Society Spotlight: UC Midwifery Society

UC is very well known for our offerings in health, including a high research output, the UCH and degrees like midwifery, nursing and physiotherapy. However, for students a key attraction is the student life: the societies. This month, I was very lucky to chat with the University of Canberra Midwifery Society and their 2025 president, Maggie Ryan, to find out more about this exciting club. 

Image: all rights reserved to the UCMS

Established in 2018, the UCMS was created as a social club for UC’s student midwives. The society has since run many successful events and socially oriented activities to bring midwifery students together. Their goal, according to club president Maggie, is “to provide social opportunities, skills workshops, craft and seminars to student midwives,” effectively sharpening their clinical skills whilst giving them a  supportive community 

Despite a packed academic schedule, the UC Midwifery ran many successful events in 2025. 

Socially, they hosted the “Wine and Whinge” in March and May and “Walk and Whinge” in April and June. These free events attracted many midwifery students who went to “debrief, decompress and mingle.” The wine event was held in the Peacemaker Saloon in Braddon while the walk took place at Lake Burley Griffin Flags, offering students a new environment with likeminded peers. 

Maggie emphasised that engaging midwifery students in craft was one of their main aspirations. UCMS thus held a Crafternoon in April. This event was another free activity run by the society to encourage the creation of a fun and practical midwifery tool- a dilation bead used for education and to check VE’s against. 

Another social event run by the society is Pancakes and Yoga, hosted by Jenni Clearihan from Offspring Yoga. As a proven way to lower stress and increase mobility, this event is the perfect way for midwifery students to decompress from the stress of uni life while enjoying a free and social gathering!

The UC Midwifery Society also offers regular academic events, some in collaboration with other disciplines and others completely midwife-focused. A collaborative event was the Allied Health Op Shop Ball the UCMS participated in. This event in April of 2025 allowed Midwifery and other allied health students to let their hair down in a “celebration of style, sustainability and seriously creative thrift-store treasures.” The event seemed to be a hit and certainly encouraged interdisciplinary mingling. 

Some midwifery focused events include the Mentor Mingle, where students were given the exciting opportunity to mingle and build connections with midwives. They also hosted the seminar “UCMS Spotlight On: Multiple Birth” to advance midwifery student’s knowledge on the differences in care and how to navigate this tricky but exciting path. 

These seminars often attract many students, such as the “In Conversation with: Tracey Anderson and Catherine Bell.” This seminar explained birth mapping techniques as well as how to properly support mothers through pregnancy, labour and birth. Maggie mentioned that one of their biggest goals for 2025 was to encourage intercohort participation. Events like these enabled them to “have had all year groups attend,” a fantastic example of the impact the UCMS has.

2025 also saw the UCMS create a quarterly newsletter “as a way to celebrate our cohorts,” Maggie said. This is a great way to keep up-to-date on the happenings of the society, including participation in give-aways, inter-society events and practical workshops. 

Also, tomorrow, the 1st of November, the UCMS are hosting their end of year celebration for 3rd years at Assembly in Braddon (6pm). A huge congratulations for all the graduating midwifery students and we are incredibly grateful for the support the UCMS has provided to them.

Find out more about the UCMS, their events, newsletter and social life by becoming a member! If you are a midwifery student, membership is just $10, granting free access to most of these events and a social connection that will stay with you for a lifetime. Now is the perfect time to sign up with the Annual General Meeting electing next year’s committee who are excited to take over and bring more events to life. 

The UCMS isn’t just about events. They provide a safe place for students to connect, share their knowledge and ask questions. As the midwifery degree grows each year, the UCMS certainly deserves the spotlight for being a key reason why UC’s midwifery students thrive.