Time to explain myself

AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH
Time keeps running away! I promised another blog update and apologies that it's taken so long to actually write it!

PLANNING UPDATE:
Flights are booked and partially paid for (ie they're on a credit card)

So as promised, I thought I'd share some of the reasoning behind me heading to Tanzania. Now my personal reasons are a little bit hab-dash/here and there so please, bear with me and by the end of the blog I swear I can tie it all together!

So I've been made aware that some readers aren't familiar with the ins and outs of being a student midwife, so I want to shed a bit of light on that. As a student midwife, at least half of our 'learning time' has to be spent on placement. At my university I have a range of placements - these are where we students get the opportunity to learn and practice practical skills ranging from providing women antenatal care to delivering a baby to having the knowledge to be able to support with an emergency! Every summer we are given the opportunity to 'practice' on an elective placement, so a placement outside our usual sphere of learning to gain some experience or knowledge individuals are personally seeking. So some students go on placements in different units or areas of the country that are excelling in specific services such as home birth, bereavement counselling or supporting young mums-to-be. I knew that I wanted to do something a little extra, I don't have any big commitments in my life, so in the fortunate position to be a little selfish and think about what I want without having to consider implications to those who depend on me.

Where I live (and train to be a midwife) there is very little ethnic and cultural diversity. In the 2001 census, 96.9% of the local borough population declared themselves as White-British and only 2% of the population declared a religion other than Christianity (ONS, 2012). Now I'm talking about the town where I grew up but in my pre-midwifery adult life, I did move away and have lived in a couple of northern cities and worked around the northwest region; so although I have experience living and working in more diverse communities I wanted to gain experience of diversity during my midwifery training.

Taking an overseas elective is encouraged by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM - aka that wonderful organisation who awarded me a travel scholarship last month...also a professional organisation/trade union for midwives). An overseas elective gives the rare opportunity to see not only a different way of providing maternity care, but makes you consider the context of the maternity care. So here in the UK women are equal citizens, but in many countries women are still considered second class citizens. So as an extreme example, think about women being pregnant in a country where they legally have to abide by what their husband says they can and can't do - that could even mean he dictates she can't seek any antenatal care or that she must stay at home during childbirth, so that she can cook his meals and care for the rest of the family. Extreme to many of us Brits but reality for many women across the globe.

So people have asked me if I want to experience diversity then why don't I just go somewhere like Birmingham or London, where the units are much busier than what I'm used to and there is so much more cultural diversity. And if I want to travel to East Africa, then why don't I just wait until I've graduated and I can afford a "proper" holiday where I'll be able to relax and enjoy my time there. Well, I want to have a placement there to learn about life and midwifery in Tanzania. If I were to just go to another location in the UK then I'll still have some familiarity as we all work to similar national guidelines, going to Tanzania really is experiencing something new - there are places I may visit which don't have access to sterile equipment - I'd never experience that anywhere in the UK! And yes, it will be emotionally intense but I know I will enjoy myself on the whole, I'm the type of person who likes to immerse myself in a new culture and I'll still have time to do more recreational activities while there so best of both worlds. Also to me, going somewhere where I'll be part of the minority is completely removing myself from my comfort zone...and really, since I started studying towards midwifery I've metaphorically, constantly gone from a comfort zone to a deep end of a new pool so why not go for broke?!

And the huge crux of this decision, the whole point of this degree is working towards becoming a qualified, registered midwife. Once I qualify I'll be looking for employment along with hundreds of other newly qualified midwives. In one sense, this degree can be seen as a 3-year-long interview, and hopefully when it comes to finding a job as a midwife, the experience of finding out first hand about global maternity care and the professional development I expect it aids will hopefully help me stand out from other applicants.

And if it doesn't, well it's gonna be one hell of an adventure!!!

Getting over 2nd year blues

So I've been keeping something under wraps since I started this blog that needs to be made public knowledge now.

To help towards the funding of this elective I applied for the Midwives Magazine Student Travel Scholarship at the Royal College of Midwives Awards. I found out I was shortlisted in October and was invited to London to give a presentation on my reasons for wanting to go to Tanzania, my learning objectives for the trip, and what type of experiences I hope to encounter.

