How to Be a Doctor in France: Full Guide .. 2023
One of the most respected and highest-salarious title is doctor in France. It is quite challenging if there is no need to pass in order to be able to perform this beautiful profession.
In this article we will tell you what is necessary and what needs to be done to become a doctor from France.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Doctor in France?
To become a doctor, it takes 9 years of university studies for general practitioners and 10 to 12 years for specialists, such as surgeons or paediatricians. The training leads to the DE (State Diploma) of Doctor of Medicine, which is mandatory to practice.a
Also read: Doctor Salary in France
Access to Medical Studies
There are thirty medical colleges in France like The University of Paris. You can choose the best medical colleges in France depends on your expectations and priorities.
For high school students, access is via two courses offered by universities: the PASS (specific health access path) or an L.AS (license with health access option). Admission is based on the results obtained during these courses and possibly additional tests.
Step 1: The Basics of Medical
For candidates admitted to medicine, the 1st step (2nd and 3rd years) aims to provide the scientific knowledge necessary for the practice of a medical profession and to study the healthy man and the sick man.
On the program: semiology (study of clinical signs and symptoms of diseases), physiology, anatomy, microbiology, etc. In addition, there are optional courses: philosophy of science, medical English, history of medicine or medical informatics.
The practice begins with a 4-week full-time nursing internship. Then, at least 12 weeks of internship in the hospital are planned over the 2 years, in general or specialized services, for example in dermatology, resuscitation, cardiology, etc.
At the end of the 3rd year, students obtain the DFGSM (general education diploma in medical sciences), recognized at the bachelor’s level.
Step 2: Clinical Practice
The 2nd step or day school (4, 5 and 6 years) allows you to acquire a complete medical education in France, focused on pathologies, their therapy and their prevention. On the program: geriatrics, musculoskeletal system, neurology, oncology, pediatrics, etc. Students acquire the minimum knowledge in each discipline.
Clinical practice is taking up more and more time. Externals are both students and hospital employees, and receive variable remuneration depending on the progress of the curriculum. Some internships are mandatory (e.g. emergency medicine, hospital surgery, etc.), others are free. At least 25 shifts are to be carried out over the 3 years, mainly in the emergency room.
The admission procedure in the 3rd cycle is evolving for students who returned to the 2nd cycle at the start of the 2021 academic year. It will be based on: an assessment of knowledge in the form of dematerialized tests (ED); an assessment of skills in the form of structured objective clinical examinations (ECOS), during internships or simulations; the consideration of the student’s career and his professional project. Students will then be assigned to a specialty and a place of practice according to their wishes and ranking.
At the end of the 6th year, students obtain the DFASM (Diploma of Advanced Training in Medical Sciences), recognized at the master level.
Step 3: Towards a Specialty in Medicine
There are 44 medical specialties: 13 surgical specialties (vascular surgery, gynecology-obstetrics, etc.); 30 medical specialties (psychiatry, pulmonology, radiology and medical imaging, etc.); medical biology. Depending on the specialty, the number of places open each year varies greatly: pediatric surgery (26 places in 2021-2022), geriatrics (193 places), general medicine (3,280 places), etc.
The 3rd step or medical internship lasts 3 years to become a generalist and 4 to 6 years for the other specialties. It is organized in three phases: the base (1 year) which returns to the basics of the specialty; deepening (1 to 2 years) to begin to empower oneself; consolidation (1 to 2 years), under the status of junior doctor, which places the student in autonomy supervised by a senior.
The interns carry out semester internships, while retaining some theoretical lessons. Members of the medical team, they acquire an autonomy that increases with experience but they always remain under the responsibility of the practitioners who train them. In addition, they prepare an exercise thesis.
After validating internships, teaching and dissertation, the interns obtain the MD of Doctor of Medicine, accompanied by the DES (diploma of specialized studies) of the discipline followed.
How many years of training is required to become a doctor in France?
To become a doctor, it takes 9 years of university studies for general practitioners and 10 to 12 years for specialists, such as surgeons or paediatricians. The training leads to the DE (State Diploma) of Doctor of Medicine, which is mandatory to practice.
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