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Tag Archive for: Medicine

Support for Innovative Educational Projects at the Faculty

In the Spotlight, Research/Innovation

The MUSE (“Montpellier University of Excellence”) project brings together 19 institutions committed to educational progress and innovation. Today, several projects led by members of the Faculty have been selected and will receive funding from the foundation. 

Toward New Training Programs: TakeOff #3

The MUSE Foundation has launched a call for proposals to promote educational innovation, particularly in the transformation and creation of new training programs. The goal is simple: to align as closely as possible with current labor market demands and societal needs, and even to anticipate future needs in light of societal changes. 

Of the 30 selected projects, 3 are from the School of Medicine and will therefore receive funding to carry them out. 

  • The “ Development of Educational Tools to Support the Training of Advanced Practice Nurses Specializing in Oncology and Hematology ," led by Nadine Houede.
  • The “ Rabelais Health and Science Dual Degree Program ” project, led by Stephan Matecki
  • The “ Montpellier Introductory Surgical Summer School ” project, led by Astrid Herrero.

Funded for three academic years, these projects will enable us to train our students even more effectively!

And tailored educational tools: TakeOff #4

In addition to these new training programs, the Muse Foundation also supports projects involving innovative educational equipment. To ensure educational continuity, the work environment must also be adapted. 

As a result, three other projects from the Faculty—this time involving new, innovative equipment—were selected:

  • A “ App for tracking learning progress and the mastery of technical procedures in medicine " led by Antoine Debourdeau and Valentin Favier.
  • A “ Audio-Visual Immersion in a Health Simulation Educational Session " led by Blaise Debien.
  • A project on “ The Benefits of Acquiring a Digital Surgical Simulator for Implementing the 2021–2023 Medical Education Reform: Learning and Certification for a Degree in Non-Operating Room Surgery ” led by Astrid Herrero and François Régis Souche.

We can therefore expect to see many educational innovations emerge over the next few years at the School of Medicine, both in terms of training programs and teaching tools!

A commitment to innovation already in place: TakeOff#1 and TakeOff#2

Two other calls for projects launched by I-Site Muse had already taken place previously. These were TakeOff#1 and TakeOff2.

Once again, the Faculty responded quickly, and some of its proposals were selected. First, during the initial call for proposals, TakeOff#1: 

  • The creation of the " International DIU: Emerging Infections ", proposed by Éric Delaporte. 
  •  The creation of a “Digital Laboratory for Preclinical Sciences”, led by Fares Gouzi. 
  • A Proposal “Learning Anatomy and Surgery Through Simulation and 3D Printing”, led by Valentin Favier.
  • A “Surgical Education in Extended Reality”, defended by Nicolas Lonjona.
  • A project on “Artisanal Expertise in the Service of Innovation in Medical Simulation”, Led by Astrid Herrero. 

Then, in a second phase, during the TakeOff#2 call for projects: 

  • The “International Master’s in One Health and Infectious Diseases”, which follows on from the International DIU created through TakeOff#1. 
  • The creation of an “Interdisciplinary Educational Escape Game in a Simulation Center: Mystery at SimHU Nîmes”, which helps foster cohesion, communication, and collaboration among future healthcare professionals. 
  • The development of a tool for “VESALE 3D: Dynamic 3D Virtual Dissection for Teaching Surgical Anatomy”, which is part of an effort to ensure that procedures are never performed on a patient for the first time. 
June 15, 2020/by communication
https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/absolutvision-82TpEld0_e4-unsplash.jpg 526 2000 communication https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LOGO-CLASSIQUE-H-300x135.png communicationJune 15, 2020, 11:53:57 AMJune 25, 2020, 10:34:05Innovative Educational Projects Supported at the Faculty

#OrganizationOfTheWeek – A Look at the Association Carabine Montpelliéraine

Featured, Student Life

In addition to the Med’Ley Association, this week we’re also featuring the Association Carabine Montpelliéraine (ACM) and its president, Colin Azria.

In a nutshell, what is the Association Carabine Montpellieraine?

The Association Carabine Montpelliéraine (or the Montpellier Medical Student Association) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and non-denominational association governed by the 1901 law, which aims to represent medical students in Montpellier. It is the only association that officially and exclusively represents medical students in Montpellier from the 1st year (PACES) through the 6th year.

Working closely with the PACES Tutoring Program and the teaching staff of the UFR Medicine, the ACM supports students throughout their academic career by providing a variety of resources (books, handouts, stethoscopes, and other supplies) and offering them the opportunity to participate in various events (community service initiatives, cultural events, student parties, the Gala, etc.).

In addition, the ACM is part of the network of local student representation (Z’élus associatifs) and national student representation (ANEMF—National Association of Medical Students of France), which advocates for students’ interests before administrative and government bodies.

What activities or initiatives do you organize throughout the year?

The activities we carry out are very diverse and encompass all the opportunities that may arise during our studies. First, we are setting up a direct sales service for course handouts to help students learn more effectively. 

We participate in national and international exchanges, which we organize through the ANEMF network in the form of various exchange programs. 

For several years now, we have also built strong relationships with local businesses throughout Montpellier that offer us “great deals.” We are also in the process of expanding our scope of action to participate more actively in community solidarity and sustainable development in our beautiful city of Montpellier. From simple student parties to global health charity events like the Telethon, Movember, Pink October, and Sidaction, as well as the Medicine Gala—and with a Culture division active every day offering organic food baskets, “ciné’kult” film screenings, and great deals for students in Montpellier—the ACM aims to support medical students throughout their studies.

Why did you personally choose to study medicine, and what does the association offer students in this program?

Personally, I’ve always been drawn to medical concepts, so it was only natural that I chose this field. It’s only when you choose to study medicine that you realize just how much work still lies ahead. But it’s by volunteering your time with an organization that you truly realize the sheer magnitude of the work you can and must do. Having briefly described our activities above, I believe that the Corpo Médecine is an institution that, for several generations now, has been an integral part of the daily lives of medical students and helps keep our traditions alive. 

Why do you think people should join your organization? 

By joining our association, you’ll be able to discover all our great deals in Montpellier, participate in all our events, gain access to the services we offer (sales of handouts, supplies, books, etc.), and much more!

How do I sign up? 

Joining is easy—just stop by our office at the Arnaud de Villeneuve campus, located at 641 Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34090 Montpellier. The membership fee is €10, payable annually. 

A few words about the 2020–2021 executive board?

The election of the Corpo Médecine executive board takes place at the end of each academic year and is conducted by second-year students. They select individuals from among their class to form the Corpo executive board for the following year. You can find out more about the new executive board members on our website.

We're also on social media—you can find us at: 

  • On our Facebook page: Acm Corpo Médecine Montpellier
  • On our Instagram: acm_corpo
  • Follow us on Snapchat/Twitter: AcmCorpo
June 12, 2020/by communication
https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/image-en-avant.jpg 526 2000 communication https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LOGO-CLASSIQUE-H-300x135.png communicationJune 12, 2020, 11:17:44 AMJuly 10, 2020, 6:49:06 PM#OrganizationOfTheWeek – Meeting with the Association Carabine Montpelliéraine

#ClubOfTheWeek – A Look at the Carabins Crocodiles Club

Featured, Student Life

Following our meeting with AMESF, this week we’re joining the 2019–2020 executive board of the Corporation Carabins Crocodiles (CCC) association. President Célia Pourtier and the other members tell us more about the Nîmes-based association.

