“Did you know that this Faculty has roots stretching back to ancient times?” I ask you. Welcome to the Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales in Marseille. It is a place where the pursuit of healing blends with history.
This faculty is more than just a modern institution. It is a modern faculty with ancient roots. Some claim its origins trace back to the 1st century. During the Roman era Marseille was a training ground for notable physicians like Charmis and Crinas. However concrete evidence of a formal medical school from that period remains elusive.
Fast forward to today. The Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales stands as a beacon of medical education. In 2018 it was renamed. It evolved into its current form. It now encompasses a wide array of disciplines. These include medicine, midwifery, rehabilitation sciences and nursing.
The faculty is closely partnered with the Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille a major university hospital complex. This collaboration provides students with invaluable practical experience.
The Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales has two primary sites. One is at the Timone. The other one is in the Nord district. The Timone site houses the faculties of medicine, pharmacy and odontology. The René Egger-designed medicine faculty building earned the “20th Century Heritage” label in 2014.
The Nord site focuses on midwifery and nursing. It also hosts some rehabilitation science programs. The library of medicine and midwifery is located here.
The Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales is comprised of five schools. These schools are medicine, dental medicine, midwifery, rehabilitation sciences and nursing.
The faculty provides initial and continuing education. The initial training includes courses in audiology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, optics and podiatry. The mixed health training unit ensures continuous professional development for all health professions.
Research is a cornerstone of the Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales. Eighteen research teams collaborate with leading institutions. They work in fields like infectious diseases, neurosciences, genetics and oncology. The Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection opened in 2017. It is dedicated to studying and treating infectious diseases.
The Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales also boasts strong international relations. It actively fosters partnerships with hospital and university structures worldwide.
However the path to success here is not easy. In 2017 the faculty had one of the lowest success rates in France. Only 12.10% of students advanced to the second year across all fields. This was attributed to ministry decisions limiting the number of students in regions.
The Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales has faced challenges. Following a terrorist attack in 2017 a commemorative plaque honored a student victim. A psychological support unit was established after a student suicide in 2012.
Despite these difficulties the Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales remains committed to training future healthcare professionals. It continues to advance medical knowledge. The Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales is a place of learning resilience and discovery. It will shape the future of medicine in Marseille and beyond.