Students from the Montpellier Artistic Project (MAP) association invite you to join them in analyzing a scene from Godard’s film *Contempt* during the special exhibition by artist Sylvain Fraysse at the Historic Building of the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine. We met with them to discuss this unique project.
How did this project come about?
The“Camille” project was launched in 2022, born out of a desire among members of the Montpellier Artistic Project to introduce students at the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine to new art forms. The MAP’s 2021–2022 executive board reached out to the Regional Contemporary Art Fund (FRAC) with the aim of creating a joint project, and this led to a collaboration with Sylvain Fraysse, a visual artist, and Céline Mélissent, the FRAC’s public engagement and collection outreach coordinator.
What does this artistic experience entail for visitors?
The exhibition is a sensory experience of light and sound based on Jean-Luc Godard’s film *Contempt *. The artist uses the Dissection Room in the Historic Building of the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine to “dissect” a scene from the film. In this iconic scene, the director lists the parts of Camille’s body—one of the main characters, played by Brigitte Bardot—in the manner of a dissection. Sylvain Fraysse recreates the scene’s color filters using gelatin sheets on the dissection room’s windows and also splits the film’s original soundtrack into 24 frequencies. In this way, he dissects the very essence of the scene.
What exactly is MAP?
The “Montpellier Artistic Project” is a nonprofit organization established in August 2020 by three medical students who wanted to organize artistic activities within the faculty.
Over the past three years, the MAP board has grown, and we now offer a variety of workshops and activities across our four areas of focus: Applied Arts, Public Speaking, Literary Arts, and Culinary Arts. To this end, we provide materials and introductory sessions for various artistic practices, and we also organize art contests on our social media platforms, as well as a public speaking contest each semester.
You can find us through our mascot, a chameleon named Léon Art, on Facebook and on our Instagram account.
Why is this project so important to you?
It is important to us because it allows us to bring the Faculty’s historic building to life by opening a room that has never before been open to the public, and thus gives the association a new boost by taking us beyond our usual workshops. We’ve learned a great deal from this project, and we hope students and visitors will enjoy it. Furthermore, we’re very proud to be part of Montpellier’s bid to become the 2028 Capital of Culture and to be able to contribute to the city’s vibrant community. It’s a vibrant experience that brings students together.
What kind of support have you been able to gather?
We had the opportunity to work with Sylvain Fraysse and the FRAC through Céline Mélissent, who served as our primary point of contact during the development of this project. The project was selected to be part of Montpellier’s bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2028, which allowed us to receive financial support for the exhibition. The TaM supported us by allowing us to install posters at select tram and bus stops throughout the metropolitan area to promote the exhibition.
We also received support from the University of Montpellier (UM) through the Student Initiative Solidarity Fund (FSDIE) and the UM Arts and Culture Department—notably Eléonore Szturemski—as well as from the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine. We would like to extend a special thank you to Dean Isabelle Laffont and Professor Gérald Chanques for their support and logistical assistance.
Practical Information About the Exhibition
Historic Building of the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine
2 rue de l’Ecole de Médecine
34000 Montpellier
Exhibition open to the public from March 22 to April 18:
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Students participating in the guided tours during these open house days, on a self-guided tour.
On Tuesdays, guided tours will be led by students in the master’s program in cultural mediation at the Faculty of Education in Montpellier.
- Tuesday, March 28, and April 4 and 11 at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 18, at 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Additional mediation sessions offered by association members will be announced at a later date on the event’s Facebook page.
The 18th edition of Primavera will be held on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier. Exhibitions, lectures, and a sale of rare plants will take place there from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1. A golden opportunity to acquire an exceptional plant
Primavera’s sale of rare plants is sure to delight botany enthusiasts and hobby gardeners alike. Just imagine: being able to admire a little piece of the Jardin des Plantes every day in your living room or garden. Greenery will be this spring’s biggest decor trend!
2. A Day of Learning
The 3 talks you won't want to miss:
- 2:30 p.m.: “Plant Taxonomy: From Pre-Linnaean Authors to the Shenzhen Code” by Pierre COULOT, pharmacist and biologist, founder and
president of the Botanical Society of Occitanie, and specialist in the Fabaceae family. - 3:30 p.m.: “The Mysteries of the Labyrinth” by Andrée LAFON. With a passion for literature, theater, and psychoanalysis, she has written books—
— that place a strong emphasis on depth psychology. - 4:30 p.m.: “The Restoration Project for Pierre Richer de Belleval’s Intendance and Its Labyrinth” by Professor Thierry LAVABRE-BERTRAND, Director of the Jardin des Plantes.