In a nutshell, what is the CCC?

The Carabins Crocodiles Corporation is a nonprofit organization governed by the law of July 1, 1901, and the decree of August 16, 1901. Run by second- and third-year medical students, it plays many roles in student life at the Nîmes Faculty of Medicine: for example, publishing and selling handouts for students at the Nîmes campus of the Faculty of Medicine. We also occasionally organize student events, whether they are social, charitable, cultural, athletic, or recreational.

The association allows us both to represent our members before the administrative bodies of the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine and the University of Montpellier—in collaboration with student representatives—and to integrate and support local SCOPE/SCORE leaders.

What activities or initiatives do you organize throughout the year? 

Throughout the year, the association organizes public health events to raise awareness among students at the Faculty and raise funds for various organizations: 

  • Movember to raise awareness about prostate cancer screening during the month of November. 
  • The Telethon, the CCC is running a booth in the lobby of the Nîmes University Hospital and raising funds for the foundation. 
  • Sexual Health Education and Rose Sales on Valentine's Day, to raise awareness about various STIs and methods of contraception. 
  • The Teddy Bear Hospital to help young children become familiar with the hospital environment. 
  • The Blind Dining Experience at Vatel with the French Federation of the Blind and Visually Impaired(FAAF) 
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We support first-year PACES students by publishing and selling study guides, in consultation with university professors. We also support them throughout the year by organizing meals for them at the Carémeau campus, as well as by providing support after they take the first-semester exam. 

We organize many student social events, such as the annual gala in November and the PACES post-exam party in December. 

This year, we also organized the D4 mock exam in coordination with Lucas Dafontis and the ACM at the Montpellier campus.

Why did you personally choose to study medicine, and what does the association offer students in this program?

“On a personal level, I felt called to practice medicine while I was preparing for my PACES exam; I was 18 years old. It became crystal clear to me then that I wanted to help those who are suffering and vulnerable, and to preserve life in all its beauty. Medicine is a fascinating field; the studies are challenging, but I had never seen such a supportive, almost family-like spirit among those who would become my future colleagues.” CéliaP. 

“With a strong interest in the sciences and a desire to help others—though I wasn’t yet sure how—after graduating from high school, I first enrolled in a biology program at a university technology institute (IUT). After earning my degree, I took the PACES exam with the goal of pursuing pharmacy, which is what I ended up doing. Then, in my fourth year, with a growing desire to work directly with patients in a hospital setting and to make decisions about their care, I finally realized that medicine was the perfect fit for me. After a long personal and professional journey—and one bridge program later—here I am pursuing what I consider to be the most wonderful course of study. It’s long and difficult, but so engaging, satisfying, and enriching. And on top of that, there’s a great sense of camaraderie and some wonderful friendships.” LaureM. 

As for the association, it offers student members the opportunity to grow through teamwork, develop new projects, and find fulfillment through their personal involvement. It also provides members with a setting outside the hospital where they can meet, share ideas, and socialize.

Why do you think people should join your organization? 

Joining our association offers several benefits. First, students in PACES, DFGSM2, and DFGSM3 can purchase the lecture notes and handouts we offer to supplement their studying. Members also have the opportunity to participate in any of our student gatherings and to purchase the various merchandise and goodies we offer, such as the Faculty sweatshirt.

Finally, membership allows every student to have a voice at General Assemblies.

How do I sign up?

Joining is very simple: just fill out a membership form with your name, address, email, and phone number, and pay ten euros. 

You will then receive your membership card, which will allow you to purchase the courses you need at the student union office on the Nîmes Faculty campus. 

A few words about the 2020–2021 executive board?

Only one slate of candidates ran for the succession of the Executive Board of the Carabins Crocodiles association; it was presented and unanimously approved by the members present at the general meeting held to accept the resignation of the 2019–2020 Executive Board. Thus, following the resignation of our Executive Board, the association’s new representatives are: 

President: Alexandre CARRAT 

Treasurer: Arthur POMMIER 

Executive Vice President: Léhéna CACHIA 

Secretary: Ambrine BOUZIT 

Due to social distancing guidelines and in light of current public health measures—with the faculty closed until further notice—this general assembly was held via videoconference on Zoom. More than 40 people attended the meeting. 

Finally, you can follow us on Facebook right now: @CCC.Corpo 

Contact us on Facebook via the account: Charles Claude Croco 

And follow us on Instagram: @CharlesClaudeCroco

 

June 2, 2020/by communication
https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/image-de-mise-en-avant.jpg 526 2000 communication https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LOGO-CLASSIQUE-H-300x135.png communicationJune 2, 2020, 11:29:12 a.m.January 12, 2021, 12:46:27 PM#ClubOfTheWeek – Meet the Carabins Crocodiles Club

Sports: Health Benefits

Headlines, Coronavirus, Student Life

Physical activity is not just a way to lose weight. Exercise offers significant benefits from a medical, societal, and economic perspective. It actually helps boost the immune system and promotes overall well-being: walking, running, or gardening activates metabolic processes—in other words, biological reactions—that take place within our bodies.

The benefits of exercise can be seen not only in one's physical appearance but also in one's mental health:

Physical Health

Combating Obesity and Diabetes-Related Diseases

Strictly speaking, exercise does not prevent obesity or being overweight. However, physical activity is often recommended as a supplement to appropriate treatment to help patients achieve their goals.

In general, exercise helps regulate weight with the goal of achieving a more toned physique. Muscles can produce certain hormones, called myokines, that have metabolic effects on various organs at a distance. As Cédric Moro (research director at Inserm’s Institute of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases in Toulouse) explains, “In an obese patient, muscle tissue contains some fat. Exercise burns this fat, and insulin then becomes more effective at supplying the muscle with glucose. This, in particular, helps prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.” 

The positive effects of exercise on weight issues or diabetes are only beneficial if exercise is done correctly. There are guidelines that must be followed to ensure effectiveness with minimal side effects. 

Cardiovascular Diseases

When it comes to cardiovascular disease, the risk factors are well known: smoking, stress, high blood pressure… Regular physical activity improves and regulates the functioning of the cardiovascular system, leading to a reduction in cardiovascular risks:

  • Potential 50% reduction in high blood pressure
  • Increase in "good" cholesterol levels
  • Regulation of Blood Sugar Levels

We also know that below a certain VO2 max threshold—the maximum amount of oxygen the body consumes during intense exercise—a patient with heart failure must undergo a transplant. Thibaut Guiraud, a physiology researcher at I2MC, explains that “With exercise, you improve your physical capacity and can move out of the ‘red zone,’ which is above 5 METs (equivalent to the ability to walk at 4–5 km/h for a few minutes).”

