16,700 places in the health industry: a strong commitment from the French government

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To formalise the promise of the French government to create places in the health industry, the French ministries of health and higher education just announced that over 16,700 places are available in four study courses in this industry for the academic year 2021-22. The most significant figure is for the medical field: the 10,600 students admitted to the 2nd year of medicine course at the start of the academic year 2021 illustrate an increase of 1,300 places compared to the last year.

Ma Santé 2022, (My Health 2022) is the name of the French strategy including the priority reform of transforming health studies. The reform illustrates the strong determination to “diversify access routes to health studies, as well as students’ profiles”.

**Elimination of the *numerus clausus***

The new study plans in health now focus on the success of students during their training course by putting an end to a selection system based on the numerus clausus system, a system that led to 60% of students to end up “without any recognition of their knowledge in spite of two years spent in a university”. As ministries in charge of this subject explain, putting an end to the numerus clausus, formerly determined at national level, invites every university to now define the number of students admitted in health training courses. This decision is taken in collaboration with the Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS, Regional Agency of Health) “by taking into account the needs in health and the capacities of training of professionals in each territory”, and of course the capacities of intake of universities.

A special sanitary context

Ministers of health and higher education welcome “the mobilisation of the country’s entire health teaching and student community in recent months”, and note that this reform is taking place in a particular context due to the Covid-19 epidemic. And the ministers to mention also “the high level of universities and the rich discussion with the ARS”. And thanks to the discussions, “the effort put on the training of the next professionals in such special health context has never been so strong”.

Strong increase in the medical field

And the figures bear witness to this: a total of more than 16,700 places have been opened for the four health courses for the next academic year. Even if this number has been steadily increasing for several years, the biggest increase concerns the medical study courses, with 10,600 students admitted to the second year of medicine at the start of the 2021 academic year, i.e. an increase of 1,300 places (+14%) compared to last year. It should be noted that in addition to the medical study courses, other courses are available: pharmacy (1,645 places), midwifery (537 places) and dentistry (630 places).