[Medical English in medical school: the French experience].
OBJECTIVE
English classes were made compulsory in French medical schools by a 1992 statute. The aim of this work is to describe current characteristics of this teaching program.


METHODS
A questionnaire designed by experts in the teaching of medical English was sent to the 41 medical schools in metropolitan France. The questionnaire covered five different areas (the number of class hours, students, and teachers; evaluation and marking methods; curriculum content and pedagogical methods, student and teacher profiles, and the teaching of English to postgraduate students).


RESULTS
Twenty-six questionnaires were returned and evaluated, and all reported teaching English. Duration of instruction averages 88+/-30 hours. English is compulsory in 96% of responding school and is taught mainly during the second and third years. Medical English is taught most often (68%). Permanent or temporary instructors teach relatively small classes. In 52% of cases, a doctor participates in the class. In 36% of cases, advanced postgraduate classes are organized for doctors.


CONCLUSIONS
The teaching of English is now widely accepted in French medical schools, and it is developing. Nevertheless, we can hope that it will benefit from a wider range of pedagogical tools, notably by combining the existing classroom methods with training periods in English-speaking countries.
Rannou
François
F
Service de médecine physique et réadaptation, Hôpital Cochin, AP-HP, Université Paris 5, Paris. francois.rannou@cch.aphp.fr
Charpy
Jean-Pierre
JP
Carnet
Didier
D
Poiraudeau
Serge
S
Hamonet
Marie-Annick
MA
D003479:Curriculum; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004501:Education, Medical; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D012577:Schools, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching; D013997:Time Factors