A consultation about a stuffed animal?
As they have done every year since 2002, our students in the medicine, midwifery, and speech-language pathology programs (through the ACM, AMESF, and Dislalie student associations) join forces with students in the pharmacy, dentistry, physical therapy, and occupational therapy programs to organize an event that is as unique for its warmth as it is for its usefulness: the Teddy Bear Hospital.
The concept? Healthcare students welcome preschoolers from underprivileged neighborhoods to introduce them to the hospital environment and health checkups through a fun role-playing activity: their stuffed animals will be the “patients” for the day!
A goal that endures
What is the goal of this event? To make doctor’s visits less intimidating. As we know, the medical setting can be very intimidating and overwhelming, especially for children… Through this initiative, the students hope to change the cold and frightening image of doctors that many people may have.
A multidisciplinary hospital
The event, which will take place this year from April 11 to 13, will feature a mini medical care station for children’s stuffed animals, spread across 12 preschool classes. A real “mini-hospital”!
The program features no fewer than 15 multidisciplinary care booths! To prepare for working with children, the students running the booths received special training from a child psychiatrist at Montpellier University Hospital.
Booths run by medical students (ACM)
- Cardiology
- Nutrition
- Pulmonology
- Surgery
- General Medicine
- Ophthalmology
- Gastroenterology
Booth run by the maieutics students (AMESF)
Booth run by speech-language pathology students (DISLALIA)
Booths run by students from other health-related programs:
- Pharmacy
- Nurse
- Physical Therapist
- Radiological Procedures
- Occupational Therapist
- Dental
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 Faculty 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, who is in charge of public engagement and the promotion of the FRAC’s collection.
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 under the French Law of 1901, founded 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 expanded, 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 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 cultural life. 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 Faculty 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 p.m. and 4 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 take place on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier. Exhibitions, lectures, and a sale of rare plants will be held 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 in your living room or garden every day. Green will be this spring’s top decor trend!
2. A Day of Learning
The 3 talks you won't want to miss:
- 2:30 p.m.: “Plant Nomenclature: 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. Passionate about literature, theater, and psychoanalysis, she has written several 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 Maze” 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 végétale”
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 have 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 nine 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 creating the website.” 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 framework based on numerous illustrations of skin symptoms observed in children.
- URL: https://dermatokid.com/
- Target audience: residents, general practitioners
- Objective: To assist with diagnosis
- Highlights: 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: General Practitioners
- 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 outlined in the Netscoring and Hodge-Sandvik frameworks.
- 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 common 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, Primary Care Physicians, 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 social 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 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 the risk factors, signs, and symptoms of child abuse, as well as how to address it. With better information, these professionals are better equipped to identify and prevent child abuse.
- URL: https://kidprotect.fr/
- Target Audience: Primary Care Physicians, 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 featured in *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 these projects interest you!
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 advisors, 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 of major—this event will be held on our two main campuses from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
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MONTPELLIER CAMPUS
641 Doyen Gaston Giraud Avenue
34090 MONTPELLIER
NÎMES CAMPUS
186 Chemin du Carreau de Lanes
30900 NÎMES
What's on the agenda
Come join us for our Faculty of Medicine 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 anything on the day's schedule, click here!
And to learn all about the Open House events 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 look back at 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 smoothly—whether in terms of the preliminary planning (fundraising, grants, raffles…), safety, our relationships 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 accompanied us from the moment we arrived at the airport until our departure, handling accommodations, meals, and transportation…
What were your responsibilities?
Our main mission was to help renovate four kindergarten and elementary school classrooms, as well as the 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 the village children who volunteered (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 prepared ourselves to be put off by the different hygiene practices, but we actually adapted fairly quickly (adaptation happens fast when we 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 their 1-year-old sibling). 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 Médecin 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 some awareness-raising sessions, but once we were there, putting them into practice turned out to be 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. It’s sometimes 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 has been extremely positive. Of course, there is room for improvement in terms of planning the trip in advance, managing funds on site (difficulty withdrawing money), and preparing and adapting our outreach activities. 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, academic support, 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 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 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 primarily focused 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 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 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 Crocos du Monde and Fatick are branches. This partnership has three main areas of focus: 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, 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 m³ container—that is, 2.5 metric tons of equipment. Most of it was urology and nephrology equipment, including catheters and urinary ostomy kits, but there was also 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 them to meet 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 of the project. This trip was deeply rewarding on a personal level; it allowed us to observe and understand different hospital and cultural systems, each with resources that 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 PACES, my objective was to join Doctors Without Borders or other organizations so I could go on a mission. When I discovered the Crocos du Monde association, and had the opportunity—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 turn the floor 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 University Hospitals of Nîmes and Dakar, and more specifically on putting together the container of medical equipment; the bulk of our internal investment and the events we organize are aimed at funding 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 are relying on the motivation of second-year medical and midwifery students to ensure the association’s successful development.
