France Med School

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etjaipleure

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I have a lot of questions about med school in France. I've tried the internet but I can't really find any useful information. I know you have to know French to get in, which I plan on learning. I already know some conversational French and I can read it pretty well. Does med school in France cost? I saw somewhere that it was free to study in France, but I'm not sure. Also, I was wondering how long med school is. Another question,(I have A LOT, lol) what are the requirements for becoming a citizen in France? I'm thinking of staying there to practice. Can you have dual citizenship or do you have to relinquish American citizenship? And this is a totally random question, but my mom told me that French people do not like Americans. Is this true? Is it really as bad as everyone says? And, does anyone know the easiest school to get into for a foreign student in France? Which schools accept the most foreign students? Also, what are the requirements to get into med school in France? Do you have to have certain classes, take certain exams? And how would I got about getting a student visa and things like that? Ok, I think that's all. Lol.

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I have a lot of questions about med school in France. I've tried the internet but I can't really find any useful information. I know you have to know French to get in, which I plan on learning. I already know some conversational French and I can read it pretty well. Does med school in France cost? I saw somewhere that it was free to study in France, but I'm not sure.
There are academic fees but they're very low...i.e. a couple hundred euros or so. Housing in Paris is quite expensive, but appears to be reasonable in the rest of France.

Also, I was wondering how long med school is.
Six years.
Another question,(I have A LOT, lol) what are the requirements for becoming a citizen in France? I'm thinking of staying there to practice. Can you have dual citizenship or do you have to relinquish American citizenship?
You can get French citizenship after having lived in France for five years. This period can be reduced to two years if you have a degree from a French institution. France has no problem with dual citizenship with the US and you would not be asked to relinquish your American citizenship.
And this is a totally random question, but my mom told me that French people do not like Americans. Is this true? Is it really as bad as everyone says?
I'm sure you could find people in France who are anti-American. But, unlike what some people claim, you would have to look a bit. If you run into problems it's a lot more likely to be due to the usual interpersonal conflicts that you'd run into anywhere. A much bigger issue is that you'd have to contend with significant cultural differences. The odd anti-American that you might run into should be the least of your worries.

I'm Canadian. But most Parisians I meet initially assume I'm American and they treat me just fine (but perhaps even better when they know I'm Canadian ;)).
And, does anyone know the easiest school to get into for a foreign student in France? Which schools accept the most foreign students? Also, what are the requirements to get into med school in France? Do you have to have certain classes, take certain exams? And how would I got about getting a student visa and things like that? Ok, I think that's all. Lol.
There are two hurdles. The first is that you'd need to apply through a French embassy or consulate to be allowed to take part in the first year competition at a French med school. If you have half decent grades covering all the usual pre-med courses (i.e. two or three years of a typical science degree) at a reputable university, this should be no problem. The only caveat is that a lot of foreign students want to study in Paris so you might not be able to get a spot at a Paris school. That shouldn't be a big deal unless you really want to be in Paris. Besides, you get to give a first and second choice on your application and only one of your choices can be a Paris school.

More importantly, though, is that you'd have to make it past the competition in first year. It's a really unpleasant process that almost negates all the pluses of studying medicine in France. You'll be packed in overcrowded classes in underfunded buildings and get little to no support from professors and school administration. It will be stressful and frustrating. It only lasts one year (two if you have to repeat it) but there's nothing positive about it.

As for applying, unless things have changed, you need to apply through a French embassy or consulate. You would pick up an application package there in November/December and fill out the appropriate forms and get everything back to them by some time in January. Please check with your consulate for the correct dates and any changes that may have been adopted in the application procedure.

You will also be asked to take a language test in March or April. After you've passed the language test and been granted a spot by a French med school, your consulate or embassy will prepare a student visa for you.

I hope this helps.

p.s. If you don't already speak some French or have a strong interest in France, you might want to be careful about taking this route. Some people love France and others hate it. I spoke French prior to coming to Paris but it still took me a while to get used to it.
 
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Thanks! That was really helpful. My fiance and I are getting married in december and we are planning on moving there in about a year and a half. I was going to become certified to teach English as a Second Language there as a job and he was going to transfer to the French base of the company he works at now. We don't speak fluent French, but I think if we move over there we could learn it pretty quickly, especially me since I already have a background. What med schools are good in France? I wasn't planning on attending med school in Paris, necessarily. I was thinking about the university near the Mediterranean. Any other suggestions?
 
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In France it is easy to start medical school, but after a few years the cut most of the people out, and the competition is supposed to be horrible. I can imagine that foreigners have a particularly difficult time with this ....
 
