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Clinical Placements

Each midwifery practice group in Ontario has been assigned to one of three placement regions.

Your admission to the MEP is linked to a specific region where you will be placed. When the Laurentian University midwifery program closed in 2021, Ryerson and McMaster Universities began to accept additional students and agreed to place them in the placement region formerly affiliated with Laurentian University, giving McMaster two placement regions: Southwestern Ontario Area (SOA) and the Greater Ontario Area (GOA). About 30 students per year are admitted to the SOA and about 15 to the GOA. The list of the SOA and GOA midwifery practices with their regional affiliations can be found below.

Midwifery Practices Affiliated with Southern Ontario Area (SOA)

Midwifery Practices Affiliated with Greater Ontario Area (GOA).

Note: Ryerson University places students in the Greater Toronto Area region (GTA) or the GOA. It is important to note that McMaster students do not have access to the GTA region. Students with a need to be placed in the GTA region need to apply to Ryerson University. Acceptance of an offer of admissions is acceptance of placement in a specific region.

The only students who are eligible to cross regions are those who are Indigenous, Black or Francophone who can apply for a designated placement. Northern students who are offered a GOA placement are prioritized for northern placements, which are in the GOA region.  We use a lottery system for placements. Students submit preferences and the system maximizes top choices.

Please note that:

  • McMaster’s geographic placement regions may be subject to change without notice.
  • While we strive to place students in their allocated region, we cannot control the availability of placements so you must be prepared to relocate anywhere in Ontario for the midwifery clinical terms. Midwifery clinical terms comprise four semesters of the program and you will be placed in at least two midwifery practices, possibly in two different locations. You must be prepared to assume all transportation and accommodation costs for clinical terms. Again, careful financial planning plus willingness to commute and/or temporarily relocate is essential.

Expectations of students during Clinical Placements

Clinical terms comprise at least half of the program and students need to be prepared for the following:

  • You need to be ready to work long and unpredictable hours.
  • It is not possible to maintain a part-time job.
  • Students must be prepared to relocate for clinical terms.
  • Students must be prepared to assume all transportation costs.
  • Students are required to travel to more than one site per day including to clients homes, hospital and clinic sites.
  • Students must have access to a vehicle and hold a G2 or G licence prior to the first clinical placement course and for all subsequent placement courses.
  • Students must have a cell phone for all placement courses.

Living arrangements during Clinical Placement

During a clinical placement, students are expected to live within a reasonable travel distance to the practice workplace according to the norm of their allocated practice in order to appropriately attend to clinical care and meet course objectives. A common standard is a 30 minute travel time to the midwifery practice in regular travel conditions.