuit of midwifery licensure in California via credit by examination for previous midwifery education and clinical experience.
This alternative option to the Three-Year Program is available to students who have graduated from the MLL One-Year Program or to CPMs enrolled in the Prior Learning and Experience Program.
The student will challenge the Three-Year Program through written and clinical examinations and documentation of clinical experience.
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