I'm planning on living in France and becoming a citizen, whether or not I pass med school. It just seems like too much trouble and way too much money to do it here in the US. The standards are ridiculous if you want to get into a good school and the tuition is outrageous. I can't see paying almost $100,000 a year when I can go to Europe and pay less to nothing, if I can make it past the first year, I think I can be ok. Hopefully.
 
What med schools are good in France? I wasn't planning on attending med school in Paris, necessarily. I was thinking about the university near the Mediterranean. Any other suggestions?
In the US and the UK, there's a more or less self-perpetuating pecking order of med schools and students often want to go to the best school that will accept them. Presumably, this could make a difference when they later apply to residency programs.

You'd be doing yourself a disservice to think like this when choosing a French med school. First of all, French med schools are tightly regulated and standardized. As far as I know, it doesn't matter where you go since they're all supposed to be equally good. Secondly, if anything, you might want to avoid any school that has a high concentration of exceptionally bright or motivated students. After all, first year is when the selection really takes place. It would be a shame to be eliminated simply because you had exceptionally strong classmates. Third, the selection for the internat (i.e. residency) is determined completely by your ranking on a nation-wide exam, the ECN, and has nothing to do with the reputation of your previous med school.

The only time you might want to be careful about reputation is when you choose where you do your internat. If you do very well on the ECN and you want to get the best cardiovascular surgery training you can, then you might want to pick HEGP at Paris V...similarly, for neurosurgery, you might want to pick Pitié-Salpêtrière at Paris VI. But for your prior medical studies, I'd recommend avoiding Paris V and Paris VI altogether.

By Mediterranean, I'm guessing you mean Nice or Marseille. I've never been to either but they sound like good choices. I suspect the quality of life in either one would be better than in Paris. Nice sounds especially attractive. Also, the competition in first year would probably be less than in the Paris schools. And that's actually a good thing.
 
In France it is easy to start medical school, but after a few years the cut most of the people out, and the competition is supposed to be horrible. I can imagine that foreigners have a particularly difficult time with this ....
You're partly right about it being easy to start med school in France. When a French student passes the Bac, he or she has the right to enrol in the first year competition in a French med school in his or her academic region the following year. It's automatic. However, this isn't the case for students from other academic regions in France or for students from other countries like Germany and the US. All these students have to submit a dossier and be given a spot by the rector of that academic region.

You're right about the competition being horrible, but it only occurs in first year. You're also right about it being hard on foreigners. Many of them have to deal with at least some culture shock and this makes an already stressful year even more stressful.
 
I'm planning on living in France and becoming a citizen, whether or not I pass med school. It just seems like too much trouble and way too much money to do it here in the US. The standards are ridiculous if you want to get into a good school and the tuition is outrageous. I can't see paying almost $100,000 a year when I can go to Europe and pay less to nothing, if I can make it past the first year, I think I can be ok. Hopefully.
By standards, I wonder if you mean the academic standards students have to meet to get into med school. If so, be careful.

Contrary to what some people seem to think, the entering gpa averages of pretty much all med schools in the US seem fairly reasonable. The MCAT scores seem reasonable too. If you just focus on academic criteria and exclude everything else, American med schools seem more accessible than med schools in France, Canada, the UK and several other Western European countries (and perhaps schools in other places, too, but I don't know much about them).

If you had trouble with any of your pre-med courses, think twice about doing the first year concours at a French med school. There's nothing particularly advanced about the material you'd be covering. But lectures are fast-paced, textbooks and other references are often inadequate and you'd have little to no support. It's not a wholesome liberal arts learning environment. It's a concours. And the level of competition and stress would likely be higher than what you experienced back in the US.
 
Well, I am not a pre-med student. I'm actually a psychology student. I have had some science courses, but not all of them. So I have to take them in the next two years. My GPA is good, but it's not a 3.8, as most med schools I've seen want you to have. The MCAT looks incredibly hard to take and seeing as how I haven't had any of those classes, I can't take it until I'm done. Then the three year process of actually applying to med school, the application fees, the fees to travel for a second interview...all this trouble and you might not even get accepted. I'm moving to France before I apply to med school there. I want to be used to the culture and language before I start school. I'm not sure about the tests you have to take there,is there some way I can see them online? A sample or something? I have lived in Europe before, just not France. So I'm not too worried about the culture shock. I am worried about just getting into a school. I want to make sure I am prepared.
 
