Return to Education & Careers > Career Resources > Become a Midwife > High School Students

5 Ways for High Schoolers to Prepare for a Career in Midwifery

If you are interested in becoming a midwife, there are things you can do to prepare for your career while in high school. These include:

1. Follow a college preparatory curriculum

• Take 3 years of math, including geometry and algebra II
  
  
• Take 3 years of science, including biology and chemistry
  
  
• Take 4 years of English
  
  
• Take 2 years of a foreign language
  
  

2. Volunteer

Participate in extra-curricular activities that are related to health care, such as volunteering at local health clinics or women's health centers.

3. Read

Read books that describe the lives of present day American midwives. (Click here for ACNM's selected reading list.)

4. Network

Talk with practicing midwives, women's health nurse practitioners, doulas, and childbirth educators in your local community. You can also network with ACNM on Facebook at www.facebook.com/acnmmidwives.

5. Consider the skills, talents, qualities needed for a career in midwifery

• Specialized knowledge, such as human anatomy and physiology
  
  
• Excellent listening and observation skills
  
  
• Good oral and written communication skills
  
  
• Independence and ability to work in a team
  
  
• Patience and ability to act quickly
  
  
• Desire to help others