France deploys junior doctors to address medical deserts

France is deploying 3,000 junior doctors to medical practices, health centers, and homes starting November 2 to address regional healthcare shortages.

These doctors are undergoing a one-year internship designed to complete their training and encourage them to establish permanent practices in areas with limited medical access. The French government implemented a 2022 reform that extended general medicine training to nine years, aligning it with the duration of specialist training.

As a result, these junior doctors are the first group to undergo a four-year internship instead of the previous three-year period. While they perform consultations and manage chronic diseases like registered doctors, they remain under the supervision of a senior mentor. The Ministry of Health states that approximately 80% of these doctors were assigned to areas with significant difficulty accessing care.

Most will work four days a week in clinics or multi-professional health houses, while some will work in larger healthcare facilities. The government expects this deployment to improve patient access to care and eventually lead to more permanent doctors settling in high-need urban and rural zones. The doctors receive a monthly salary of just over 2,700 euros, plus an autonomy bonus of 400 euros and extra pay for rural areas or night shifts.

Distribution depends on local healthcare needs and the availability of mentors. For example, the Ile-de-France region will host 400 junior doctors, while the Centre-Val-de-Loire region will host 102 doctors in the "medical void" areas.