Tag Archive for: Montpellier
On June 1, 2022, the School of Geriatrics and Gerontology was inaugurated in the Faculty of Medicine’s Historic Building. We were able to celebrate this achievement in the presence of Isabelle Laffont, Dean of the Faculty; Jacques Mercier, Vice President ofthe University of Montpellier; and Nicole Marin-Khoury, Deputy Mayor of the City of Montpellier.
A school unlike any other in France…
This project, led by Professor Claude Jeandel, Director of the School of Geriatrics and Gerontology; Dr. Stéphanie Miot, its Associate Director; Ms. Myriam Aggoun, its Administrative Director; and Ms. Marie-Laure Portalez, a research engineer, is the first school of its kind in France.
In fact, this school was founded in response to a societal reality: we are facing a real demographic challenge. This challenge is reflected in an aging population and an increase in the number of people with reduced independence (2.45 million in 2060, compared to 1.6 million in 2030). Offering tailored gerontology training programs for students and professionals in the field has become essential in light of these societal, medical, and scientific challenges.
In order to provide a cross-disciplinary and holistic approach to issues related to advanced age, a diverse range of training programs has been developed, featuring innovative teaching methods across the sector’s various fields of application (medical, epidemiological, psychological, legal, etc.).
… and innovative
Stemming from the IDEFI-TIL program (Initiatives for Excellence in Innovative Training – Trans Innov Longevity), launched in 2014 at the Faculty, the gerontology training programs offered by the Faculty of Medicine have already enabled many professionals in the medical and paramedical fields to specialize in this area.
Innovation is a top priority for the School of Geriatrics and Gerontology, which offers, among other things, training programs tailored to e-learning tracks. These simulation workshops are also held once a year. Finally, tutoring is provided by alumni of the various programs.
In addition, older adults will be involved in teaching, and certain training programs will be designed for them as part of therapeutic education.
4 major areas of training
#WeTalkedAboutIt
This initiative is already making headlines! Check out the various news articles below!
Article from Midi Libre: The First Steps of a School of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the School of Medicine
La Marseillaise: A School of Geriatrics and Gerontology in Montpellier
Older adults account for more than 20% of the French population (Source: INSEE 2020), yet the aging process remains poorly understood. Thanks to the simulation tools offered in this innovative workshop, participants will be able to “jump forward” several years in time. This will allow them to hone, through experience, their skills in supporting older adults.
Why this workshop?
This workshop, offered by the School of Geriatrics and Gerontology, was created to allow participants to experience the major impairments associated with aging.
It is led by its administrative director, Myriam Taroudjit, and Marie-Laure Portalez, a design engineer.
Special equipment allows participants to experience firsthand the main age-related sensory impairments. This helps them recognize the challenges faced by older adults and better understand their behaviors and specific needs.
“True experiential learning aimed at improving the quality of life for older adults”
The effectiveness of this simulation-based method was the subject of a study conducted by medical students at Julius-Maximilians University in Würzburg (Dr. med. Filz S.A., Dr. med. Swoboda W., et al.).
The research, conducted in the form of hands-on training sessions that involved wearing a simulation suit, yielded the following results:
- Ability to empathize with the living conditions of an older adult after the practicum: 83% of participants.
- Ability to put oneself in the shoes of an older adult after the practicum: 90% of participants.
- Understanding of an older adult’s physical condition after the practicum: 95% of participants
How?
Using simulation scenarios composed of several elements, participants put themselves in the shoes of an older adult by experiencing the physical and emotional challenges associated with aging.
Here are a few examples:
Feedback from Our Students
Every year, this innovative workshop is offered to students at the School to supplement their curriculum and deepen their understanding of older adults. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive:
Stéphanie: “This workshop was very interesting, and everyone who works with older adults should be able to participate in this simulation workshop. Losing one’s senses is very unsettling.”
Mariam: “This afternoon, I experienced firsthand what the older adults I care for go through every day: muscle pain, hearing and vision problems, and slowed movements—all caused by an environment that is no longer safe for them to navigate.”
Maïlys: “In a professional setting, I’ll pay even closer attention to these ‘pains’ and how people experience and cope with them in their daily lives, so I can best tailor my responses to their needs.”
More photos:
What is Karab’s? It’s a pocket-sized guide listing local spots and great deals around town for local and international students. Created by students fromthe ACM student union, their project was launched on April 27, 2022, after three years of hard work and dedication.
3 Great Reasons to Get the Karab’s!
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Karab’s Makes the Front Page of the Local Press!
And since such a wonderful initiative was bound to catch the attention of the local press, Karab’s has already been featured twice! Coming soon to Radio Campus Montpellier and Fun Radio, this little guide has a bright future ahead of it!
In 2020, Dr. Favier and Dr. Debourdeau once again submitted a proposal to MUSE’s call for projects. They were named winners of the Take Off 4 award, which recognizes innovations in education.
An Educational Innovation for Safety
Physicians and surgeons are required to perform invasive procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. These procedures require extensive and rigorous training, which takes place primarily during residency (beginning in the 7th year of medical school, upon entering a specialty).
The quality of medical-technical and surgical procedures must be at the heart of training, as it impacts the health and safety of patients. The technical training of medical and surgical residents must therefore include preliminary instruction designed to ensure the safety of patients, trainees, and supervisors alike.
Factors Driving Change
The use of anatomical specimens for training has been widely adopted, but this training method is limited by the availability of specimens. Another limiting factor is the difficulty in maintaining the realistic appearance of the digestive and respiratory tracts on these biological models.
The Simulator as a Solution
Simulator-based training helps meet safety requirements, since students do not come into direct contact with patients during their initial simulations, mistakes are permitted, and instructors can give students greater freedom to practice while providing educational feedback during dedicated training sessions—which are more frequent because they are easier to implement. This learning method also eliminates the biological risks associated with the use of anatomical specimens.
The specific areas involved
Since simulation is a very expensive tool that takes a long time to set up, Drs. Favier and Debourdeau conducted preliminary studies to determine in which areas this simulation could be most useful.
According to their research, simulation-based training is necessary for the following procedures:
- Diagnostic and Interventional Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (Gastroenterology)
- Diagnostic and Interventional Colonoscopy (Gastroenterology)
- Endoscopic Nasal, Sinus, and Anterior Skull Base Surgery (ENT, Neurosurgery, Maxillofacial Surgery)
- Diagnostic Flexible Fibroscopy of the Upper Aerodigestive Tract (ENT, Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Oncology)
- Rigid bronchoscopy (ENT specialists, pediatricians, pulmonologists)
Proven effectiveness
These procedural simulators have been scientifically validated for initial training and have proven their effectiveness. In total, these programs involve 220 residents in the Montpellier-Nîmes area (20 gastroenterologists, 18 ENT specialists, 6 neurosurgeons, 6 maxillofacial surgeons, 15 pulmonologists, 125 anesthesiologists and intensivists, and 20 oncologists).
A project that builds on the previous one
Remember, we had already mentioned, in one of our articles, Drs. Favier and Debourdeau, who were winners of a previous MUSE Take Off competition. That project involved the development of an app called SPART APP, designed to assess the technical skills of residents.
This project builds on the Spart-APP initiative. In fact, this application—which can track residents’ technical progress—may be integrated with a simulation platform in the future. This platform will enhance real-time learning for students who are struggling, as part of an active and dynamic teaching approach.
As part of the 800th-anniversary celebrations, a photography exhibition will take place from July 10 to October 10. Curated by renowned photographer CédricMATET, it will be held at the Jardin des Plantes. In 2020, this photographer also curated the exhibition “Behind the Masks,” whichfeatures200 portraits of medical personnel.
Practical Information
“People in Their Gardens”
The title of the exhibition is fundamentally linked to itscontent. In fact, for this exhibition, the artist chose to work with anatomical specimens from the Faculty’s anatomy museum. To better understand his project, we interviewed the photographer.
What is your background?
I’m originally fromSète. I attended a design school in Montpellier that is now called ESMA. After that, I enrolled at the Gobelins School of Visual Arts in Paris. Later, I went back to school to earn a master’s degree in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development because I’m interested in cities. In the meantime, I’ve been working in art direction and design at various communications agencies.
What interests me is connecting art to the city, to maps, to cartography, and to people. In my view, an artist must be rooted in their context: urban, political, and human.
Can you tell us about the “Behind the Masks” project?
It was GéraldCHANQUES, a professor at the faculty and a doctor atSaint EloiHospital, who contacted me and proposed this project. I wanted to convey a vision ofwhat healthcare providers and their commitments can be.
How would you describe yourself?
If I had to define myself and my work, I would talk abouttransdisciplinarity. I am a photographer, but I’m also a visual artist; I enjoy working with a variety of materials and collaborating with people from different fields.
Can you tell us about your new exhibition, “Man in His Garden”?
It’s been an idea of mine for quite some time to explore the Jardin des Plantes, but I have a real passion for the anatomy museum, which I visited when I was a student. Being able to talk about botany through the garden, but also about humanity and research on the human body—I think that’s fabulous. The project was a collaboration between the two of us, once again with ProfessorCHANQUES.
This project is interesting becauseit takes me out of my comfort zone;I usuallytake portraits, but that’s not the case here.
Furthermore, since all the rooms are designated as historic landmarks, I have a special relationship with the curator. She’s the third subject of this project—I can’t work without her. Usually, I direct my model,but here I can’t because of the piece’s fragility—every movement must be carried out by the curator.
It’sinteresting becausethe artwork and the garden exist independently of me.
There are three of us working on this project: Jane, who creates digital art and is a videographer; Luc, who does motion design, among other things; and me, who works with visuals and handles the artistic direction for the whole project. None of us knows what the final result will be.
How did you choose the anatomical structures?
I first sought advice from ProfessorCHANQUES and the curators to find out which pieces are emblematic of the conservatory. I didn’t choose the pieces based on their aesthetic appeal, since the goal of this exhibition is to tell a story and convey meaning.
The only exception to this is a bust we found—no one knows the identity, history, or era of the person it depicts. I found it fragile and touching, so I decided to include it. It’s the only piece I selected based on a gut feeling.
There are some pieces that,unfortunately, we were unable to include because of their fragility. I was also drawn to other pieces, but they didn’t depict the human body and therefore strayed from the subject. I’ll explore those later for another, more personal project.
Some pieces are also too heavy to move. However, that is part of the exhibition’s story.
For some pieces that we couldn’t bring out to the Jardin des Plantes, we brought the Jardin to them by using branches and foliage.
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