The training of general practitioners in France

The status quo of medical education in France, particularly as it applies to the training of generalists, is critically evaluated, based on a literature review and extensive contact with French physicians. Medical school in France consists of three cycles. The first cycle, beginning after secondary school, lasts two years, with an examination in the middle elimination 80% of the students. The second cycle, lasting four years, is a combination of theoretical and bedside teaching, with limited ward responsibilities. Almost half of the 4,000 students completing the second cycle enter a third cycle in general medicine, most of whom do so because they failed to pass the entry test for specialization. This third cycle, lasting two years, is the equivalent of residency but is almost entirely hospital based. General medicine currently suffers in terms, of patient, peer, and self-perception. Implications for the future are considered.