What’s in a name? Independent; Private Practice Midwife; Eligible Midwife

As I ponder how to advertise myself on the Internet I look at the possible variables and it comes down to “independent midwife” or “private practice midwife”, so let’s have a look at what difference a name makes:

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

Shakespeare

By definition: dictionary.com “independent” –an independent person or thing.... not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion.... thinking or acting for oneself..... not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction. – A free thinker.... not influenced by the thought or actions of others....

“private” – belonging to some particular person ( personal belonging)...pertaining to or affecting a particular person or a small group of persons; individual; personal; undertaken personally or individually without the presence of others; alone

“private practice” – independent and not as an employee; mainly pertaining to medicine;

Quote by George Bernard Shaw;

“He said that private practice in medicine ought to be put down by law. When I asked him why, he said that private doctors were ignorant licensed murders.”

Thesaurus.com: private practice by definition pertains to general medical care.... family practice and independent pertains to separate, liberated, free – alone, aloof, self governing

When I did a Google /Yahoo search of “independent midwife” the search generated pages of independent midwives Australia wide and internationally. The Google/Yahoo search with “Private Practice Midwives” generates equally a list of midwives however I have to say not as many as “independent” and more groups and associations....

It is interesting to note that the new Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2010 refers to Private Practice Midwives and makes no mention of Independent Midwives: therefore I think there is a change in terminology .... moving towards private practice....

The upshot of this exercise highlighted that it doesn’t matter about the name women will find you whether you are called “independent or private midwife” so to throw the cat amongst the pigeons I am going to call myself “eligible private midwife”. My rationale for this is to focus on the legislative changes for midwives by highlighting the ‘eligible’ aspect therefore informing women of the ability to access Medicare rebates for midwifery care.

Remember; a midwife is a midwife is a midwife.... eligible, independent, private makes no real difference what matters is that you are a midwife.