Thus, regular physical activity helps the heart become stronger and can therefore prevent or slow the onset of cardiovascular problems.

 

Cancer

It's no secret anymore: physical activity can help with the recovery from certain cancers.

Cancer is the leading cause of death, ahead of cardiovascular disease: the number of cases has doubled over the past 30 years.

Exercising during treatment helps the body counteract certain negative effects of treatment, such as fatigue. Provided, of course, that the exercise is moderate and tailored to the specific treatment. Béatrice Fervers, an oncologist at the Léon-Bérard Center, explains that “The sooner a patient begins physical activity after diagnosis, the better they are able to counteract side effects.”

In fact, physical activity alters body composition (reducing visceral fat and maintaining or even increasing muscle mass) as well as muscle strength. The possible effects of regular physical activity on the mechanisms involved in tumor proliferation can be explained: the best-documented effects relate to breast cancer and involve blood sugar regulation, increased insulin sensitivity, an anti-inflammatory effect, and hormonal regulation.

According to researchers at ISERM, physical activity may help reduce the risk of recurrence in breast and colon cancers.

Mental Health

As we saw in the article on meditation, physical activity contributes to better mental health.

Exercise doesn't just help people with illnesses. It also promotes the well-being of those who engage in it, reducing psychological risks.

Stress Relief

Physical activity can help reduce stress. In fact, exercise triggers the body to produce hormones called endorphins, which are known as “feel-good” hormones. As a result, anxiety levels are reduced after physical activity. 

Dr. Martine Duclos, an endocrinologist and head of the Sports Medicine Department at the Gabriel-Montpied and Estaing University Hospitals (Clermont-Ferrand), explains that exercise can help reduce the need for anti-anxiety medications; for example, “in people who are anxious or stressed, regular physical activity provides the same benefits as anti-anxiety medications, without the side effects or risk of dependence; it also has an effect similar to that of antidepressants in people suffering from mild to moderate depression.” Exercise also stimulates the release of neurotransmitters involved in depression when they are deficient, with serotonin being the primary one.

Beyond its calming effect, exercise also allows us to take a break from our daily lives and forget the little worries that usually occupy our minds while we’re working out.

Sleep Quality

It's just a short step from reducing stress to improving sleep. 

Dr. Duclos states that “exercise will have two positive effects: you’ll have less trouble falling asleep, and athletes will wake up less often in the middle of the night.”

This is due, in particular, to the regulation of blood pressure and the release of endorphins, which help us relax more effectively. As a result, exercise reduces stress, leading to physical fatigue rather than mental fatigue.

In addition, participating in sports requires people to organize themselves better and, as a result, regulate their biological rhythm (also known as the circadian rhythm). This also involves eating a healthier diet to improve performance. All of these factors play an important role in sleep quality.

However, it’s important not to exercise too late in the day “because otherwise it will push back your bedtime,” Martine Duclos points out.

The Brain and Depression

Finally, exercise causes the brain to release dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in the reward system.

Memory, cognition, mood: Physical exercise enhances mental performance and health.

Lisa Weinberg’s team at the Georgia Institute of Technology (United States) conducted a study with students: memorizing 90 photos. The first group was asked to perform a leg-strengthening exercise while the other group remained seated. Two days later, the students were asked to identify as many images as possible from a set of 180: the group that exercised was able to identify 60%, 10% more than the control group.

Researcher Martine Duclos observed a “positive correlation between their physical fitness and the type of high school they attended (general, vocational, agricultural).” According to Dr. Duclos, this can be explained by the fact that “muscle activity triggers the production of myokines, proteins that, through a complex mechanism, prompt the brain to produce growth factors, neurotrophins, and more specifically BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). It promotes the formation of microvessels (angiogenesis) and the production of new neurons (neurogenesis).”

Sports at the University – ASMM Association (AS Médecine Montpellier)

This sports club consists of 3–4 members who support medical students who wish to engage in regular physical activity. With the goal of promoting sports, it provides them with sports fields and equipment and organizes intercollegiate competitions.

Our projects:

  • Formation of a women's volleyball team;
  • Formation of a rugby team made up of medical and dental students;
  • Formation of a basketball team made up of medical, pharmacy, and dental students;
  • Organization of futsal, tennis, pétanque, and beach volleyball tournaments.

Office:

President: Mustapha MOUSTAFAOUI
Secretary: Maxime FOULQUIER
Treasurer: Youssef TRIGUI

 

 

Contact:


Institute of Biology
4 Boulevard Henri IV
34965 Montpellier Cedex 2

Instagram

 

Sources: 
https://lejournal.cnrs.fr/articles/le-sport-est-bon-pour-la-sante-cest-prouve
https://www.naturaforce.com/blog/2017/06/03/bienfaits-du-sport-sur-la-sante/
https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/sante/bouger-ameliorer-le-cerveau_29226

May 18, 2020/by School of Medicine
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Meditation & Health: 3 Benefits of Meditation for the Body

Headlines, Coronavirus, Staff Life, Student Life

Stress and anxiety affect our cardiovascular system, which in turn leads to increased stress and anxiety. It’s a vicious cycle! However, non-pharmacological solutions do exist and are accessible to many people. Among them is meditation.

Meditation is known to have several positive effects on health.

Stimulates the brain

One of the unique aspects of mindfulness meditation is that it helps improve memory by enhancing attention. This involves thinking of the mind as a muscle. Just like any other muscle, to strengthen it, you need to train it daily through mindfulness meditation.

The latter helps keep your attention focused on a specific idea and prevents your mind from wandering too much.

Did you know?

Mindfulness meditation, or mindfulness, involves focusing on one’s sensations, breathing, emotions, and thoughts without making value judgments. It was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts. 

American studies led by neuroscientist Sara Lazar of Harvard Medical School have shown that meditation may increase gray matter in the areas of the brain associated with learning, memory, and emotional control.

This study also showed that meditation can be highly beneficial for people with attention disorders: it reduces hyperactivity and impulsivity, thereby improving attention.

Antidepressant 

Among the other benefits of meditation, research has shown that it helps reduce stress and anxiety, and thus lowers the risk of depression. How does it work? You focus on your breathing by simply becoming aware of each inhalation and exhalation. These techniques are easily accessible to everyone, even children.

Did you know?

Professor Tu-Anh Tran, a faculty member at the School, has posted four guided meditations* on her YouTube channel so that children and their families can practice them throughout the day to find inner peace and focus on their work.

Episode 1:

Watch the video

Episode 2:

Watch the video
 

Episode 3:

Watch the video
  

Episode 4:

Watch the video
  

 

This method increases respiratory movement, allowing for better oxygen diffusion throughout the body—and particularly in the brain. Finally, mindfulness meditation improves the functioning of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for regulating emotions. It enhances intuition and creativity while reducing negative emotions such as stress, fear, and anger.

“Meditation balances the levels of activity in the two hemispheres of the brain. This balance fosters harmony between the body and the mind. Meditation is a valuable resource in an era that is generating more and more psychosomatic imbalances” – Marc de Smedt, French publisher, writer, and journalist, specializing in meditation techniques and world wisdom.