3. A blend of art and nature
Anne Tassin, a ceramic artist, invites you to visit her exhibition, “Inspiration from Plants”
4. Come see the recently renovated Rabelais monument!
Sculpted by Jacques Villeneuve, the monument—dedicated to Rabelais and the pleasures of life—was unveiled on November 6, 1921, by President Alexandre Millerand. The monument was a gift from the students as part of the celebration marking the 700th anniversary of the Faculty of Medicine, where Rabelais studied in 1530.
The University of Montpellier, the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine, and the Montpellier Jardin des Plantes Corporate Foundation contributed to the restoration of this monument.
5. It’s spring!
Who doesn’t love strolling through the paths of the Jardin des Plantes in the spring? It’s the perfect time to see the garden’s lush flora come back to life after winter. Primavera is an excellent excuse—if one is needed—to discover or rediscover the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier.
We often talk about the initiatives of our first-year students, but those of our residents are just as exciting! This is certainly true of the projects recently led by our general practice residents. As part of their thesis work, six residents developed original websites dedicated to their peers and practicing healthcare professionals. To learn more about this work, we spoke with Dr. Marie-Catherine REBOUL, an associate professor in the University Department of General Medicine (DUMG) and the thesis advisor for these residents.
Projects that emerged from thesis work in general practice
After six years of study, our medical students become residents. They are then required to choose a specialty based on their exam results and personal interests. In Montpellier, General Practice is particularly popular, with nearly 150 new residents each year, all of whom are part of our University Department of General Practice.
To earn a Doctor of Medicine degree, residents must, among other requirements, submit a thesis at the end of nearly 9 years of study. It was as part of this thesis that Dr. Marie-Catherine REBOUL, a few years ago, launched this innovative project with the residents she supervises to create a suite of websites for healthcare professionals.
Websites created based on the scientific method
“This is a project I wanted to ground in a scientific framework,” she says. “Residents volunteering for these projects must therefore conduct a comprehensive literature review prior to the website’s creation.” The data is thus collected, sorted, categorized, and finally cited before being processed in the form of a research question approved by the thesis advisor.
The research question sets the tone for the website: it defines its overall theme and, by extension, its primary objective. “This can cover various areas, such as assistance with diagnosis and screening, sharing best practices, sharing treatment advice, sharing practical guides, and assistance with prescribing,” explains Dr. Reboul.
That brings the total to six websites launched since 2020!
Dermatokid.com, created by Estelle Renart: a website designed to assist in the diagnosis of skin conditions in children ages 0 to 6.
Children who regularly experience skin rashes can present some diagnostic challenges for general practitioners. The Dermatokid website provides a diagnostic approach based on numerous illustrations of skin symptoms observed in children.
- URL: https://dermatokid.com/
- Target audience: residents, general practitioners
- Objective: To assist in diagnosis
- Pros: the numerous illustrations, the concise practical guides, and the emergency section
- Quality Assurance: The website was developed in accordance with the Hodge Sandvik criteria and is listed on the KitMédical website, which features high-quality websites. Regular updates are planned.
- Poster: Download
Depistoeil.com, created by Tibère de Villiers: a website providing support for screening in ophthalmology and primary care
General practitioners rarely have to screen for eye conditions. A lack of equipment or training can make this challenging for them. By providing a protocol for patient interviews and practical tools for screening common eye conditions in the office based on the patient’s age, the website offers valuable support to practitioners.
- URL: https://www.depistoeil.com/
- Target Audience: Primary Care Physicians
- Objective: To assist with screening
- Pros: Screening guidance tailored to the patient’s age or medical condition; Tools provided that can be used in the office
- Quality Assurance: The website was tested by 27 general practitioners and 2 ophthalmologists. It was developed based on the quality criteria of the Netscoring and Hodge-Sandvik scales.
- Poster: Download
Kineclic.fr, created by Thomas Bonnin: a tool to help understand and prescribe physical therapy treatments
General practitioners rarely communicate with physical therapists. They have little training in physical therapy practices. The Kineclic website helps them better understand physical therapy care and, as a result, improve their practices when it comes to prescribing such care.
