Midwifery students may be involved in your care. If your midwife has a student working with them, they will ask your permission to have the student present for your visits and your birth.

The students with placements at our practice are from the Midwifery Education Program (MEP) in Ontario. The MEP is a 4-year bachelor’s degree in health sciences. The student is assigned to work with preceptors on either the blue or green team.  Students play an active role in client care.  They work alongside their preceptors in clinic, at home visits, and at births. They also answer pages and consult with their mentors about their care management plans.

There are many benefits of having a student involved in your care including:

• An extra pair of hands to provide labour support, or offer your partner a break at your birth.
• Continuity of care! Although you will have the opportunity to get to know all the midwives on your team, students will be in clinic as much they can for learning opportunities. Clients often develop a special relationship with their students.
• Midwifery students are learning the most up-to-date information, and are eager to research the most current evidence to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
• Energy and enthusiasm! Students are ready to work hard, passionate about midwifery, eager to go the extra mile, and bring fresh perspective.
• Your feedback helps students learn and become skilled, knowledgeable, and compassionate midwives.
• By having a midwifery student, you help ensure other birthing parents will have to have the option for midwifery care in the future.

A midwife teacher will always be present and nearby when you are with a student. Midwifery students are always supervised according to their skill level. It’s always your choice if you would like a student involved in your care. We always suggest you try meeting the student and see how you feel. We think students are great, and we think you will too!

Normal Childbearing (NC) Students

Students in their NC placement are with the practice for 17 weeks. This placement focuses on the development of midwifery skills and providing care in normal and variation of normal situations. It is a combination hands-on learning and distance education. This includes doing pre- and postnatal care, taking phone calls from clients, monitoring labours, catching babies and doing newborn exams. All of the care that the student provides will be under careful supervision.

This is their first placement in the program, and they are clinical beginners. During the first 2.5 years of the MEP, students complete a pre-clinical curriculum that includes science, social sciences and basic midwifery philosophy/skills. They’ve also had the opportunity to observe midwifery clinic, attend 1+ births in an observer role, and practice in simulated situations with standardized patients and on each other to ensure they are ready to be involved in client care.

Senior students are with the practice for a calendar year.

Current Student Biographies

Margaret Flietstra Green Team Senior Student

(Following Krista & Megan May 2022-May 2023)

Margaret Flietstra is in her senior year of the Midwifery Education Program with McMaster University but started her studies at Laurentian University. She also holds a BA Hons. in English & Anthropology.

Her journey to midwifery began when she found herself at a home birth at the age of 17, sparking a passion that would be fulfilled more than a decade later. In the intervening years she completed outdoor adventure leadership training, worked for a non-profit pregnancy centre, and practiced as a doula. The experiences of supporting families during her years as a doula fueled both a curiosity and commitment to further pursue birth work after having her own children and return to school for midwifery.

Throughout the MEP she has completed placements in Sudbury, Haliburton, and Fergus, developing her clinical skills alongside midwives, obstetricians, nurses and lactation consultants, and doing a lot of driving to practice rural midwifery. Margaret is passionate about teaching and supporting informed choice and brings a calm, comforting presence to the birth space.

She is mom to three kids born with midwives and along with her family loves to spend her free time exploring outdoors, drinking good coffee, and taking naps with her dog Indie. They are looking forward to relocating and exploring Thunder Bay together.

Margaret is grateful for the opportunity to join MCM for the year and is looking forward to meeting each of you.