Comic Books for Better Care: 1st Meeting of Patients Who Are Comic Book Authors

Comic Books at the Bedside: A Unique Day of Discussion at the School of Medicine.

Three comic book artists agreed to come and lead discussions and workshops for students at the University of Montpellier (UM) at the invitation of faculty members from the School of Medicine, who routinely use comics as a teaching tool—such as in narrative medicine and many other areas… Each of them has published a comic book about their own healthcare journey and their relationship with medicine, addressing different health issues but sharing certain common experiences that reveal a universal aspect of the “caregiver-patient” relationship.

Alice Baguet, Olivia Hagimont, and Matthieu Blanchin will explore, enrich, and examine the patient-caregiver relationship. Through these discussions, the meaning of “care” in our society will be addressed from philosophical, political, and ethical perspectives, as well as from an artistic one.

This event is part of the comic book-based teaching initiative launched in 2023 by the Faculty of Medicine in collaboration with the University’s joint library service: 250 healthcare-related comic books are now available at the medical libraries in Nîmes and Montpellier.

What does it mean to be a healthcare provider or a patient? How do we provide care? How do patients view the medical profession? Through the accessible and original medium of comics, the public will discover how this “9th art”—which gives voice to the experiences of these patient-authors—has become an educational tool at the Faculty and contributes to training by prompting reflection on the meaning of providing care. The appeal to the general public also lies in the sharing of experiences related to care in general and in the expression of patients’ lived experiences.

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 meet-and-greets at the health sciences student booths, the university library, and a bookstore that will be open all day. To wrap up the day, a public debate will take place in the late afternoon in the anatomy lecture hall of the Faculty of Medicine’s Historic Building.

Practical Arrangements:

• Date:Friday, June 13, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Location:Historic building of the Montpellier School of Medicine, 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., opportunities for guests, students, and health education teachers to meet, book signings: Sign me up for the workshops
• Discussion workshops at 11:00 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: 2 workshops, open to health sciences students at the University as well as any student interested in healthcare, the caregiver-patient relationship, or issues related to the body