Immune Booster

Finally, meditation is also valued for its benefits as an “immunity booster.” 

In fact, mindfulness meditation affects pro-inflammatory genes, allowing the body to recover more easily after a stressful or anxious situation. 

The rest it provides is considered more effective and deeper than that achieved during sleep. The body produces fewer waste products thanks to increased oxygenation of the lungs, which in turn affects the hormonal, vascular, and muscular systems. This, in turn, leads to a boost in immunity and a regulation of pain sensitivity.

Did you know?

The Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine offers a University Diploma (DU) in Meditation and Health. 
Course Objectives:
To understand the principles and benefits of meditation and learn how to apply it to improve the health of healthcare providers and patients.
Skills acquired

  • Identifying What Meditation Is—and Isn't
  • Understand the physiological mechanisms of meditation and their health benefits; identify possible applications of meditation in healthcare settings
  • Continue or strengthen your own regular practice
  • Implement a project that integrates meditation into your healthcare setting (for your patients or colleagues)

Studies using the“Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction”(MBSR) protocol have shown positive effects on the reduction of pro-inflammatory genes, the immune response to the flu vaccine, immune signaling in people with cancer, and immune cell activity in patients with HIV.

Key Takeaways

During this unprecedented health crisis, it is important to find new ways to protect ourselves from the stress and anxiety caused by lockdown. Practicing meditation in a group—even remotely—can help break the feeling of social isolation and foster a sense of belonging.

Meditation

  • Promotes concentration and improves memory
  • Helps manage stress and anxiety
  • May help the immune system develop

 

*These meditations are excerpted from her book *Méditasoins: Short Meditations for Children’s Major Ailments*, published by Thierry Souccar.
*Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (2010) 20, 11–15 – Impact of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ( MBSR) therapeutic approach on mental health (stress, anxiety, depression) among students – C.Berghmans∗, C. Tarquinio, M. Kretsch

 

The Healthcare Professional:

We would like to thank Professor Tran for his assistance in writing this article.

Tu-Anh Tran

Tu-Anh Tran

Professor, Chief of the Pediatrics Department at Nîmes University Hospital

Professor Tu-Anh TRAN is a pediatrician specializing in inflammatory and rheumatic diseases in children, and head of the pediatrics department at the Nîmes University Hospital. A meditation practitioner himself, he spearheaded the creation of one of France’s first university-level meditation programs, “Meditation and Health,” at the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine. Professor Tran has been using meditation to treat his young patients for over 10 years.

Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine

 

 

 

May 11, 2020/by School of Medicine
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Maieutics MOOC

Maieutics: 3 Educational Platforms Available!

Featured, Training

Our students’ education is of paramount importance to the Faculty, which is why we are providing you with three educational platforms designed specifically for students in the Midwifery program, but which may also be of interest to students in the Medicine program.

Formagyn

This platform offers the educational content from the University of Brest’s University Diploma (DU) program in “Gynecological Care for Prevention, Sexuality, and Family Planning” and is free for all students from March 17 through June 17. The comprehensive and well-developed content focuses primarily on gynecological care and emergencies, contraception, and many other topics.

Access the platform

Digital Education in Healthcare

This platform brings together several MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses): online courses open to everyone, typically consisting of explanatory videos and multiple-choice quizzes. Digital Health Education focuses on women’s and children’s health, covering topics such as violence against women and children, breastfeeding, contraception, menopause, and more.

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Addressing Violence

At present, this platform contains only two MOOCs; the first, which deals with victimology, was developed in collaboration with Gynécologie sans frontière. The second MOOC on the platform, meanwhile, deals with male domination.

Access the platform

This series of training sessions will therefore allow some participants to gain additional knowledge directly related to their coursework, while others will benefit from supplementary information that will always be useful for their future careers.

 

We would like to thank Romain PONS, a midwifery student elected to the Pedagogical Council, for his assistance in writing this article.

 

 

April 27, 2020/by communication
https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/avel-chuklanov-DUmFLtMeAbQ-unsplash-scaled.jpg 673 2560 communication https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LOGO-CLASSIQUE-H-300x135.png communicationApril 27, 2020, 10:33:36 AMApril 27, 2020, 11:20:27 a.m.Maieutics: 3 Educational Platforms Now Available!
Library Article

Biology and Health Videos – Unlimited Access Through April 30

Headlines, Coronavirus, Training, Research/Innovation

A platform for streaming scientific videos focused on health and biology is available to students with unlimited access through April 30.

A video platform for research and teaching

JoVE is a publisher of scientific articles in video format. The articles are peer-reviewed—that is, reviewed and validated by scientists before publication. They are indexed in PubMed and Medline and feature experiments and protocols filmed at the world’s most prestigious universities and leading research laboratories.

To watch the videos

Simply log in to the University's digital campus platform => Click on the "Libraries" tile => Enter "JOVE" in the search bar

Your feedback will help us assess the relevance of this resource to the University. Please feel free to share your thoughts by emailing scd-docelec@umontpellier.fr

April 8, 2020/by communication
https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Couverture-article.jpg 526 2000 communication https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LOGO-CLASSIQUE-H-300x135.png communicationApril 8, 2020, 3:23:43 PMApril 8, 2020, 3:36:28 PMBiology and Health Videos – Unlimited Access Through April 30

#Coronavirus – Guidelines for Internships

Headlines, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Measures, Student Life

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some internships are continuing as usual, while others have been suspended.

Find out here—based on your profile—what arrangements have been made and who to contact! 

Medical students

Undergraduate Students (DFGSM2 and 3)

The DFGSM 2 & 3 clinical rotations have been canceled (including the semiology rotations, the medical services rotation, and the MIA and MIC rotations).

For more information: med-scol-1-2@umontpellier.fr 

Clinical Rotations (Graduate Level)

The DFASM 1, 2, and 3 internships will continue, subject to two possible restrictions at the discretion of the department heads hosting you:

  1. health-related reasons involving the student (an intensive care unit treating COVID-19 patients, SMIT) or the patient (EPHAD),
  2. educational reasons due to a reorganization of departments that makes it impossible to accommodate the student.

Students who are not currently on clinical rotations must be identified and will be offered reassignment within the hospital (either to another department, or to participate in the COVID-19 response, telephone duties, emergency department support, or support for certain departments). This reassignment will be offered based on the needs expressed by the Medical Affairs Departments or on the available clinical rotations, in consultation with the Faculty, to maintain a real-time record of each student’s assignment.

We ask that every DFASM 1, 2, and 3 student email their academic advisor with information about their current status (and any changes to it):

Thomas Thieblemont in Montpellier: med-scol-1-2@umontpellier.fr
Sébastien Cousin in Nîmes: mednimes-scolarite@umontpellier.fr

Please keep your school’s registrar’s office informed of your current situation:

  1. You were accepted into the internship as planned, or:
  2. if your placement has been suspended in the department to which you were assigned (and your current activity, if you are a student already on assignment), or: 
  3. If you are currently in class (with no scheduled internship) and willing to participate in an initiative. 