hi I'm a dental student in paris and the first year is the same for med and dental student so I cann help you.
It' s very very easy to get into first year of med school but it's very difficult to stay for the second one.
You cann try twice the first year.
It cost 150 euros per year (pretty cool!!) plus 200 for health insurance( total cover)!
You just have to be a graduate from high school in order to get in
then you choose 3 med school in paris they try to give you one of them no selection!!
after that you come in hell for 8 month.
You have to be in the top 100 and there is 1000 students.
It last 6 years and again there is an other contest (ECN) then you cann start residency!!
Good luck I am in paris 6 I hope I see you soon!
Here don't worry we like americans, we are used to foreign student and there is extra place for you so that makes you popular during the first year (no direct competition with you)
Again good luck
If you have questions you cann send me private messages
 
hi I'm a dental student in paris and the first year is the same for med and dental student so I cann help you.
It' s very very easy to get into first year of med school but it's very difficult to stay for the second one.
You cann try twice the first year.
It cost 150 euros per year (pretty cool!!) plus 200 for health insurance( total cover)!
You just have to be a graduate from high school in order to get in
then you choose 3 med school in paris they try to give you one of them no selection!!
after that you come in hell for 8 month.
You have to be in the top 100 and there is 1000 students.
It last 6 years and again there is an other contest (ECN) then you cann start residency!!
Good luck I am in paris 6 I hope I see you soon!
Here don't worry we like americans, we are used to foreign student and there is extra place for you so that makes you popular during the first year (no direct competition with you)
Again good luck
If you have questions you cann send me private messages
Tnerolf, the procedure you're describing is that for a French student who's obtained a bac in the Paris region. For foreign students there are a couple of steps prior to this. When they submit their initial application to a French consulate or embassy in January, they list their preferences for studying in France and only one of them can be a Paris school. If they're accepted by the Academic Rector of Paris, then they're allowed to later take part in the same assignment of Paris med schools as all the other Paris students. That's the step you seem to be referring to.

Also, when you refer to foreign students and the numerus clausus, it's important for foreign students to understand that this lack of competition is a one-way street. So long as they don't exceed 8% of those accepted (which, I think, very rarely happens) every non-European Union student who makes it into the numerus clausus allows the university to create an extra spot for an EU student. So these non-EU students aren't a threat. But this makes no difference to the foreign students themselves, apart from attracting the good will of otherwise cutthroat French classmates. These foreign students still have to make it into the numerus clausus. If there are 100 spots in the NC and a non-European student is 100th, a European student ranked 101st would get in. But if it's the EU student who's ranked 100th and the non-EU student is ranked 101st, the non-EU student would be cut.

By the way, French lycées and North American high schools aren't exactly equivalent. Some American and Canadian high school students are very good in the material they've covered, but the level reached with a North American high school diploma is lower than that reached with a French bac. French med schools seem to require at least two years of prior study at a North American university to be regarded as equivalent. From what I've seen, this is overkill, but I don't think this is likely to change any time soon.
 
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This is all very helpful. I will have a bachelor's of science, so getting in shouldn't be too much of a problem. I'm also going to be fluent in French before I go, at least that's my plan. I've already taken two years of French at my college and I am going to continue to study for another couple years. I am looking into moving to France and living there and becoming a resident after I finish med school. I'm not really sure where I would like to live, but I don't mind really where I go to school, a rural area would be fine with me. I'm not sure what kinds of precudures I need to go through to move there and get a job before I start school. Does anyone know?
 
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You can get French citizenship after having lived in France for five years. This period can be reduced to two years if you have a degree from a French institution.

This is wrong, I am a dentist from Paris V, I could have the french citizenship after having lived there for 14 years, having finished the dental school and having paid 4000 euros an attorney in law.
My sister is finishing the law shool at Sorbonne, has been living there for more than15 years, my parents are resident, BUT she still have a one year card and can not apply for the citizenship unless she gets her 10 years card.

Please understand that you are competting with french people and the questions of the " concours" are ESSAY questions and not multiple choices.
The French system of grading is a negative one that means even a wrong spelling would cost you 1 point over 20 and more than 20 places.

Bonne cance, la decision vous appartient.
 
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Hi,
I'm american and currently in 2nd year medical school in Montpellier, france. It sounds like you are interested inteaching. Before applying to med school you can work as an English assistant, teaching english in French schools. It's easier that way when you want to apply to med school you can go directly through the school and not the embassy or consulate.
The first year is brutal, but doable if you like working every minute of the day. At my university 225 1st year students out of 1400 were accepted into 2nd year. Once that's done, it's smooth sailing until the National Exam (Examen National Classant) to get into a residency program. You may want to look at the university's overall results for this exam because certain universities prepare their students better than others. I just learned that Montpellier is one of the lowest ranked schools for the ENC.
I am also applying for the nationalty. I've lived in France for only 4 years, but there is such is need for doctors in France that they'd like to keep the doctors they create.
 
