Medical school in France

Medical School in France is administered by the . The training, which takes a minimum of nine years after the , concludes with a thesis defense. Upon successful defense, the medical student is awarded a (DES), based on their specialty. Certain high-acheivers are awarded a (DESC).

French medical training is one of the longest study paths in French higher education. It consists of both theoretical and practical training, with a gradual shift from theory at the beginning, to more practical aspects as training progresses.

Medical students in France are traditionally known as carabin (riflemen) because the uniforms of military medical students resembled those of Italian riflemen.

Under the Ancien Régime, medicine was one of four faculties and generally only accessible through the . Teaching was mostly theoretical and involved lectures and readings from authorities. Practical components were gradually introduced in the 18th century. Until the French Revolution in 1789, doctors and surgeons were considered to be separate professions. Surgeons were known as barber surgeons.

The university system was abolished in 1793 and replaced the following year by four medical schools in Paris, Montpellier, Bordeaux and Strasbourg. With the creation of the Imperial University in 1808, medical schools reopened their faculties and expanded across France.

In the 19th century, new practical training schools were established in response to the rapid technical evolution of medicine and the mediocrity of university theoretical teaching. Acceptance into these practical training programs was restricted and highly sought after, as hospitals were synonymous with the elite. Medical students began to neglect their faculty examinations to prepare for these practical training entrance examinations and it was possible that upon completing their studies, they had not seen a single patient.

Hospital reforms in 1958 merged the teaching functions of hospitals and universities, creating the position of University Professor and Hospital Practitioner (Professeur des universités – Praticien hospitalier, PUPH). One goal of the reforms was to reduce the number of graduates moving to private practice.

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