 
As a reminder, if there is no hospital activity, the rule is to quarantine at the residence closest to the facility where the student is practicing; the student must be reachable, as they may be called upon at any time for reassignment.

Regarding the movement of hospital students:
A travel authorization will be emailed to you by the Medical Affairs Department (DAM) so that you can travel to your clinical rotation. This permit allows travel between home and work only.

Residents (Postgraduate)

The residency program continues under the same arrangements as before. Some residents may be reassigned to certain departments within the subdivision that are experiencing staff shortages, on a voluntary basis, coordinated by the Medical Affairs Departments (DAM). We would like to thank all of our residents for their dedication to caring for patients during these times of crisis. 

 

Students in other programs

Are you a student in the midwifery program, a paramedical program (speech-language pathology, orthoptics), or a master’s program? Here are the guidelines for your internships.

Maieutics Track

Internships in the 4th and 5th years will continue as scheduled. Students will receive instructions regarding their placements directly via email.

Speech-Language Pathology and Orthoptics Programs

Internships are suspended until further notice.

Masters

Internships have been suspended, and more information is available on the UM website.

Internships Abroad

Internships scheduled to take place abroad are suspended until further notice. No internship agreements will be signed.

If you are abroad and currently participating in an internship, please contact the Faculty through its International Relations Office for guidance: med-ri@umontpellier.fr  

If your internship has been suspended: #StayHome

In any case, regardless of your field of study, if your internship has been temporarily or permanently suspended, we ask that you follow the government’s guidelines and #StayHome. 

 

The lockdown will help support the work of our healthcare workers by limiting the number of infections—and thus the number of patients in hospital wards. We are counting on your cooperation to limit the impact of this epidemic. Protect yourself and your loved ones, stay home, follow preventive measures, observe social distancing guidelines, and go out only when necessary. 

Learn More

 

You can also join the civic reserve to contribute to the collective effort:

I want to help

Finally, the Faculty will be there for you throughout this entire period—providing important updates, fostering a sense of community, suggesting activities, and even helping you with your studying. Don’t forget to follow us on social media: @FacultemedMPL on Twitter and @FacMedecineMtpNîmes on Facebook! 

 

Twitter

Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine

March 24, 2020/by School of Medicine
https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/COUV-Covid-Stages.png 526 2000 School of Medicine https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LOGO-CLASSIQUE-H-300x135.png School of MedicineMarch 24, 2020, 5:38:37 PMMarch 24, 2020, 6:54:30 PM#Coronavirus – Guidelines for Clinical Rotations
C3 Certification Exam

The Certificate of Clinical Competence: A Test of Excellence

Headlines, Training, Research/Innovation

The Certificate of Clinical Competence, “C3” or “C-cube,” is an exam designed to assess students on the skills they have acquired through clinical rotations and simulation-based training.

What is C3?

Our students receive a comprehensive education that enables them to acquire knowledge and skills. To validate the acquisition of the skills necessary for a future career in medicine, the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine has implemented the C3. This exam assesses the skills that fifth- and sixth-year medical students (DFASM 2 and 3) have acquired during clinical rotations and in simulation labs.

How are students evaluated?

C3 Simulation

During this exam, students are evaluated on their ability to make a correct diagnosis, their care techniques, and the quality of theircommunication with the patient. Delivering news of a serious illness or examining an infant requires specific knowledge and precise procedures. The C3 exam allows for the assessment of all these skills using high-fidelity simulation manikins, examiners acting as patients, and even with the collaboration of practicing nurses.

In addition to serving as an assessment for students, this exam is also a means of learning and improving. Rather than answering a question on paper, students have the opportunity to discuss and debrief with the examiners. This feedback gives them a clear picture of their skill level, strengths, and weaknesses, with a view to continuous improvement. The School of Medicine is the only school to have implemented both a mock exam and a certification exam.

How does it work? 

This exam places significant demands on the Faculty of Medicine in terms of both material and human resources. On the one hand, the facilities must be specifically adapted to accommodate this exam, both on the Montpellier and Nîmes campuses. On the other hand, a large number of supervisors and examiners are needed to ensure that the exam runs smoothly.

Some medical schools that are required to implement this type of innovative exam as part of the reform ofgraduate medical education have already visited us to observe how we operate. This type of exam has also been implemented in Toulouse, and the rollout of the C3 at the Montpellier-Nîmes medical school is being carried out with a view to standardizing the exam across the Occitanie region.

To get a clear idea of how the C3 works, watch the video below.

February 25, 2020/by communication
https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/satria-perkasa-mJkuWrBj1wI-unsplash.jpg 1425 5418 communication https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LOGO-CLASSIQUE-H-300x135.png communicationFebruary 25, 2020, 1:40:58 PMMarch 3, 2020, 6:23:04 PMThe Certificate of Clinical Competence: A Test of Excellence
2020 Agnes McLaren Thesis Award

Call for Applications – Postponement of the Agnes McLaren Thesis Prize

Headlines, Events, Training, Student Life

For the very first time, the Agnes McLaren Association is organizing a medical award worth €4,000! Applications are open to students at the Montpellier-Nîmes Faculty of Medicine who will defend their clinical thesis in 2020 or 2021, as well as those who defended theirs in 2019. See below for registration details and the eligibility criteria for your thesis.
 

Download the press release dated August 30, 2021

An award sponsored by the Agnes McLaren Association, recognizing a dissertation that focuses on women's or children's health.

The Agnes McLaren Association, founded in 2018, works to preserve the memory ofAgnes McLaren, a Scottish woman who was the first female doctor to graduate from the Montpellier School of Medicine in 1878. In honor of this physician, who dedicated her life to caring for the most disadvantaged women and those excluded from society, the association wishes to award a thesis prize for the first time.

Thus, in 2021, the association is launching the Agnes McLaren Thesis Prize. This award recognizes an original doctoral dissertation focusing on the health of women in precarious or vulnerable situations, or on the health of children exposed to precariousness and/or vulnerability. The award, in the amount of €4,000, will be presented in November 2021 following a preliminary selection by a committee and review by a jury composed of healthcare professionals.

 

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this dissertation award, candidates must meet several eligibility criteria:

 

  • Open to our students

    Criterion 1: Be a student at the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine

  • 2019–2020–2021

    Criterion 2: Defend one’s thesis in 2019, 2020, or 2021

  • Thesis Topic

    Criterion 3: Support a dissertation whose topic addresses the health of the most disadvantaged or even marginalized women, or the health of children exposed to precarious circumstances and/or situations of vulnerability

  • Post-doctoral project

    Criterion 4: Thesis Leading to an Operational Project

What are the steps to enter the contest?

The first edition of the McLaren Thesis Prize will take place in five phases, as follows:

  • before Nov. 15, 2020

    Submission of Applications

    Apply online, exclusively on the Agnes McLaren Association's website.

  • Pre-selection phase

    Pre-selection phase for the dissertations received by the pre-selection committee. 5 dissertations were pre-selected.

