I spent 16 weeks in the cardiology department of the university hospital (CHU) in Montpellier in the context of the sixth and last year of my medical studies in Berlin. In Germany this last year is organized as a practical training called “Praktisches Jahr” and is seen as a transition phase between the role of a student and that of a medical doctor.

Having a French mother and having spent much time in France, it was always clear for me to spend part of my studies in France. The opportunity to do an internship in Montpellier was a perfect way to improve my medical French vocabulary and to get to know the French healthcare system.

The Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier is the oldest in the world and has a very good reputation. It is also known for being open to international students in the context of ERASMUS and other exchange programs. The information about the application process is well described on the faculty’s website. I contacted different heads of department with a specific form (available on the faculty’s website), along with a CV and a letter of motivation. As I didn’t get any responses, I contacted the secretaries or other doctors in the department.

After my application was accepted and the form was signed, I contacted Omar Masrar who is responsible for the exchange students and who was very helpful and kind. I filled a learning agreement for traineeships and sent it to Omar Masrar and the home university for the necessary signatures. The ERASMUS application itself was organized with the office for international relations at the Free University of Berlin.

The cardiology department at the University Hospital of Montpellier consists of two conventional wards and an intensive care unit. One ward focuses more on rhythmologic diseases, while the other is oriented toward coronary and valvular diseases. I had the opportunity to see the full scope of the discipline but spent most of my internship in the rhythmological ward and the intensive care unit.

Typically, there are always one or two French students of different study levels, called “externes”, who will be on the same ward. In my case, there were also students from Belgium, Romania und the UK during parts of my internship.
As an “externe” I participated in rounds, prepared patient folders and examined and interviewed the patients upon arrival in the department in the afternoons. By doing so, my cardiological knowledge drastically improved, especially in reading ECGs and treating different cardiological diseases.

When there was capacity, I took the opportunity to accompany the senior doctors in their consultations and assist in cardiological interventions and examinations including echocardiography, coronarography, ablations of arrythmias, pacemaker implantations, or TAVI procedures. The variety of interventions performed in Montpellier is very impressive and I had the chance to see almost the entire spectrum.
Following the senior doctors in their work was also very helpful, because many of them took the time to explain certain diseases and treatments and were very open for discussions about the topics. I also had the impression that they appreciated having students with them, as the French students rarely accompanied them.

Everyone in the service is very kind and helpful and does their best to answer the students’ questions and requests. However, I think that is important to have an adequate level of French, as it is a necessity really participate in the daily life in the hospital.

Compared to Germany, students, even in their last year, have a very different, much more observational role. They rarely take an active part in interventions and the separation between the role of an “externe” and an intern is very clear. Also, tasks like taking blood samples and placing venous access are done by the nurses, unlike in Germany, where these are typical tasks for a last-year medical student.

Montpellier itself is a very lively city with roughly 250000 inhabitants and a large student population. While it has no direct connection to the sea, beaches are reachable by bike and public transportation. Most of the nightlife and culture is located in the old historic center of the city, being relatively small compared to the size if the city. I really enjoyed Montpellier, the sea, the mountains, but also the many nearby cities that I visited, notably Sète, Nîmes, Avignon, Arles, Lyon and Toulouse. I got to know a lot of young people from all over Europe during my stay and there are always multiple last-year medical students from Germany, which was very helpful and pleasant.

In total I would definitely recommend going to Montpellier and to the university clinic there for an internship. However, for German students, the role of an “externe” there might feel a bit too passive, but also depends on the language level and expectations. In order to achieve more variety throughout the internship, one could also split it into shorter internships in different departments, though it’s important to note that organizing this can be quite complicated.

Tips for other interns

Preperation

Students need hand in a vaccination and immunity certificate filled and signed by the occupational medicine department of the home university. Consider doing this with some advance, especially as the tuberculosis test takes some time and might not be feasible everywhere.

Visa application

Not necessary for EU citizens.

Internship search

Check the website of the university hospital (CHU) and the Faculty of Medicine. Everything is well described. Consider calling the secretaries or responsible persons directly, especially if they’re not answering your emails.

Apartment Search

Search for apartments in the CROUS residences. Application might be a bit more complicated for exchange students, but the prices are low, and my apartment was in a very good shape. It is also possible to find accommodation in shared flats via seloger.fr.

Insurance

The DAAD insurance is perfect and covers all the required aspects as far as I know.

For medical students from Germany, I would highly recommend getting a professional liability insurance for students from the DÄF.

Other

Public transportation is free for residents of Montpellier. You might get a confirmation letter from your residence or landlord that you can provide to the TAM agency.

Formalities on Site

Telephone/Internet connection

EU-Roaming works well and is free. You might get a French SIM card as mobile data plans are much cheaper there than i.e. in Germany.

Bank/account opening

Personally, I didn’t need a French bank account. A credit card is a must in my opinion.

Leisure time

Going out options

Most of the bars and restaurants are located in the historic center. The nearby beaches are reachable via public transportation or bicycle. There are plenty of beautiful cities around Montpellier but there is also great nature and mountains (i.e. Pic Saint Loup).

Other

I personally really enjoyed the surroundings of Montpellier. Having a bike (or even a car) is really helpful and gives you the opportunity to see much more of the region as you can by train.