HI, well i found it very interesting to see american students wanting to come to france. I am a medical student in first year (yeah the toughest!) in Lyon. It's funny to talk about med school for france since it is actually university that is why the fees are low : 160 euros. Well, in Lyon we have 4 universities where you can take medicine. I came from South Africa before coming and to get in I had to fill in a special 'dossier' you can obtain on the intrenet or by the consulate qround february march if i remember well. This allows you to choose 3 univesities. Then you get an answer telling you where you were accepted and from there on they contact you to set up a date where you settle all the administration and paperwork...
i think that for you it would be the dossier blanc : http://www.education.gouv.fr/cid247...-1er-cycle-dans-une-universite-francaise.html
sorry it's in frrench but if you need and help translating or anything just send me a message ...
Well , why did i choose univesite lyon nord ? well it's in lyon (where i was born) and has a very good reputation. But of course this comes with two informations; the first or second student last year from ECN was from Lyon Nord and of course the competition is harder in first year (of course i hadn't though about the latter...)
well we are 700 in an ugly amphitheater and the courses are not that difficiult although some more challenging...but out of 700 you have to be in the 105 top students to get medicine for 2nd year after that there are about another thirty students who get dentist or other paramedicine options as we like to call them. anyways as a foreigner you get a different ratio.
also one very important thing to say is that you should know that it is nearly impossible to go without a "boite a colles" ; they are private mini schools (lol) that prepare you for the concours. I am at LE CHA very good one beacause they select the students before hand whereas the others (GALIEN and CCM) take anyone. these of course are only for lyon as each city has its own respective boite a colles. They cost from 650 euros to 1000 euros approx. each week you have exmas with your ranking allowing you to know where you stand at.
hving said all this, if you need any info sand me a mail and im gonna run back to stduy molecular biology...hate it !!!!! but hey , wanna become a doctor? have to fight for it!!! ;-)
 
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Out of curiosity, what were your reasons for choosing med school in France (esp. for American citizens)?
 
I wanted to move back to Europe. I lived there when I was younger and I am taking French in school and I thought it would be a good idea to actually be able to learn the language by immersion. I also want to become a dual citizen, here in America, and there in France. If I went to school there for med school and lived there, it would take the five years to become a citizen there. Just an idea. I'm not sure if it will be France or the UK.
 
Hi, I currently live in Toulouse and am just about to start lycée (high school), some members seem to live in France and I was just wondering if I could have some advice on which courses to take in lycée?

I'm planning to do a Bac S with bio specialization. I'm pretty bad at maths, is that important?

Thanks :)
 
Hi dear,
Sorry to repeat the same thing, but getting the French citizenship is not as easy that you think. Please read my last reply to your thread. :)
 
hey ruairidh
bac S is necessary !! and as a specialisation a lot of people say specialisation isn't useful...well i did physics + chemistry "spé" and it did help me a little bit where as a few people who did bio spe said it didnt helpthem...honnestly i took physics cause that's something i was good at so it got me points but i would advise you to take something you enjoy and you're good at so spe bio can be great ! it really doesnt change anything but let me warn you in advance physics will be an important subject... otherwise for the being bad at maths..it's cool...the good thing about medicine is you get to forget about maths...you will probably come across statistics during the first or second year (depends of your faculty) but nothing to worry about
good luck enjoy the lycée !
 
Hello.. i hope anyone might help me.. I'm an equatorian medical doctor.. (southamerica) i graduated 1 year ago and after i did 1 year of rural ground work at an familier hospital to obtain my medical license.. i and 2 friends want to continue our studies and apply for a residency in france.. I on plastic surgery and my friends on dermatology and pediatric surgery.. we want to know which and where are the best hospital for those specializations.. regardless in what part of france they are.. i have heard they are almost the same but as an example the Jackson memorial in th states is almost the 1st or 2nd hospital in traumatology..(I'm not really sure) we want to know wich are and where are the best hospitals in each field.. and how do Non-eu medical doctors should apply..? :confused: we have spoken with the embassy here and we study à L'alliance française.. so we talk french, english and spanish.. :) but here they doesn't know that information cause they don't work in the medical area.. also, what kind of visa is adviced to take for the non-EU postgraduated student? do you know what documents do we have to take there with us..? :confused: do we have to take any dalf or delf test..? :confused: is there any convalidation test..? :confused: when in the year is this test taken..??:confused: and is it of multiple choices or not..? :confused: are there any recommended books for the test..? :confused: do they give a Question book..? or wich Q-book or standard book can we buy?? do they pay at the residency programs..?? if they not how we can finance our expenses?? we will really thank any help you could bring us..
 