Although the overall application process was hard work on top of existing general student midwife commitments - I'd happily do all that interview preparation again rather than some of the essays! I'll willingly admit that I've suffered with second year blues and knowing I have Tanzania to look forward to has been the light at the end of the tunnel during the last few months.

So after going to London at the end of October for my interview and presentation it was a long wait for the results which were announced at the RCM Annual Midwifery Awards which were held last week on January 24th 2013.

The event room

The event itself was amazing! Everyone looked so glamorous (which I'm sure you'll appreciate, as midwives and students we are mostly in scrubs/tunics - not the feminine dresses we see on BBC's Call The Midwife), the drinks reception was lovely, the atmosphere was nothing but exciting and I spoke with some really interesting people. Then we were all invited into the main event room for the dinner and awards ceremony. The meal was delicious (I joked it was possibly the best meal I'd have as a student!) and there was some wonderful people sat at my table - especially the other shortlisted candidates in my category. Meeting these students from different universities gave the us the chance to compare notes on courses, assignments, placements and, naturally, our electives!

Then the awards ceremony itself began with a speech from Cathy Warrick - chief executive of the RCM - highlighting that although the room was full of wonderful people working within maternity services, getting recognition for the excellent work they do, there are many more midwives and maternity teams who are just as amazing and inspiring that weren't in the room. A sentiment I whole heartily agree with. As the shortlisted entries for each category were announced, and then the winners, the room became electric!

When it came to the Student Scholarship, our table became very quiet and nervous as we wished one another luck. To our amazement it was announced that the scholarship is to be shared between the three entries. This was an amazing surprise and we were all in slight disbelief! What happened over the next five minutes is a bit of a blur, but I remember being called up to the stage to receive my cheque, as I made my way I was congratulated by many people and I was VERY conscious of concentrating on walking and not tripping over!

Emma (editor of Midwives Magazine) Cathy (chief executive of RCM) Me (1 of 3 scholarship winners) Natasha Kaplinsky (news anchor and presenter) 

So I have received part of a scholarship. This is an incredible honour and amazing to think that the judges I met back in October want to support me in making my dream a reality. This has made a big contribution to the money I have to raise for the whole trip, so it has eased a little pressure...but I still have much more to raise!

Being in a room with so many wonderful midwives getting recognition for excellence and innovation was nothing short of inspiring. Even if I hadn't received any part of the scholarship, just being there and making the contacts I have was inspiring and has completely reignited my motivation. 

Second year blues are definitely over!

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners; especially my fellow students, what a fantastic way to start our journey in midwifery :)

And I know I've said 'inspirational' too many times, but I can't think of any other suitable word lol

I'll be doing another blog later this week, I've had a lot of people ask me why I'm wanting to do an elective, so that's going to be my next topic :)

Happy New Year...oh my, it's 2013 already???

So 2013 is here!

1 trip to London to enjoy.

7 short months to go.

1 assessed placement to learn and grow.

2 nasty essays to conquer.

1 birthday to celebrate.

Then it’s time to jet off on the adventure of a lifetime!

Since dreaming up this journey over a year ago I promised myself that as soon as January 2013 arrived then would be the time to start the real planning and preparation…how did it get to be January already?!

I took the first steps months ago, I discussed my ideas with tutors, sought advice from midwives and students who also ventured overseas for electives, I had a meeting with my course leader, submitted my official request for an elective, drew up a realistic budget and considered the likelihood of me being able to save the pennies to do everything I want to while in Tanzania.

But when it came to booking and paying, I’m still surprised at how hesitant I was, how long it took me to click ‘pay now’. I knew this was definitely what I want to do, definitely the destination I want for my elective and definitely the company I want to travel with. Friends, family and my university were all supportive in my decision, yet I was struggling to actually make the first click. I’d gone to the website several times with the intention of making the booking…but not actually going through with it. Once I sent my deposit, that was it, I was committing myself to a huge financial expenditure, travelling 4,680 miles alone, I’d be experiencing possibly the most extreme maternity care of my life without the support of my family and cohort – the people I know and trust. How would I do it? I sat staring at my laptop thinking up hundreds of doubts about my ability to cope with witnessing such extreme situations where even clinical gloves aren’t always available – the most basic of disposable resources used here in the UK. Then one day I just reminded myself of all the amazing aspects of this opportunity, how humbling and eye opening it will be, how I’ll grow as a person and ultimately how it will affect my practice as a midwife for the better. And really, will I ever have the chance to do something like this again? That was the day I clicked ‘pay now’ at the end of October.