- URL: https://www.kineclic.fr/
- Target audience: General practitioners and all healthcare professionals who prescribe physical therapy
- Objective: To aid in understanding and prescribing
- Pros: review of the basics of physical therapy, review of clinical examinations (videos)
- Quality Assurance: The website has been tested by general practitioners and approved by experienced physical therapists. Regular updates are planned.
- Poster: Download
Gestrapratique.fr, created by Manon Hériat: a website designed to help address frequently asked questions from pregnant women in general practice
Pregnant women may need to have part of their prenatal care provided by their primary care physician. The Gestapratique website helps doctors answer their questions.
- URL: https://gestapratique.fr/
- Target Audience: Residents, General Practitioners, Midwives
- Objective: To answer common questions about the daily life of a pregnant patient
- Pros: advice on daily life, practical guides for patients available for download
- A Seal of Quality: The site was tested by 30 general practitioners. 83% of them found the site useful. Regular updates are planned.
- Poster: Download
Declic-ecrans.com, created by Gauthier Duret: a database of fact sheets on preventing screen misuse among young children
A major societal issue, screen time for young children raises questions among new parents. This website compiles all best practices on the subject in the form of concise fact sheets, making them easily accessible to both doctors and patients.
- URL: https://www.declic-ecrans.com/
- Target Audience: Residents, Primary Care Physicians, Midwives, Parents
- Objective: To answer frequently asked questions from new parents
- Pros: Printable worksheets
- A guarantee of quality: fact sheets developed based on 2 literature reviews, 650 parent testers, and 450 healthcare professional testers. The site is listed on KitMédical, a directory of high-quality websites. Regular updates are planned.
- Poster: Download
Kidprotect.fr, created by Maud Bettenfeld: a website dedicated to helping prevent, identify, and address child abuse and situations that put children at risk
The website helps doctors and other professionals in the early childhood sector improve their understanding of risk factors, signs, and symptoms, as well as the management of child abuse. With better information, these professionals are better equipped to identify and prevent abuse.
- URL: https://kidprotect.fr/
- Target Audience: General Practitioners, Early Childhood Professionals
- Objective: To share best practices on how to respond during a consultation when abuse is suspected; practical guide on how to initiate a procedure (reporting concerns, filing a report)
- Pros: Advice on how to conduct yourself during a consultation, easy navigation by question, resources organized by region
- A Mark of Quality: This site is listed on KitMédical, a directory of high-quality websites
- Poster: To be published in 2023 as part of a scientific conference.
An initiative spotted by *Le Quotidien du Médecin*!
While these websites have been a resounding success since their launch (some sites are receiving more than 60,000 visits per year as of this writing), the scientific rigor with which they were designed has attracted media attention. As a result, the journal *Le Quotidien du Médecin* has highlighted the Dermatokid and Declics-Ecrans websites!
New projects currently in the design phase
Following the success of these first six projects, Dr. Marie-Catherine Reboul would like to repeat the experience with new residents, focusing on new topics: “I’m thinking of topics such as depression and mental health, as well as sleep disorders.” So, current or future general practice residents, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Reboul if you’re interested in these projects!
Once again this year, the School of Medicine will open its doors at its campuses in Nîmes and Montpellier (Arnaud De Villeneuve) for a one-day event on Saturday, February 11, 2023. This event will give our prospective students the opportunity to meet our faculty, our academic advising staff, and our current students enrolled in medical and paramedical programs.
A Day Exploring Our Two Main Campuses
Open to everyone—parents, high school students, and college students considering a change in their academic path—this event will be held on our two main campuses from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
Add Content Here
MONTPELLIER CAMPUS
641 Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud
34090 MONTPELLIER
NÎMES CAMPUS
186 Chemin du Carreau de Lanes
30900 NÎMES
What's on the agenda
Come join us at the Faculty of Medicine’s Open House (no pre-registration required)!
During the event, you’ll be able to:
- Ask our students, faculty, and academic administrative staff your questions
- Attend conferences
- Find documentation
- Visit our campuses in Montpellier and Nîmes
To make sure you don't miss a thing on the day's schedule, click here!
And to learn everything about the Open House at UM, click here: https://www.umontpellier.fr/articles/journee-portes-ouvertes-de-lum
In July, through the ACM’s exchange program, 13 students had the opportunity to travel to Togo as part of a solidarity project for an organization working to renovate a school. A presentation evening for the International Solidarity Project was organized, featuring a film screening! Here’s a recap of the experience.