    Dec. 2020

  • Dec. 27, 2020

    Selection Notice

    Notification of selection sent to the 5 shortlisted candidates.

  • Final Selection Phase

    Review of the five dissertations preselected by the jury. Candidates must submit their dissertations and post-dissertation work by January 24, 2021.

    Jan–Feb 2021

  • Sept. 2021

    Award Ceremony

    Presentation of the Agnes McLaren Award at the official ceremony.

 

We hope many of you will enter the competition for this award! So get writing, and good luck on your theses!

 

Learn more: Agnes McLaren Association
January 27, 2020/by School of Medicine
https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Bann-McLaren-e1573747811239.png 525 1997 School of Medicine https://facmedecine.umontpellier.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LOGO-CLASSIQUE-H-300x135.png Faculty of MedicineJanuary 27, 2020, 10:19:46 AMAugust 31, 2021, 10:52:49Call for Applications – Postponement of the Agnes McLaren Thesis Award
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  • The 2026/2027 PASS/LAS Pre-School Year WorkshopJuly 16, 2026 - 4:31 p.m.

Downtown Montpellier: Historic Building

Faculty headquarters and mailing address
2 rue École de Médecine
CS 59001
34060 Montpellier cx 2
04 34 43 36 00

North Montpellier

Arnaud de Villeneuve Health Campus and Administration
641 Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud
34070 Montpellier
04 34 43 35 00/01

Nîmes

Carémeau Health Campus and Administration
186 Chemin du Carreau de Lanes
CS 83021
30908 Nîmes cedex 2
04 66 02 81 81

Montpellier Botanical Garden

Boulevard Henri IV
34000 Montpellier

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Request for a self-guided tour of the JARDIN des PLANTES

Request for a self-guided tour of the JARDIN des PLANTES

For the group formed

Self-guided tours are only available during public opening hours, specifically:

SUMMER HOURS

April 1 through September 30: 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., except on Mondays.

WINTER SCHEDULE

October 1 through March 31: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on Mondays.

This form is an informational document used to track group visits to the botanical garden. It also provides us with data needed to compile statistics on visitor numbers.

 


    For children, please indicate their age (maximum of 70 children):

    Marie-Anne BOIVIN

    Marie-Anne GILLAIN was born in 1773 in Montreuil, near Versailles.

    She was sent to boarding school with the Sisters of the Visitation.

    During the Revolution, she took refuge in Etampes with a relative who was the mother superior of the Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu.

    There she attended the surgeon’s lectures and served for two and a half years, from 1793 to 1796, as a hospital volunteer—that is, as a layperson who volunteered her services to the poor and sick.

    In 1797, she returned to Versailles to marry Louis BOIVIN, deputy head of the National Domains office.

    She became pregnant early on, but was suddenly widowed in 1798 at the age of 25, left without any means of support and with a young daughter to raise.

    She then decided to put to use the knowledge she had gained from the surgeon at the Hôtel-Dieu in Étampes and enrolled in the Midwifery School at the Maternity Hospital in 1799.

    In 1800, she graduated and left for Versailles to be reunited with her daughter and pursue her career.

    In 1801, following the death of her daughter, she obtained permission from Marie-Louise Lachapelle to return to the Maternity Hospice

    In 1803, she was appointed chief supervisor of the breastfeeding section. She held this position for eleven years, until 1814. During this long tenure, she took the opportunity to attend the lectures of her patron, the surgeons at the Maternity Hospital (Baudelocque, then Dubois), and the chief physicians (Andry, and especially Chaussier), from whom she gathered observations and lessons.

    In 1812, she wrote and published *A Treatise on the Art of Childbirth*. The work was approved by the Ministry of the Interior, which included it among the textbooks given to graduates of the Maternity School.

    In 1814, the position of supervisor that she held was eliminated, and she was dismissed with a severance payment equal to her annual salary, or 360 francs.

    Starting in October, she was hired as a storekeeper and steward at the Poissy General Hospital, a position she held until January 1819, when the General Hospital was converted into a prison.

    Little is known about this period of her life: Did she continue her obstetric practice despite her new, more administrative duties? Did she do so at the general hospital? Or with a private clientele? In any case, for a time she appears to have earned a comfortable annual salary of 1,200 francs—almost as much as the head midwife at the Maternity Hospital.

    In 1818, she entered the Paris Medical Society’s competition anonymously, submitting a paper on internal uterine hemorrhages. She was awarded the medal.

    On February1, 1819, she joined the Maison Royale de Santé in Paris as chief supervising midwife, with a modest salary of 350 francs per year.

    In 1821, an opportunity for promotion arose following the death of Marie-Louise Lachapelle.

    According to procedure, the General Council of the Hospices must submit to the Minister of the Interior a list of five female candidates to succeed the renowned midwife.

    On November 14, 1821, the Council voted to approve a list with Marie-Anne Boivin at the top; she received 12 out of 12 votes in the first round of voting to select the top candidate.

    A month and a half later, the Minister of the Interior endorsed the Council’s decision.

    But the winner declined the position (or rather, resigned), forcing the board to propose another list. Why the refusal? All contemporary biographers attribute this decision to a public promise Marie-Anne Boivin is said to have made to her former patron never to replace her, even after her death. If that is the case, she kept her word, and another midwife, Madeleine Catherine Legrand, was appointed in 1822.

    Marie-Anne Boivin therefore continued to practice at the Maison Royale de Santé, where she accumulated observations, publications, and honors.

    In 1828, she presented a paper on spontaneous abortions, which was awarded a prize by the Bordeaux Medical Society.

    In September 1835, at the age of 62, worn out and exhausted, she retired and urged the hospice board to grant her a pension. Finally, after suffering a first stroke that left her hemiplegic, she died in May 1841.

    In 1902, one of the rooms in the renovated maternity ward was named after Marie-Anne Boivin.

    Louise BOURGEOIS

    She was born in 1563 on Boulevard Saint-Germain or in Mons to a family of doctors.

    In 1594, she married Martin BOURSIER, a master surgeon and student of Ambroise PARÉ.

    She finds herself without any means of support when her husband is enlisted in the king's army.

    She quickly gained a reputation among the ladies of the court and delivered the queen's children six times.

    She is paid 500 crowns for the birth of a boy and 300 for the birth of a girl.

    It lost its prominence following the death of Marie de Bourbon-Montpensier, wife of Gaston d’Orléans, at the time of the birth of the Grande Mademoiselle.

    According to the surgeons who performed the autopsy on the woman who had given birth, her death was attributed to placental debris remaining in the uterus, and Louise Bourgeois was subsequently accused of negligence.

    At that time, there were few male obstetricians practicing, and they were trying to gain the upper hand over the midwives' guild.

    Louise questions their competence by harshly criticizing the autopsy findings and the skills of the obstetricians; however, her response has the opposite effect of what she intended, as it ends up giving them publicity.

    She was the first midwife to write a book on obstetrics, *Various Observations on Infertility, Miscarriage, Fertility, Childbirth, and Diseases of Women and Newborns*, published in 1609.

    In this book, she points out that infertility in a couple can be caused by the man, even though—like the doctors of that era—she confuses the ability to procreate with sexual vigor.

