At the hospital where I plan to deliver they let you know in advance that as it's a university hospital, there is a strong chance that you'll have a student midwife, OB or neonatologist pressent as well as your fully qualified midwife. The good thing is, it's just 1 student and not a whole throng (as it was when my poor grandmother had my aunt ---she had an internal every 5 minutes pretty much just so everyone could get a shot). I'm totally OK with this because they don't release these students on an unassuming public without them being trained and prepared to a certain extent and everyone has to learn somewhere.

In my general experience with doctors, midwives and specialists, age ot years in the job do not always equate with competence either information wise or emotionally. I'd much rather any day have a young and supportive midwife helping me with my breathing than one whose been catching babies for 40 years and treats me like an idiot.

I switched midwives at 30 weeks because I had a really abrupt and horrible one assigned to me first who barked orders, insulted me, said things that I'm sure were only intended to shock and scare me and had me almost in tears a number of times. My new one has less than ½ as many years experience but is so sweet and supportive and always takes that extra bit of time to make sure I feel comfortable, happy and reassured and I wouldn't change her for the world. I've had similar experiences with everyone from driving instructors and hardressers to endocrinologists and mechanics.

I'm not saying experience doesn't count...but staying current with new practices and knowing how to listen make huge differences too.