How was your trip?
The trip went wonderfully well. We were obviously very anxious because, although the project had been planned three years ago, it had never come to fruition due to the health crisis. So we were the first to go, but the trip went well—whether in terms of the preliminary planning (fundraising, grants, raffles…), safety, our relationship with the Togolese volunteers and the children, or the construction site itself… Our arrival was also well organized by our local partner organization, Espace Hotsi, which supported us from the moment we arrived at the airport until our departure, handling accommodations, meals, transportation, and more…
What were your responsibilities?
Our main mission was to help renovate four preschool and elementary school classrooms, as well as latrines. Our support was primarily financial, as we covered the costs of materials and volunteers (approximately 3,800 euros). We also provided hands-on assistance by contributing additional labor to the construction site.
In the afternoons, we organized games and workshops with volunteer children from the village (painting, dodgeball, etc.). We also attended the school’s end-of-year ceremony, where academic results were announced. We took this opportunity to provide the students with the school supplies they’ll need for the start of the 2022 school year, thereby ensuring equal opportunities, since not all children can afford to pay for the required supplies.
What have you put in place?
The project involved renovating the staircases (masonry), the roof, the gutters, and painting (we sanded and then repainted the exterior and interior walls).
Have you encountered any complications you didn't expect?
We can’t say we ran into any real complications. We had braced ourselves for some discomfort due to the different hygiene practices, but we actually adapted fairly quickly (adaptation happens fast when you have no choice). So, what surprised us most at first was how independent the children were, even from a very young age (sometimes a 5-year-old would carry and take care of his 1-year-old brother). We also noticed cultural differences regarding romantic relationships and how they’re conceptualized. Aside from the culture shock that’s inherent in this kind of experience, we didn’t really face any major complications; it’s simply a matter of adapting to every aspect of life in a country where the way of life is the opposite of what we’re used to in Europe.
Before your trip, you reached out to Médecins du Monde. How did you go about raising awareness?
In fact, we had initial contact with Médecin du Monde, who were very eager to support us on this adventure; unfortunately, after several follow-ups, we didn’t hear back from them. So we had prepared awareness-raising sessions, but once we were there, putting them into practice proved much more difficult than we had anticipated. First of all, because not all the children speak French well, depending on their age (they learn French in school since it’s the country’s official language). And above all, they just wanted to play with us and do physical activities. The diversity of the group therefore prevented us from carrying out our awareness-raising activities as we had hoped. This aspect of the mission is therefore an area for improvement for next year.
How did the experience affect you?
That’s a pretty tough question. I think it took each of us some time after we got back to “process” everything we’d been through. We don’t claim that this trip completely transformed us or that we’re now entirely different people. But this experience certainly left its mark and taught us a great deal on a human level. Sometimes it’s good to get a “wake-up call,” and we can say that what we experienced was a veritable cultural, social, and human whirlwind. Now that we’re back, we’re still ourselves—medical students at the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty, caught up in the grind of our daily routine—but not a day goes by without me thinking back on that trip to Togo. I don’t know if this experience will make me a better person or improve my practice as a future doctor, but it has given me something—that much is certain.
What is your assessment of the situation?
I am pleased to say that the outcome of this mission is extremely positive. Of course, there is room for improvement in terms of planning the trip in advance, managing funds on site (difficulty making withdrawals), and preparing and adapting our outreach efforts. But the very fact that we carried out the mission successfully is an achievement in itself. Furthermore, we are certain of the value of our work, as we are in contact with Étienne, the school principal, who regularly sends us videos of the children attending classes in their newly renovated building. This project is therefore clearly worth repeating, while doing our best to iron out the minor hiccups from this year.
Do you have any new projects?
The new Vice Presidents in charge of Exchange Programs at the Association Carabine Montpelliéraine recently presented this year’s new project to medical students, which involves returning to Togo with the Espace HOTSI association. Indeed, we are convinced that continuing this mission is essential for another year. The project’s format will therefore remain the same (renovation projects, construction, tutoring, etc.), though the specifics are still to be determined with the new Med’Trotters team, which will be selected soon.
Check out the Med’Trotters’ adventure in this video!
Our students have talent and ideas to spare! While our students in Montpellier are getting involved in a community service 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 the chance to share. Here’s a report and an interview.