    She identified the role of malnutrition in fetal health, and she was the first to prescribe iron supplements to treat anemia.

    She emphasizes the importance of anatomical knowledge for midwives and urges doctors to allow them to attend lectures and dissection sessions.

    In 1636, the Parisian midwives submitted a petition to the Faculty of Medicine requesting that Louise Bourgeois be allowed to teach them obstetrics, but their request was denied.

    Subsequently, however, one of her students, Marguerite du Tertre de la Marche, was appointed head of the midwives at the Hôtel-Dieu and succeeded in overhauling their training program.

    She died on December 20, 1636, on Boulevard Saint-Germain at the age of 73.

    Jean-Louis BAUDELOCQUE

    He was born on November 30, 1745, in Heilly, Picardy.

    He was the son of Jean Baptiste BAUDELOCQUE, a surgeon, and Anne Marguerite LEVASSEUR. His brothers Félix Honoré (1744–1794) and Jean Baptiste (1749–1800) were both doctors. He was the third of ten children.

    It was his father who introduced him to surgery in the countryside of Picardy.

    He completed his studies in Paris at the Hôpital de la Charité, where a renowned professor of obstetrics, Solayrès de Renhac (1737–1772), was on staff.

    In 1772, following Solayrès’s untimely death at the age of 35, he collected the manuscripts of his lectures and succeeded him as professor of obstetrics at the Hôpital de la Charité. Thanks to Baudelocque, Solayrès’s work was saved from oblivion.

    In 1775, at the initiative of Augier du FOT, a surgeon and childbirth instructor in Soissons, he published—based on manuscripts bequeathed by Solayrès de RENHAC—the first edition of a manual intended for the training of midwives. This work was later republished under his name alone, under the title“Principles of the Art of Childbirth: Questions and Answers for Student Midwives.” It was reprinted three times during Baudelocque’s lifetime and three more times posthumously.

    In 1776, following the defense of his dissertation on symphysotomy, titled“An in partu propter angustiam pelvis impossibili, symphysis ossium secanda?”, he was appointed surgeon at the Hôpital de la Charité in Paris and was awarded the title of Master of Surgery by the Paris College of Surgery.

    On April 5 or 6, 1777, in Paris, he married Andrée DERULLIER (née de Vulier, de Voulier, de Rullie, or de Rouillier), whose family made mannequins of pregnant women for demonstrations in childbirth classes; she died on January 4, 1787, childless.

    In 1781 and 1789, he published the first two editions of his scholarly treatise*The Art of Childbirth* in two volumes. He became famous for his forceps, his practice of cesarean sections, and the invention of the pelvimeter, which measures the external anteroposterior diameter to identify patients who might experience difficulties during childbirth.

    On September 14, 1788, in Amiens, he married Marie Catherine Rose Laurent; the couple had five children (three daughters and two sons).

    During the French Revolution, the guilds and faculties were abolished. Hospitals lost some of their staff and funding. Baudelocque, however, managed to build a reputation as an obstetrician thanks to a clientele in the city and private obstetrics classes.

    In 1794, the former Faculty of Medicine was replaced by the École centrale de Santé de Paris, where he was responsible for teaching medical students and midwives.

    In October 1795, the Hospice de la Maternité took in poor women and unwed mothers to assist them during childbirth and provided clinical training for midwives and doctors from the École de Santé.

    In addition, this facility also takes in abandoned children.

    In 1798, Baudelocque, in addition to his position as professor of obstetrics at the Paris School of Public Health, became chief surgeon at the Maternity Hospital.

    In 1802, the Hospice de la Maternité school was founded, where Baudelocque put his teaching skills to use, employing mannequins to allow students to practice examinations and obstetric procedures. He emphasized observation over active intervention, preferring to let nature take its course and using instruments as little as possible.

    Busy with his many responsibilities, he delegated part of his authority to the head midwife of the Maternity Ward, Marie-Louise Lachapelle (1769–1821), who took on part of the training of the midwifery students and was authorized to use forceps on her own in the event of a difficult delivery.

    He was involved in a high-profile lawsuit brought against him by an obstetrician, Jean François SACOMBE, a fierce opponent of cesarean sections and a defender of traditional midwifery practices. Sacombe, who had set himself up as a defender of midwives and accused Baudelocque of infanticide, ultimately lost his case in 1804 and, in the process, any sense of proportion.

    In 1806, Napoleon appointed Jean-Louis Baudelocque to the chair of obstetrics, the first medical specialty chair in France.

    He became the obstetrician to the queens of Spain, Holland, and Naples, as well as to all the ladies of the court.

    He had been chosen and selected in advance to deliver the heir awaited by Napoleon and Empress Marie-Louise of Austria. But, struck down by a cerebral hemorrhage, he would not live to see the birth of the King of Rome.

    He died on May 2 or 3, 1810, at 16 Rue Jacob in Paris (6th arrondissement), where he lived, at the age of 65.

    He was buried at the Vaugirard West Cemetery, then exhumed due to land acquisition for the construction of what is now Boulevard Pasteur.

    He was then buried on August 17, 1839, at Père-Lachaise Cemetery (45thdivision).

    He was the most famous obstetrician of his time.

    A physician at the Hôpital des Enfants Malades, he would lend his name to the Baudelocque Clinic in 1890.

    In 1966, the Port-Royal Maternity Hospital was built. The two facilities merged in 1993 (14th arrondissement of Paris).

    There is now a midwifery school on Avenue Denfert-Rochereau that bears her name.

    François CHAUSSIER

    He was born on July 2, 1746, in Dijon, in the parish of Saint Pierre.

    His father was a master glazier.

    After completing his training at the Dijon hospital, his mother sent him to Paris to continue his medical studies, and he enrolled at the Royal College of Surgery, where he attended classes regularly from 1765 to 1767 and took anatomy courses taught by Raphaël SABATIER and Jean-Joseph SUE.

    At the same time, he was learning the basics of surgery at Lafaye’s clinics and, in the afternoons, at those of Isaac GOURSAUD.

    His years of surgical training came to an end in 1768, when he earned the title of Master of Surgery; he then settled in Dijon as a surgeon

    He married Jeanne CARRE, the daughter and granddaughter of a master surgeon, on July 27, 1767, in Quetigny, Côte d’Or. Together they had a son, Bernard François Hector (1769–1837).

    In 1769, he began teaching a free course in human and comparative anatomy, which was attended by many students for more than ten years.

    In 1774, the Estates of Burgundy established a chemistry program with Louis-Bernard GUYTON de MORVEAU as the full professor and Hugues MARET and François CHAUSSIER as assistant professors. Upon MARET’s death in 1786, he was promoted to second professor of chemistry.

    In Dijon, his professional qualities earned him the favor of his patients, and his reputation quickly spread beyond Burgundy; he distinguished himself at the Academy of Surgery through several presentations, and as a result, he was awarded the Academy’s Gold Medal at the public session on April 10, 1777.

