Two surveys reveal a disturbing malaise among future health professionals. While the sector remains attractive to many students, the hospital’s lack of financial and human resources weighs on their morale. Attached to their quality of life, the new generation denounces the strong pressure suffered during internships and insufficient remuneration.
The hospital crisis is also affecting student morale. In the a study created in 2022 by the National Federation of Nursing Students (Fnesi), 61.4% of prospective nurses said their mental health had deteriorated since they began their education. As for medicine, investigation of the National Association of Medical Students in France (Anemf) for the year 2021 has revealed it 75% of future doctors suffered from chronic anxiety. “Even more worrying, 39% suffer from depressive symptoms, 12 points more than in our previous 2017 study,” warns Yaël Thomas, president of Anemf.
Degraded reception conditions during internships
«The data from Parcours Sup prove it, the nursing profession attracts, observes Naïza Savignat, head of the fight against discrimination at Fnesi until October 2022. Unfortunately, students encounter many problems during their training. »
The student especially emphasizes overloaded schedules, lack of training for tutors and lack of human and financial resources. “Students perform very important tasks in the hospital because they make up for the lack of staff,” explains the nurse. But over time, the situation is not sustainable. »
Difficult training conditions also experienced by medical students. “Our status and our rights are very little framed in the hospital and therefore little respected”, regrets Yaël Thomas. The future doctor denounces the strong pressure of the internships, during which students can “easily become the hospital’s fallback”.
“Our generation has also been confronted with these difficulties and a form of abuse during their studies, observes Martine Duclos, 57, head of the department of sports medicine at the university hospital of Clermont-Ferrand. But since then, there has still been progress. »
For example, interns* now have a safety rest behind their guards. “Hospital students now also have one compulsory day a week left free for university activities, as well as days to prepare for exams,” adds the endocrinologist.
The end of closed number leads to an influx of students
In 2021, to make up for the shortage of doctors, the closed number** was deleted. But the influx of medical students has not been accompanied by new means, I miss Yael Thomas and Martine Duclos. “We are inundated with internship requests, notes the professor, whose service has gone from 5 to 15 external. Since we don’t have the manpower and financial means to supervise them, they don’t come every day. Due to lack of space, a rotation was set up among the students to be present in the service.
“Unfortunately, the educational aspect, support and learning are set aside”, regrets Yael Thomas, president of Anemf, currently in 4th year of medical study in Brest.
The new generation of caregivers value quality of life
The malaise is also confirmed by the university administration. “The deterioration of students’ mental health is a proven fact, acknowledges Patrice Diot, dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Tours. Healthcare professions are very demanding and personal well-being is often difficult to achieve. »
On the other hand, the director warns of the psychosocial risks associated with discovering the hospital environment. “We have to better prepare students for this very particular world, in which they find it difficult to find their place. » Lack of preparation for hospital codes, hierarchy and organization could partly explain the difficulties encountered during the internships, according to Patrice Diot.
The principal also mentions a generational phenomenon. “Society is changing, a young doctor no longer necessarily wants to devote as much time to professional practice as his predecessors. »
Yael Thomas and Professor Duclos still agree on one point: to compensate for the departure of a retired doctor, today two or even three replacements are needed. “Maybe we shouldn’t have, but our generation has agreed to work every day of his life, without saving money, testifies Martine Duclos. I understand that the new generation wants something else, but we do a profession of passion where it is difficult to count the hours. »
Remuneration for internships deemed insufficient by students
Between the 4th and on 6th year of training, hospital students (called “external”) carry out 5 half-days a week of training at the hospital. They are paid €2.70 gross per hour during this period, according to the Anemf. “Lack of personnel makes us an easy workforce, ridiculously paid, regrets Yaël Thomas, its president. But in practice, we are essential to the functioning of the hospital. The future doctors carry out the administrative work there, receive the patients and carry out various tests on them.
The internship allowances received by nursing students are between €1.01 and €1.70 per hour. “We simply ask to be paid the same as in other sectors of higher education, i.e. 3.90 euros per hour,” complains Naïza Savignat, from Fnesi. What about scholarships? Since 2005, the Regions have been able to provide them to students in the health and social sector. Each region decides its own policy, setting its own tariffs and brackets.
Difficulties in all sectors
Economic difficulties do not only concern students in the health sector. A she studies of the Federation of General Students’ Associations (Fage), published in September 2022, reveals that the cost of starting the school year (+7.38%) and the costs of daily living (+2%) both increased in 2022 compared to last year. “Inflation has reached 20% for some food and basic necessities, without being offset by an increase in scholarships and social assistance, regrets Félix Sosso, spokesman for Fage. Consequently, students will have to limit themselves, especially on food. To remedy this, Fage calls in particular for a structural reform of the scholarship system. “Student precariousness is a global problem, which requires a collective and political response commensurate with the challenges”, considers the elected student.
Should we teach medicine differently?
In addition to the lack of means, is it necessary to review the way of teaching medicine? There are exchanges between principals on the subject. “Our students should be taught more about best practices for finding reliable medical information. A lot of knowledge is now very easily accessible,” notes Patrice Diot, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Tours.
The rector gives the example of the dosage, which corresponds to the dosage of the drug prescribed in the context of a cure. These doses were previously mostly memorized. “Limiting learning to this very basic knowledge should allow students to focus more on other learning, such as reasoning as a doctor. »
One track among others for the director, who believes that future reforms will be necessary. “They should enable students to find balance in their lives. »
* The intern is a 3 year old medical studentth cycle, i.e. between 7th and on the 12thth year of studies. He’s a doctor, but he doesn’t have a doctor’s degree yet.
** In the field of health care, the numerus clausus designated a fixed number of students admitted to certain courses each year.
- Solal Duchéne
- Photo credit: Getty Images
