Twenty-three year old Sophie Whitecross, from Killay in Swansea, graduated with a First Class Bachelor of Midwifery degree – BMid Midwifery – from Swansea University today (Wednesday, July 21).
And Sophie, who has been working as a midwife at The Birth Centre in London since she completed her course last September, will be heading Down Under to Australia the very next day.
She will be starting a Graduate Midwifery Programme in Melbourne this summer, which is very similar to a preceptorship (the supportive and supervised period during the transition from student nurse to practitioner) in UK hospitals.
Sophie, who studied within the University’s School of Human and Health Sciences, said: “Daniel, my partner, and I are really excited to be moving to Australia together, and can’t wait to get there now! I would also like to say a massive thank you to Jenny Butt from specialist heath recruiter Geneva Health International for all her help – I couldn’t have done it without her.
“I have really enjoyed working at The Birth Centre, but it feels like a bit of a now or never situation, and I decided to go for it. I hope to return to the UK and practise as a midwife again here one day.”
Sophie originally studied for a Psychology degree, but quickly realised the course wasn’t for her.
She said: “I started a psychology degree as I was encouraged at secondary school to go for a more typical academic degree than midwifery. However, while I found psychology interesting, I knew it wasn’t a field I wanted to work in and it confirmed for me that I really did want to be a midwife.
“I can confirm that the Midwifery degree is very academic and I really enjoyed the course – it was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. My favourite aspects were definitely going out on placements and working with the midwives.”
Sophie added: “It feels a little strange to be graduating now in July, as we finished the course last September. But it is the perfect opportunity to have a reunion and I’m really looking forward to catching up with everyone.”
For more information about Swansea University Graduation Week visit http://www.swansea.ac.uk/graduation/
