Comic books for better healthcare: First meeting of comic book author patients

Comic books at the bedside: a unique day of discussion at the Faculty of Medicine.

Three comic book artists agreed to come and lead discussions and workshops with students at the University of Montpellier (UM) at the invitation of the faculty of medicine, which regularly uses comic books as a teaching aid, such as in narrative medicine and many other areas. Each of them has published a comic book about their healthcare journey and their relationship with medicine, covering different health issues but with certain common experiences that paint a universal picture of the "caregiver-patient" relationship.

Alice Baguet, Olivia Hagimont, and Matthieu Blanchin will explore, enrich, and question the patient-caregiver relationship. Through these exchanges, the meaning of "care" in our society will be addressed on a philosophical, political, ethical, and artistic level.

This event is part of a comic book teaching project developed since 2023 at the Faculty of Medicine in conjunction with the University's joint documentation service: 250 comics related to healthcare are now available in the medical libraries in Nîmes and Montpellier.

What does it mean to be a caregiver or a patient? How should we provide care? How do patients view the medical profession? Through the accessible and original medium of comic books, the public can discover how this "9th art," which gives voice to the experiences of these patient-authors, has become an educational tool for the Faculty and contributes to training by reflecting on the meaning of caregiving. The interest for the general public also lies in sharing experiences around healthcare in general and expressing the patient's experience.

On Friday, June 13, 2025, between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., come meet Alice Baguet, Olivia Hagimont, and Matthieu Blanchin for book signings and discussions at the student health stands, university library, and a bookstore that will be open all day. To close out the day, a public debate will be held in the late afternoon in the anatomy amphitheater of the Faculty of Medicine's historic building.

Practical organization:

  • Date:Friday, June 13, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Location:Historic building of the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier, 2, rue école de médecine
  • Target audience:general public
  • Guests: Alice Baguet, Olivia Hagimont, Matthieu Blanchin

Program:

  • Comic book fair from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., time for guests, students, and health teachers to meet, book signings: I'm signing up for the workshops
  • Discussion workshops at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.: focusing on comic books written by patients who are recognized comic book authors, led by faculty members, with the authors in attendance: two workshops, open to health students at the university as well as any student interested in healthcare, the caregiver-patient relationship, or issues related to the body.
Level down Level down I am signing up for the WORKSHOPS
  • Stands: University libraries (UM's joint documentation service), student associations, "En traits libres" bookshop (sales and signings), providing opportunities for people of all ages to meet and exchange ideas, with the support of the Art & Culture Department of the University of Montpellier's Campus Life Division and the student health associations of the Montpellier and Nîmes Faculties of Medicine.
  • Conference Round table discussion open to the public at 5:30 p.m. on the caregiver-patient relationship, experiences as a patient and as a caregiver, expressing and sharing experiences, the role of literature in general and comics in particular in medical and healthcare education (narrative medicine), and new forms of healthcare education.

Cross-disciplinary event: authors and teachers, with support from the shared documentation service and the Art and Culture department of the University of Montpellier

Audience:students and the general public

Guest bookseller on site (Librairie En traits libres)