Education System for Healthcare Professionals in the French Republic

Abstract

Healthcare professional education constitutes a core component of the education system, playing a critical role in ensuring the quality of the healthcare workforce and the effectiveness of healthcare delivery. In the French Republic, healthcare professional education is organized within a unified legal framework, characterized by strong state regulation and close integration between higher education institutions and professional practice networks. This article analyzes the healthcare professional education system in France on the basis of current legal provisions, focusing on governance mechanisms, admission pathways, the structure of training cycles, training pathways, and the degree system. Four core healthcare professions (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and midwifery), together with several other regulated healthcare professions, are examined in relation to training, qualifications, and the right to practice. The findings indicate that the French model is characterized by a high level of national standardization, flexible regulation of admission capacity, and close integration of education, practice, and research. The degree system aligned with the national qualifications framework and the European Qualifications Framework, thereby facilitating the recognition of qualifications and professional mobility within the European Union. This model provides valuable insights for comparative research and reforms in healthcare workforce education in the context of international integration.