And now it’s January! So, back to the planning. I have my reality budget of all the expenses I need for the basics of the trip. Then I have my dream budget which includes all the recreational extras I’d love to do while there. But a lot of saving is needed even for the smaller budget! That’s probably the biggest element to focus on. I have some small fundraising ideas that will need some greater consideration. I also have things ready to put on ebay and stacks of things ready for a car-boot in the spring. I don’t imagine that will amount to much but every little helps. So firstly, I need to figure a way of gathering and saving pounds, not just pennies. Any suggestions welcome :)

I feel very conscious of the language barrier that I’ll be faced with; not just for me being able to function in a foreign country as a lone traveller, but the women receiving maternity care. This will be a big learning curve in non-verbal communication but I want to be able to converse, even at a basic level, with women and their families and personally I think it important to attempt the language when in a foreign country regardless whether there in a recreational, professional or learning capacity. So, number two, start my Swahili. Little and often is the best for me, so getting started early will be of huge benefit!

I need to consider my intended learning outcomes (ILOs) as this placement contributes to my degree. Again, I have some rough ideas – mostly focusing on cultural differences, communication skills and reflecting on practice with limitations in resources. I think I’ll find it easier to finalise these as I carry out my next placement.

Then there’s lots of little bits, not priorities yet but need to be aware of when I should have them sorted – flights, insurance, jabs etc.

Oh Lord, this year is already going too quick!

Festive times

Just a quickie to say I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and wishing all the best for the New Year!
x

Things to share

Well these posts are currently few and far between but I promise that will be changing in the new year, when all the real planning starts!
For now I'm in assignment hell (hence me updating this blog as a productive distraction) but found 2 wonderful things I'd like to share.
First of all I've stumbled upon this article with fab news of low cost pap smear tests being used in India:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20595131
An absolutely amazing advance in low-tech, low-cost screening.

Secondly, another student midwife is raising funds to train Midwives in Tanzania at the cost of £100 each. Last year enough was raised to train 3 new Tanzanian midwives through Save The Children as well as provide some supplies. It is a fantastic cause very close to my heart and in the festive spirit would like to share the link for any donations that any readers may consider giving
https://www.justgiving.com/train-a-midwife

So if I'm not back on here in the next couple of weeks I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas xxx

Recent Excitement

Inevitably this trip of a lifetime is gonna cost a pretty penny, and being a student living off a bursary the pennies are even prettier!
So I recently took a trip to the big smoke, took the opportunity to meet up with several friends I've not seen in ages which was lovely! But the purpose of the visit to London was something much more productive, important and exciting. Several organisations offer scholarships for elective placements and I was invited for an interview for one of these scholarships. Competition is fierce and I'm proud to say that to get an interview I'm in the final 3 of applicants for this particular scholarship. And for the next step finalists had to give a presentation. I spent days preparing (try not judge me, I can be last minute but I only got invited for the interview 2 weeks prior, while on placement and having other big, time consuming things going on in life - as is typically the way when something important comes up at short notice!) and stressing and rehearsing and editing but I actually loved doing the actual presentation! I had a captive audience who were genuinely interested in what I had to say and want to go and do. It was the first exciting experience on this journey of mine.
So fingers crossed now :)

Started to look at flights, and so far they're generally cheaper than what I had budgeted for which is good.
Got an interesting Christmas wish list too: scrubs, malaria tablets, travel insurance to name a few lol

On a separate note, hope your poppies are ready for tomorrow x

Best place to start is at the beginning...

So this is it!
I've dreamt about it, I've bored friends and family to death about it, and now it's finally begun!
I have booked my trip to Tanzania.

For those of you who don't know I'm a British Student Midwife and in August 2013 I'm going to be jetting off to Tanzania to have a gander at what midwifery is like there!

And now it's officially happening!
This blog is going to include the big run up to the trip; planning, fund raising, inoculations o_O the days I get scared about doing something so huge all on my own and what I'll be packing! Then I'll be updating as often as I can once there of the amazing eye opening experiences I have both in a professional sense and the fun I'll have as a tourist. And once I'm back I'll hopefully have time to go into more depth of what I got up to and how it's changed me as a person and as a SMW.

So watch this space :)

x