Hello.. i hope anyone might help me.. I'm an equatorian medical doctor.. (southamerica) i graduated 1 year ago and after i did 1 year of rural ground work at an familier hospital to obtain my medical license.. i and 2 friends want to continue our studies and apply for a residency in france.. I on plastic surgery and my friends on dermatology and pediatric surgery.. we want to know which and where are the best hospital for those specializations.. regardless in what part of france they are.. i have heard they are almost the same but as an example the Jackson memorial in th states is almost the 1st or 2nd hospital in traumatology..(I'm not really sure) we want to know wich are and where are the best hospitals in each field.. and how do Non-eu medical doctors should apply..? :confused: we have spoken with the embassy here and we study à L'alliance française.. so we talk french, english and spanish.. :) but here they doesn't know that information cause they don't work in the medical area.. also, what kind of visa is adviced to take for the non-EU postgraduated student? do you know what documents do we have to take there with us..? :confused: do we have to take any dalf or delf test..? :confused: is there any convalidation test..? :confused: when in the year is this test taken..??:confused: and is it of multiple choices or not..? :confused: are there any recommended books for the test..? :confused: do they give a Question book..? or wich Q-book or standard book can we buy?? do they pay at the residency programs..?? if they not how we can finance our expenses?? we will really thank any help you could bring us..
 
Tnerolf, the procedure you're describing is that for a French student who's obtained a bac in the Paris region. For foreign students there are a couple of steps prior to this. When they submit their initial application to a French consulate or embassy in January, they list their preferences for studying in France and only one of them can be a Paris school. If they're accepted by the Academic Rector of Paris, then they're allowed to later take part in the same assignment of Paris med schools as all the other Paris students. That's the step you seem to be referring to.

Also, when you refer to foreign students and the numerus clausus, it's important for foreign students to understand that this lack of competition is a one-way street. So long as they don't exceed 8% of those accepted (which, I think, very rarely happens) every non-European Union student who makes it into the numerus clausus allows the university to create an extra spot for an EU student. So these non-EU students aren't a threat. But this makes no difference to the foreign students themselves, apart from attracting the good will of otherwise cutthroat French classmates. These foreign students still have to make it into the numerus clausus. If there are 100 spots in the NC and a non-European student is 100th, a European student ranked 101st would get in. But if it's the EU student who's ranked 100th and the non-EU student is ranked 101st, the non-EU student would be cut.

By the way, French lycées and North American high schools aren't exactly equivalent. Some American and Canadian high school students are very good in the material they've covered, but the level reached with a North American high school diploma is lower than that reached with a French bac. French med schools seem to require at least two years of prior study at a North American university to be regarded as equivalent. From what I've seen, this is overkill, but I don't think this is likely to change any time soon.
 
Hi,
I'm american and currently in 2nd year medical school in Montpellier, france. It sounds like you are interested inteaching. Before applying to med school you can work as an English assistant, teaching english in French schools. It's easier that way when you want to apply to med school you can go directly through the school and not the embassy or consulate.
The first year is brutal, but doable if you like working every minute of the day. At my university 225 1st year students out of 1400 were accepted into 2nd year. Once that's done, it's smooth sailing until the National Exam (Examen National Classant) to get into a residency program. You may want to look at the university's overall results for this exam because certain universities prepare their students better than others. I just learned that Montpellier is one of the lowest ranked schools for the ENC.
I am also applying for the nationalty. I've lived in France for only 4 years, but there is such is need for doctors in France that they'd like to keep the doctors they create.
 
Hello,

Does anyone know by any chance what the French med schools base on in order to accept US citizens in their universities? Is it based on GPA or bachelor's degree. I know that once applying med school there, you have to start from schratc. But, I am not sure what take in consideration in order to accept or reject US citizens in their schools.

Thank you,

Pierre
 
Hello everyone, I was wondering how many courses one can apply for in one french university?
 
Hello everyone, I was wondering how many courses one can apply for in one french university?
Technically you can apply everywhere as you will be an international student and will have to ask permission (a "derogation") to every dean anyway.

Hello,

Does anyone know by any chance what the French med schools base on in order to accept US citizens in their universities? Is it based on GPA or bachelor's degree. I know that once applying med school there, you have to start from schratc. But, I am not sure what take in consideration in order to accept or reject US citizens in their schools.

Thank you,

Pierre
Med school entry in France is absolutely not competitive. Overcoming the 1st year and the concours is. I would think that they would try to make sure that you at least have some science background but in France virtually anyone can enrol into medical school. The cut off happens at the end of the first year :)
 
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