Please help me choose a uni in SA!

Hello everyone!
I'm new here, I happened on the site looking for info about studying midwifery in Aust.
I want to study nursing and midwifery in SA, but I don't know very much about what the difference is between the universities here - I was wondering if anyone who's studied in the undergrad nursing program or the postgrad midwife in SA could tell me a little about their experiences, and which uni they would recommend? :pray: I wont be in the state for the open days, so I don't know how to work out which is the better course for me... The Adelaide uni website says it has the most hands-on course, lots of pracs and clinical work even in first year, which sounds really good, but I know that what they write on their websites and what actually happens can be pretty different! Adelaide doesn't offer post-grad in midwifery though, so I would have to transfer to UniSA or Flinders at some point anyway... Maybe someone here has transferred from one of these uni's to another, and they can tell me their thoughts?
My passions are midwifery and psychology, but the undergrad nursing degree opens both options up to me, gives me the possibility of an income after a short time if I need it, and looks much more flexible, hands on and interesting than the dry, academic psych course, or the rather inflexible (but admittedly tempting) midwife course. I'm a carer for my Mum, so being able to change plans to external study or part time if she gets sick is important to me. I don't know how to choose between the uni's and I really don't just want to guess and once I've got in find out a different one had a much better/more suitable course!! :doh:
Any help from anyone would be SO appreciated!! I hope to be studying in 2009, assuming I can get all my ducks in a row...
Thanks so much :dance:
Sarah

Hi Sarah.

Flinders University has undergraduate midwifery, undergraduate nursing as well as post graduate midwifery (which is another 18 months on top of your nursing). You can study part time in all of these courses, although they prefer you to start the Undergrad Mid full-time. If you are an RN, then you can do the post-grad mid externally. Like the nursing students, in third year midwifery students are able to be employed by hospitals as Assistants in Midwifery (AIMS).

The University of South Australia offers undergrad mid and undergrad nursing, both internally and externally. I assume they also do post grad midwifery.

Adelaide only offer undergrad nursing and I'm not sure if they plan to offer an undergraduate mid program any time soon. I believe their course is more hospital based so I've heard through whispers around the place.

I'd encourage you to really think about what you want to do. Do you want to be a nurse or a midwife? Both very different professions and need to be recognised as such.

Good luck.