September 6, 2018.
The government intends to reform the issue of the numerus clausus. Several options are advanced for making a selection among medical students.
Reform the numerus clausus to fight against medical deserts?
Each year, on the occasion of the results of the competition which closes the first year of medicine, the same question arises. Is the numerus clausus still relevant, while France is facing a shortage of doctors? Decided to reform this system put in place in 1972, the government could initiate a major consultation aimed at completely reshaping our health system, and in particular this policy of quotas which limits the number of students in the second year of medicine.
Among the avenues put forward, the government will look into that of a new numerus: the numerus apertus. This system would set, no longer a maximum number, but a minimum number of students to be integrated in the second year.. The faculties of medicine would then have the choice to be satisfied with this quota, or to select more students.
8,000 students are selected each year to enter the second year of medicine
Another option under study: the total elimination of the numerus clausus. Universities would now have the choice of setting themselves the number of students they have the capacity to train.
Currently, 8,000 students enter second year of medicine each year. Before the numerus clausus was adopted, up to 14,000 doctors were trained in France each year. If the numerus clausus were repealed, a larger generation of doctors could leave universities in 2030. This reform will therefore not resolve the issue of medical deserts in the short term, but will participate in it within ten years.
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