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!
Hello, Joffrey. Could you please 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 “Dakar 2022” project organized by Crocos du Monde, when I was a first-year medical student, I served as president of the association. The president’s role, in collaboration with the executive committee, is to organize the international project. We were responsible for communicating with local contacts, issuing requests for quotes for the end-of-year shipping container, and organizing 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 first for Les Crocos du Monde; our goal was to launch an international initiative that would be more sustainable—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 focused first and foremost on sharing and sustainable development, the idea seemed like a natural fit. The goal was to collect medical and paramedical supplies throughout the year through various partners, which were then shipped to Senegal—specifically to the Fatick General Hospital, located 150 km south of Dakar.
Why did you choose Senegal? What motivated your decision?
We turned our attention to Senegal thanks to a doctor at the Nîmes University Hospital, Dr. Christophe Boisson, who helped us immensely in setting up our project. 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 the Carémeau University Hospital and the Dakar University Hospital, of which “Les Crocos du Monde” and Fatick are branches. This partnership has three main areas of focus: the delivery of medical 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, which is currently undergoing rapid 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.
All in all, 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 metric tons of equipment. Most of it was urology and nephrology equipment, including catheters and urinary ostomy kits, but we also collected some surgical equipment, such as ventilator circuits and laparoscopy kits. We were also fortunate to find large electronic equipment, seven emergency stretchers, and a delivery table. Since the goal was to give the items we sent a second life, 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 you and your colleagues get out of it?
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 take them on a tour of facilities such as the Fatick General Hospital, where they will be collecting supplies, so that they could get a clear idea of their upcoming 2023 project. At the same time, we wanted to introduce 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 see and understand different hospital and cultural systems, with resources that also varied to some extent depending on the facility.
Does this inspire you to get involved in humanitarian medicine?
Humanitarian medicine has always been my life’s work; ever since I started PACES, my goal has always been to join Doctors Without Borders or other organizations to go on missions. When I discovered the Crocos du Monde association, and I 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 upcoming 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 has always focused on the partnership between the Nîmes and Dakar university hospitals, and more specifically on putting together 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—as well as for our Senegalese partners—to meet in person and confirm that the container was well received. 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 participation in the “Nîmes en Rose” project led by the midwifery association and “Pep’s Week” with Tutorat Santé Nîmes). In this way, we’re drawing on the motivation of second-year medical and midwifery students to ensure the association’s successful development.
A few weeks after our Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs), it’s our medical students’ turn to attend their graduation ceremony.
A ceremony traditionally held at the Jardin des Plantes
Traditionally held at the Jardin des Plantes on the third weekend of September, this ceremony gives our students’ loved ones and families the opportunity to (re)discover the school through a private tour of the campus led by our faculty members, before applauding our new graduates!
A rite of passage into graduate medical studies
The students attending this ceremony are nearing the end of their first two cycles of study (6 years). They will thus enter the third cycle and begin their residency in one of the medical or surgical specialties, either in Montpellier or in other cities.
We wish them all the best in their future careers! Congratulations to everyone!
A few photos
MED 2022 Ceremony -1
Graduates' Speeches
MED 2022 Ceremony -2
The organizers (ANIMN)
MED 2022 Ceremony -3
Visit to the Dean's Office
MED 2022 Ceremony -4
Promotional photo
MED 2022 Ceremony -5
Our professors stroll from the Faculty to the Jardin des Plantes
MED 2022 Ceremony – 6
Guided tour of the Vestiaire Hall led by Professor Lavabre
MED 2022 Ceremony -7
A ceremony attended by the university president
MED 2022 Ceremony -8
Every year, the students' families and friends come out in force!
MED 2022 Ceremony -9
A graduating class has an average of between 200 and 300 students
MED 2022 Ceremony -10
Speech by Dr. Cathala, President of the CDOM
MED 2022 Ceremony -11
Graduates' Speeches
This is an event not to be missed for students, practitioners, teachers, and staff: the Cin’éthique film screenings and discussions, organized by the Espace de Réflexion Ethique d’Occitanie, are back. See below for the schedule of upcoming screenings.
A location and schedule to keep in mind for four sessions each year
Cin’éthique’s film screenings and discussions take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Faculty’s anatomy lecture hall, located in the Historic Building. Click on the image below to view the detailed schedule of screenings and accompanying discussions.
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