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French medical education is ruthless
Editor -I
write in response to Tiago Villanueva's personal view of
Portuguese medical schools'
admissions.1
Having done my elective in France, I realise how lucky I am to be
English. Our interests outside of medicine are considered. The system
in France is ruthless.
The course in
France is six years long. After studying for one year, students enter
"concours." Only a fraction-for example, the top
20%-can go on to study medicine. If you do not get good
enough marks then you automatically have to study dentistry, pharmacy,
or nursing depending on how you
did.
The next hurdle is the
"concours" to become an intern. If students fail twice,
they must train as a general practitioner. Passing is one thing, but
then your marks decide what specialty you enter and where. The jobs are
distributed according to the demand for particular specialties that
year. For example a medical student in my unit was passionate about
becoming a maxillofacial surgeon. If he wants to make it into a unit
with a good reputation he must get high grades. A couple of per cent
lower and he will have to do another
specialty.
As with any system there
are views for and against. Speaking to the nurses, I got the impression
that they were not happy with it. They were worried that someone who
lacks dexterity can become a surgeon. It can affect the care of
patients too.
One of the fifth year
students told me that the French system encourages people to work
really hard for what they want and it is a fair system because your
connections do not matter. The medical student was working hard,
spending £100 each week driving to Paris to attend revision
lectures for the concours. The lectures cost £500 a year. It is
unfair because not everyone has the financial ability to do
that.
Helen Mackay,preregistration house officer,University Hospital
Aintree, Liverpool L9 7AL
Email: ginger.helen@o2.co.uk
- Villanueva T. Medical school admissions in Portugal: unfair and unsquare.studentBMJ 2003;11:305. (August.)
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