title: Country report: medical education in France.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The last 10 years have represented a period of significant reform within both the health care and education systems in France. In terms of its workforce, France faces a shortage of doctors, particularly in primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper examines the French medical curriculum, student selection, licensure and continuing medical education and discusses the challenges currently facing French medical faculties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The French medical curriculum is defined nationally, with methods adapted at medical school level. There has been some uptake of innovative methods such as problem-based learning, skills-based teaching and performance-based assessment. However, traditional didactic teaching of scientific medicine and the apprenticeship model remain dominant. France uses a unique method of selection, which is the subject of much debate. Following a general year, medical students are subject to a selection examination that permits only a small number to continue studies. Similarly, at the end of medical school, a written test is used to rank students for the purpose of matching to specialty training. France has no national colleges or licensing authorities and thus authorisation to practise rests on the diploma delivered by each faculty of medicine. From 2005, continuing medical education became compulsory for all doctors. It includes the evaluation of medical practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  French faculties of medicine face several challenges, including: rising numbers of students without a commensurate growth in the number of faculty members; an increasing emphasis on multidisciplinary health care; a drive towards mandatory continuing education and performance-based outcomes, and the development of national selection examinations that are knowledge-based.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, France. christophesegouin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Segouin
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jouquan
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: Pierre-Henri
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Bréchat
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maillard
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schlemmer
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bertrand
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D015510:Clinical Medicine / Q000193:education; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000639:trends*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000639:trends*; D005602:France; D008007:Licensure, Medical; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods