title: Student attrition in the Ontario midwifery education programme.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to identify the factors associated with student withdrawal during their university training.
  
  
  METHODS
  an Internet-based survey questionnaire was designed and administered.
  
  
  METHODS
  two universities in Ontario, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  senior level students in years three and four, graduates of the programme and those students that withdrew prior to graduation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  students who withdrew from the programme were more likely to report not feeling academically supported and not being prepared for the time commitments required. Students with the greatest risk for leaving the programme were those that took a leave of absence, over half of which were maternity leaves.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  having identified those significant factors associated with student attrition, we can now begin to develop specific interventions to improve retention rates.
authors.affiliation: Burlington and Area Midwives, Burlington, Ont., Canada.
authors.forename: Rhea
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eva
authors.forename: Derek K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lobb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D003625:Data Collection; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education*; D009864:Ontario; D016524:Parental Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities