INTERVIEW | Read our profile of Gérald Chanques, Associate Dean for General Affairs, Heritage, and Campus Life!

Every five years, a new dean’s office team, composed of associate deans and program directors, is appointed by the dean to represent him or her in carrying out specific tasks. This year, Professor Gérald Chanques was appointed Associate Dean for General Affairs, Heritage, and Campus Life. Read his interview here: learn about his background and the projects he hopes to implement as part of his role!

 

You were appointed by the Dean, Ms. Isabelle Laffont. Could you tell us about your background and your area of expertise?

I took my high school diploma and completed my undergraduate studies in Montpellier, so you could say I’m one-quarter Parisian and three-quarters Montpellier native. I loved my studies so much that it was hard for me to choose a “specialty.” I chose anesthesiology and critical care for several reasons: first, for the interdisciplinary nature of medical knowledge, but also for the human and material resources available within our teams to provide safe care, including pain management and handling the most critical situations.

 

How do you plan to balance your duties as associate dean with your other professional responsibilities?

This project was developed within my hospital department alongside my colleagues and my department head, who has always supported and encouraged me throughout my professional career. My involvement with the faculty has grown gradually since my appointment eight years ago. I continue to maintain a clinical practice that constantly enriches my teaching and research. Conversely, my understanding of academic institutions shapes all my duties as a university professor. The Faculty and its unique history, as well as the University (I serve on the Committee on Education and University Life and on the disciplinary sections of the Academic Council), prompt me to reflect on every facet of my work, from patient care to teaching and innovation. The societal shift taking place in our relationships with one another—the fight against inequality, sexual and gender-based violence, and so on—represents a major and long-awaited turning point for our institutions.

 

What will your contributions and goals be? What projects do you hope to carry out in your role?

I gradually came to realize the importance of teaching and passing on knowledge to the younger generation, as well as the importance of having a faculty that draws on multiple campuses (Nîmes and Montpellier, modernity and heritage) and embodies a true university spirit—one that holds meaning for our patients, our students, and society at large. The Faculty has an urban history. It serves as a bridge to the general public.

Our faculty faces many challenges today regarding the organization of the institution, its campuses, and the promotion of its heritage: the university community—students, faculty, and staff—must embrace this past and future history and share it with others, including our colleagues in other university departments, our healthcare colleagues, and the general public. Among the general public are potential patients. The image we project of the faculty through our history and heritage must align with today’s demands: innovation, excellence in care, but also addressing vulnerability and access to care. All of this together defines our faculty, and we cannot rest easy unless we strive to address all these challenges. The unity of the leadership team, united around our dean, will be the strength of the institution, involving all its faculty and administration—those from previous teams and those preparing future generations.

 

What motivated you to accept this appointment?

My desire to contribute to a dean’s office initiative focused on community, kindness, and active listening, with ambitious goals for the institution. I was deeply grateful for this appointment, as it allows me to continue the work I have been doing for several years with Dean Mondain and Vice Dean Lavabre-Bertrand on complex projects (preparing state-regional contracts for long-term renovations to the historic building, studies for the learning center, and liaising with the Faculty and University’s general affairs offices to develop a large number of projects involving institutions, local governments, and businesses as part of the 800th-anniversary celebrations…).

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#ProudOfOurStudents | Meet TASM3, the upperclassmen tutoring group!

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Did you know? There’s a tutoring association for upper-level health science students at the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine! Known as TASM3 and easily recognizable thanks to its mascot, THOR the turtle, the association is chaired this year by Siham BELMIR. Read her interview below!

 

In a nutshell, what is the TASM3 association?

This is a nonprofit mentoring organization that provides guidance and academic support to medical and midwifery students from their second through sixth years.

By the way, should we call you TASM3 or Thor Tutosup’?

TASM3 is the association’s official name, but we’re more commonly known as Tutosup’. Thor is just our mascot, much like Oscar for ACM or Freddie for Med’ley.

What activities do you organize throughout the year? Could you tell us about them?

  • For DFGSM2 students:
    • A P2 SPR course with a review of biophysics and cell biology/histology
    • Wooclap review sessions on all course units covered in the midterms
    • Anatomy Tutoring
    • Small-group internship debriefing sessions

 

  • For DFGSM3 students:
    • Semiology sessions
    • A workshop on methodology and information about R2C and how to work with middle schools
    • Small-group internship debriefing sessions

 

  • For DFASMs:
    • ECG and medical imaging interpretation sessions
    • Workshops on suturing and sterile dressing techniques
    • A seminar on outpatient care and how to admit a patient to the hospital
    • Prep sessions for the ECOS

 

  • For midwives:
    • Review sessions

 

  • For everyone:
    • Raffles to win medical reference materials and equipment
    • Discounts at participating stores or retailers

Why did you join the organization as an individual?

I joined the association after two years of mentoring first-year students. I’m passionate about teaching, so it felt like a natural step to take over the association. With the R2C reform, I think it’s important to have a Student Support Team worthy of the name to provide the best possible support and guidance to students. I really wanted to expand the association’s activities to broaden our reach on the campuses in Montpellier and Nîmes.

What does your organization offer students? Why do you think someone should join your organization?

It helps students reinforce their knowledge and provides a sense of calm ahead of upcoming midterms and internships. We offer academic and emotional support to students as they navigate their studies, which are known to be demanding and challenging. Our association is based on mentorship and peer learning, which are core values in health studies. We take a different educational approach because these sessions are led by students for students. Tutors are much more accessible and available, and serve as a liaison between students and academic advisors.

How do I join TASM3?

Membership in our association is free and automatic upon entering the second year of medical or midwifery school. It grants you access to our sessions and to the information shared on our Facebook and Instagram pages. We post our partners’ offers, as well as multiple-choice quizzes and practice clinical cases, on our social media channels.

A few words about the 2022–2023 board?

Our office is made up of third- and fourth-year medical and midwifery students from our two campuses in Montpellier and Nîmes. We are deeply committed to the association’s growth; we would like to expand the scope of our tutoring programs and launch new initiatives to better meet students’ needs. We are proud that many of our projects have come to fruition this year, notably the suturing and sterile dressing workshops, as well as the SPR P2, and we hope to continue this momentum.

 

TASM3 Page
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#ProudOfOurStudents | Our students from Nîmes on a mission in Dakar

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Our students have talent and ideas to spare! While our students in Montpellier are getting involved in a solidarity project in Togo, our students in Nîmes have chosen Senegal and the city of Dakar for the annual humanitarian project organized by the Crocos du Monde association. It’s a wonderful initiative that we didn’t want to miss sharing. Here’s a report and an interview.

 

 
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Crocos du Monde: A Nîmes-based nonprofit dedicated to humanitarian causes

Founded in 2007, “Les Crocos du Monde ” is a student organization composed of health sciences students from the Faculty of Medicine at its Nîmes campus. Its goal is to enable students to engage in humanitarian activities and raise awareness of global inequalities. The association participates in international solidarity projects focused on health and education, made possible through fundraising efforts conducted during the academic year. Several initiatives have already been carried out in countries such as Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Morocco, and Togo.

What is the DAKAR Project?

This year, Crocos du Monde is taking action in Senegal. For the 2021–2022 project, the association is focusing on raising funds and collecting medical and paramedical supplies to be sent to Fatick. During the school year, students had the opportunity to meet with several organizations—the AAD, the MRCCR, and the OSD—to exchange supplies and knowledge. The Nîmes University Hospital contributed to this cause by providing supplies as part of a partnership and international hospital cooperation initiative established between the Nîmes University Hospital and sites in Senegal.

A project brought to life!

With the help of the administration and members of the CDM, the container was loaded at the Faculty of Medicine in Nîmes. It was then transported to Fos-sur-Mer, from where it departed on June 22 and arrived at the port of Dakar on June 30, 2022.

To confirm that the equipment had arrived safely and to verify that it was functioning properly, three DFGSM2 students traveled to the site from July 15 to 20, 2022, accompanied by the association’s president. The visit provided an opportunity to meet with local contacts and tour the Fann University Hospital as well as the Fatick General Hospital in preparation for next year.

 

To learn more about the ins and outs of this project, we sat down with Joffrey Buland, the 2021–22 President of Crocos du Monde! Check out his interview below!

 

Hi Joffrey, could you introduce yourself and tell us what your role is in this project?

Hello, my name is Joffrey Buland and I am currently a second-year medical student in Nîmes. During the Crocos du Monde “Dakar 2022” project, in my first year, I served as president of the association. The president’s role, in collaboration with the executive committee, is to organize the international project. We handled communication with local contacts, issued requests for quotes for the end-of-year container, and organized its shipment as well as the trip to the destination.

 

Can you tell us more about this project? What did it involve?

This project was a new venture for Les Crocos du Monde; our goal was to launch an international initiative with greater staying power—a long-term partnership that could be renewed each year. It was with this same goal of sustainability in mind that we came up with the idea of the shipping container, to give a second life to the supplies we were able to collect throughout the year. Since Les Crocos du Monde is primarily focused on sharing and sustainable development, the idea seemed fitting to us. The goal was to collect medical and paramedical supplies throughout the year via various partners, which were then shipped to Senegal, specifically the Fatick General Hospital, located 150 km south of Dakar.

 

Why did you choose Senegal? What led you to make that choice?

We turned our attention to Senegal thanks to a doctor at the Nîmes University Hospital, Dr. Christophe Boisson, who was of immense help in getting our project off the ground. Dr. Boisson has been sending containers of medical supplies to Dakar for several years now; it was with him and our trusted contacts on the ground that we decided to focus our efforts on the Fatick General Hospital. This led to an official partnership between Carémeau University Hospital and Dakar University Hospital, of which Crocos du Monde and Fatick are branches. This partnership has three main focuses: the delivery of supplies, in which we participated; medical and paramedical training through the simulation center; and training for biomedical engineers and technicians.

 

How did you organize the collection of supplies?

The collection of supplies began with the hospital identifying its needs and providing us with a list. From that list, we selected the supplies we were able to obtain—those that were within our reach. The “Dakar 2022” project was therefore primarily focused on the nephrology unit currently under development in Fatick. Once we had identified our target, we reached out to our partners—including individuals, other organizations, and primarily the Nîmes University Hospital and Dr. Boisson—and began our search and collection efforts.

 

In the end, what kind of materials were you able to collect? How much is that?

By the end of the year, we had collected enough to fill a 33-cubic-meter container—2.5 tons of supplies. Most of these were urology and nephrology supplies, including catheters and urinary ostomy kits, but we also had some surgical supplies, such as ventilator circuits and laparoscopy kits. We were also fortunate to find large electronic equipment, 7 emergency stretchers, and a delivery table. Since the goal was to give a second life to what we sent, all expiration dates were checked, and all electronic equipment was tested and refurbished as needed through Apelem, an association of biomedical engineers and technicians that is part of the partnership with the Nîmes University Hospital.

 

You were part of the trip in July. How did it go? What did it mean for you and your colleagues?

The four of us traveled to Nîmes with three second-year medical students, two of whom are now part of the executive committee. The goal was to show them around facilities like the Fatick General Hospital, where they will be collecting supplies, so they could get a clear idea of their upcoming 2023 project. At the same time, we introduced them to our trusted partners and local contacts, which will facilitate better communication in the coming year and help them understand the why, the how, and the for whom. This trip was deeply enriching on a personal level; it allowed us to observe and understand different hospital and cultural systems, with resources that also vary to some extent depending on the facility.

 

Does this inspire you to get involved in humanitarian medicine?

Humanitarian medicine has always been my main goal; even when I started my pre-med program, my aim was always to join Doctors Without Borders or another organization to go on a mission. When I discovered the Crocos du Monde association, and had the chance—along with my friends—to get involved in my own way starting in my first year of medical school, I didn’t hesitate. This year has allowed me to further deepen and strengthen this dream for after I graduate.

 

What about future projects for Crocos du Monde?

To answer this question, I’ll hand it over to Chloé Messines, the new president of Crocos du Monde for the 2022–2023 term.

Chloé: Les Crocos du Monde remains focused on the partnership between the University Hospitals of Nîmes and Dakar, and more specifically on assembling the container of medical equipment; the bulk of our internal funding and the events we organize are aimed at financing this project. Furthermore, it is important for us and our Senegalese partners to meet in person and confirm that the container has been received successfully. Just as we did last year, Les Crocos du Monde are committed to traveling to Dakar and Fatick to connect with the people who made this project possible. Now, our goal for this year is also to foster a vibrant community life for our members by offering a wider variety of events (clean walks, school outreach, outreach patrols, etc.), with a focus on inter-organizational collaboration (such as our involvement in the “Nîmes en Rose” project led by the midwifery student association and “Pep’s Week” with Tutorat Santé Nîmes). Thus, we rely on the motivation of second-year medical and midwifery students to ensure the association’s successful development.

 

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