Faced with the growing development of non-conventional medicines, a recent report by the Directorate General for Health (DGS) recalls that “while certain practices certainly have an effect on certain symptoms, this has been insufficiently or not demonstrated. If others do not have a noticeable effect, but have the advantage of not having a significant adverse effect either, they can however cause a loss of chance for people with serious illnesses, such as cancer by example, because of the trust that these people place in themselves and the possible delay induced for treatment in conventional medicine. Finally, others still can have harmful adverse effects on health and must therefore be systematically prohibited. »
To provide objective information to people who wish to resort to unconventional practices, information sheets on the content, limits and even dangers of certain practices should gradually be posted on the Ministry of Health website ( www.sante.gouv.fr): on the home page, in the “Search” tab, type “non-conventional care practices”.
Are they taught in medical school?
The Ministry of Health is very clear: “In France, only conventional medicine is taught in medical faculties. Medical studies lead to the obtaining of diplomas at the national level: doctorate in medicine and diplomas in one of the existing medical specialties. To obtain the diploma and the title of doctor, the only subjects taught are conventional practices. »
With the exception of theacupuncture, the teaching of unconventional medicine does not therefore give rise to national diplomas. However, certain courses (medical hypnosis, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, dietetics and human nutrition, etc.) are the subject of university diplomas (DU) or interuniversity diplomas (DIU): but these are additional titles which do not alone do not give the right to exercise a health profession.
Some doctors with a doctorate in medicine can therefore perfectly complete their training with this type of university education. They then become doctors.phytotherapist or doctor-homeopath, which guarantees that the patient will be dealing with a doctor with a doctorate.
