Practising midwifery includes mastering diagnosis procedures, pregnancy monitoring, psychoprophylactic preparation for childbirth and post-natal care for mother and baby, according to standards set by the Ethical Code of the profession, stated in article L 4127-1 of the Public Health Code.

• Age: 18 years of age by 31 December of the year of the PCEM1 competitive examination.
• There is no exception to the age requirement.
• No upper age limit.

Admission is conditional on passing an initial compulsory year of medicine (PCEM1). Students ranked high enough at the end of the final examination are allowed to register for the 2nd year of medicine, 2nd year of odontology, 1st year of midwifery or 1st year of masso-physiotherapy.

Students are only allowed to register twice. The number of places open in each stream is set for each faculty by ministerial decree.

Basic training must enable students to practise a medical skill and have real responsibility. Studies last 4 years and include 1,820 hours of theoretical teaching and 4,370 hours on placement.

In accordance with the law, midwives may exercise their profession in hospitals, in the private sector, as a self-employed practitioner, in mother and baby clinics or family planning centres.