Welcome

I teach in the course that fulfills the requirements for eligibility to sit the national midwifery examination. Modern healthcare is encouraged to be evidence-based—but simply invoking “evidence” does not guarantee that every practitioner fully understands what that evidence is, nor what it implies. Clinical experience and tacit knowledge are equally essential.

Only once we grasp what “evidence” truly means, what questions it answers, and what its intentions and limits are, can we deliver genuinely evidence-based care. To do so requires basic skills in scientific reasoning and in critically appraising the literature. In today’s information-rich age, thousands of papers are published every year, and the ability to sift, evaluate, and interpret their findings is not acquired overnight. Equally, if one pursues evidence in isolation—without the capacity to accompany patients with empathy and clinical insight—then these efforts are rendered meaningless.

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In our midwifery program, we first cultivate clinical competence so that graduates can practice as midwives. At the same time, we lay the foundations of scientific thought for those who have already attained deep understanding of clinical care, enabling them to comprehend, question, and apply evidence. I believe it is essential that the same individual masters both the art of hands-on care and the science of evidence appraisal. Understanding evidence alone does not translate into skillful care; one must also recognize evidence’s boundaries and leverage clinical judgment to provide the best possible support for women and newborns.

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Research, likewise, demands a broad survey of prior studies and clinical needs; the identification and refinement of a problem; and the logical, step-by-step planning of work that is both rigorous and feasible. In clinical practice, one must observe and assess each patient’s situation, then logically determine how best to deliver care. In both research and practice, effective communication and collaboration with colleagues are indispensable.

At their core, both clinical practice and research share fundamental attributes: keen observation, independent critical thinking, flexible communication, and teamwork. Above all, both must be guided by the pursuit of women’s and children’s well-being.

It is under this philosophy that I engage in both practice-oriented care education and research training.