    He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Besançon on January 14, 1780, and in 1784, he became a corresponding member of the Royal Society of Medicine. That same year, he was admitted to the Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Literature in Dijon, where he became secretary-general following the retirement of Guyton de Morveau.

    In 1785, at the request of the Estates of Burgundy, he published a popular guide on the treatment of bites from rabid animals: “Method for Treating Bites from Rabid Animals and Vipers; Followed by a Summary on the Malignant Pustule” (with Joseph Enaux, 1726–1798).

    In 1789, he published a study on the muscles of the human body, in which he proposed a more rational classification than the one taught up to that point: “A Brief Overview of the Muscles of the Human Body According to the Methodical Classification and Nomenclature Adopted in the Public Anatomy Course at Dijon”; this work was reprinted in 1797.

    On December 20, 1789, he read a paper titled “Surgical-Forensic Observations on an Important Point of Criminal Jurisprudence” at the Academy of Dijon, in which he demonstrated the role that a physician could play in assisting the justice system; this work attracted attention, and the following year he launched a course in forensic medicine in Dijon.

    On 3 Nivôse, Year III (December 23, 1794), he married Angélique LABOREY in Dijon (Crébillon District); they also had a son, Franck Bernard Simon (1804–1866).

    In 1794, Antoine-François Fourcroy was tasked by the National Convention with reorganizing medical education and sought out a figure who could provide him with the details of this reorganization. Claude-Antoine Prieur-Duvernois, from the Côte-d’Or, who headed the Department of Science and the Arts on the Committee of Public Safety, recommended François Chaussier, who thus joined the Committee of Public Instruction: he drafted a report and a proposed decree, which he read from the rostrum of the Convention on 7 Frimaire, Year III (November 27, 1794); In it, he proposed the creation of a single “Central School of Health” in Paris; the members of the Convention, who were broadly in favor of decentralization, called for the creation of other similar schools in Montpellier and Strasbourg, and it was on this basis that the report was adopted on 14 Frimaire (December 4).

    Chaussier returned to Dijon, where he resumed his lectures and studies as well as the duties entrusted to him: he had been appointed physician of the Dijon Hospices in April 1793 and Prison Surgeon; he did not remain there long, however, as he was recalled to Paris to occupy the chair of anatomy and physiology at the School of Health. Chaussier was, in the words of Joseph-Henri Réveillé-Parise, the most famous professor of physiology at the École de Paris: he argued that vitalism was the foundation of all studies in physiology.

    A decree dated 7 Vendémiaire, Year III (September 28, 1794) officially established the École Centrale des Travaux Publics, which would later become the École Polytechnique, the Board of Directors proposed, less than a month after the school opened, to establish an infirmary there and to appoint a “health officer” (the revolutionary term for doctors) to care for sick students and also to teach lessons on “the art of preventing and alleviating diseases.” The roster of École Polytechnique staff for the following year lists him as an assistant to Claude Louis Berthollet, “simultaneously responsible for the courses in Zootechnics and Public Health, and School Physician”: in fact, he taught Berthollet’s course during the latter’s absence in Italy in 1796–1797. After the formalization of chemistry instruction, Chaussier appears to have abandoned teaching this science and confined himself almost entirely to his duties as a physician.

    In 1799, *Les tables synoptiques* was published to great acclaim. It provides a summary of the physiology, pathology, and treatment of the various anatomical systems of the human body.

    On May 9, 1804, he was appointed Physician of the Maternity Hospitals and entrusted with the chairmanship of the medical examination boards for the examinations to become a Public Health Officer, Pharmacist, and Midwife for the district of the Paris Faculty of Medicine.

    He was a member of the commission appointed by the Minister of the Interior in October 1810 to study “secret remedies”; there he worked alongside André Marie Constant Duméril, Jean-Joseph Menuret, and Nicolas Deyeux.

    In 1815, after the fall of the First Empire, he was replaced as physician at the École Polytechnique, but he retained his chair at the Faculty until November 21, 1822, when the Restoration reorganized the Faculty: he was appointed honorary professor and his chair was revoked. He was deeply embittered by this, and the next day, he suffered a stroke that temporarily left him unable to speak or walk. He recovered, however, though he remained hemiplegic—a condition that did not prevent him from continuing his work at the Maternity Hospital.

    On May 6, 1823, he was admitted tothe Academy of Sciences.

    Between 1824 and 1827, he published several works on forensic medicine: “Forensic Manual of Poisons, Preceded by Considerations on Poisoning”14, “Collection of Papers, Consultations, and Reports on Various Topics in Forensic Medicine”15, “A Forensic Medical Treatise on the Viability of the Newborn, Presented toHis Excellency the Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice”16

    François Chaussier died at his home in Paris on June 19, 1828, at the age of 81, from a stroke.

    He was buried at Père-Lachaise Cemetery (18th division) on June 21: Nicolas-Philibert Adelon delivered a speech on behalf of the Academy; Marie-Alexandre Désormaux, representing the Faculty, did the same; and Duméril, on behalf of the Royal Academy of Sciences, read a lengthy eulogy.

    Franck CHAUSSIER, thesecond son, followed in his father's footsteps and defended his doctoral dissertation in 1827 in Montpellier.

    He is a French physician, a professor at the Paris Faculty of Medicine, and a member of the Royal Academy of Medicine and the Academy of Sciences.

    Chaussier was the chief editor of the articles on pharmacy inthe *Encyclopédie méthodique*13.

    Angélique Marguerite Le BOURSIER du COUDRAY

    She was born in 1712 in Clermont-Ferrand to a family of doctors.

    For the first three years, she studied under Anne BAIRSIN, a midwife.

    On September 26, 1739, she received her diploma and shortly thereafter became a licensed midwife.

    She worked as a master midwife at Châtelet in Paris for sixteen years.

    In 1752, to put theory into practice, she published a book titled *A Summary of the Art of Childbirth*.

    In 1754, she returned to Auvergne and began giving free lessons.

    In 1758, she designed her famous demonstration “machine” (made of wood, cardboard, fabric, and cotton), which was approved on December1 by the Academy of Surgery.

    During the two-month training course, the students were encouraged to practice on the mannequin.

    • In 1759 (or 1757 or 1767), Louis XV granted her a pension and issued her a royal charter authorizing her to teach throughout the kingdom; she embarked on an obstetric tour of France that would last 25 years and continue until 1783, during the reign of Louis XVI, training more than 5,000 women and surgeons.
    • In 1768, she enlisted the help of her niece, Mlle Marguerite GUILLOMANCE.
    • In 1769, asecond edition of her book was published, which she had illustrated with 26 charming color engravings.
    • In 1770, she hired a young surgeon in Bordeaux, Mr. COUTANCEAU, who married her niece shortly thereafter.
    • In 1789, she was staying with her niece.

    She died on April 16, 1794, at the age of 79, in Bordeaux, in poverty and solitude, with her niece and her husband absent. There is a Rue Angélique du Coudray in Thorigné-Fouillard and also a Rue Madame-du-Coudray in Clermont-Ferrand, her hometown. The maternity ward at the Melun Hospital (77) is also named after her.

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