SAUDI DOCTORS SPECIALIZATION PROGRAM IN FRANCE
Programme Overview
The program of specialization of Saudi physicians in France is based upon the excellence of both
Saudi physicians and French training. The added value of medical training in France consists in the
fact that physicians can practice and receive high level teaching at the same time. Once they are
training in France, Saudi physicians have the same rights and obligations as French residents, which
means that their willingness to commit to the program in respect to French rules is highly expected.
Under the condition that they pass the required exams, they will obtain the exact same specialization
degree (French national board) as French physicians.
This program was launched in 2006, the idea was to give the opportunity to Saudi physicians holding
the general board to receive specialty training in France. Once they graduate, they obtain the same
degree as French residents, Diplômes d’Etudes Spécialisées (DES) and Diplômes d’Etudes Spécialisées
Complémentaires (DESC). Both degrees are recognized by the Saudi Commission for Health
Specialties.
The French program is different from many others foreign programs since it implies direct contact
with the patients. There are no observatory positions, Saudi physicians will learn from the beginning
through theoretical courses, but mainly through practical experiences. This methodology is supposed
to be highly efficient for Saudi physicians to face all kind of symptoms, diseases or particular cases
when they are back in Saudi Health system.
This direct contact with patients and the responsibilities Saudi physicians will assume within the team
also implies communication skills. Without knowledge of the French language, foreign
physicians cannot get benefits out of the medical training. Therefore, French language is mandatory,
for Saudi physicians to be as efficient as French residents in the service. That means that before
starting the medical training, physicians have to study French in a language center for one year, in
order to reach a B2 level (the mandatory level for foreigners to enroll in French universities). This
shall be understood as the best way to get benefits out of the medical training.
The usual path for a Saudi doctor enrolled in the program is the following:
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Selection ends on April for the French Residency Program.
French language must start on May in Riyadh, Jeddah, or Khobar Alliance
Française.
Applicant should be in France by mid November.
Language training in France will last until they obtain the required B2
certificate, deadline: October 10th of 2012.
November 2013: Saudi residents will start in their region of affectation (both in
universities and in medical units).
Rotations will be done every semester, following the French curriculum of the
specialty field they register in.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DES AND DESC
The degrees cited above are awarded to physicians who have successfully completed specialty training, 3 to
6 years depending on specialty. This training consists in the French residency program. Since the late 90’s,
all physicians who have been trained in France hold a DES and in some cases a DESC in their specialty
field.
What is the DES?
To obtain a DES degree, 3 elements must be fulfilled:
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Theoretical training (200 hours), focusing on the specialty.
Practical training: 6 to 10 semesters of residency according to the specialty (8 semesters for medical
specialties, 10 semesters for most surgical specialties).
The defense of a thesis in the last year of residency that deals with a topic related to the DES specialty.
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Medical specialties offered in France are the following specialties listed below (however, some
specialties may not be available each year, please read the call to know which specialties are available):
Surgical Specialties:
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Anatomical pathology
Heart and Vascular Disease
Dermatology and Venereology
Endocrinology and Metabolism
Gastroenterology and hepatology
Medical Genetics
Hematology
Internal Medicine
Nuclear Medicine
physical medicine and rehabilitation
Nephrology
Neurology
Oncology
Pneumology
X-ray and medical imaging
Rheumatology
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General surgery
Neurosurgery
Ophtalmology
Otorhinolaryngology and cervical facial surgery
Stomatology
Other specialties:
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Anaesthesia
Medical Biology
Medical Gynecology
Obstretrics and Gynecology
General Medicine
Work medicine
Pediatrics
Psychiatry
Public Health
Oral surgery
For all surgeons who want to study surgical subspecialties (for instance pediatric surgery), they will have to
register in a DES of General surgery first, and then, they will register in a DESC of their subspecialty.
What is the DESC?
The DESC consists in additional training for residents to complement their knowledge in a particular area of
their specialty.
No DESC can be completed without being enrolled in a DES first.
A DESC is obtained by a young doctor after validation of:
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Two semesters (four for surgical DESC) specific internship as part of the DES and two-semester
internship in addition to the DES (in this sense, the DESC extension of one year post residency). The
practical training of a total DESC is 2 years, including a common year starting with the DES.
The theoretical part of the DESC
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Conditions for applications
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To have Saudi nationality
To be a medical doctor
To be less than 33 years old
Dentists and other medical professions are not concerned by this call for applications. Knowledge of
French language is not required to apply even though this is a plus.
Availability of specialties in France
The total number of positions offered by France for all specialities is 50. The following French
specialities recognized by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research lead to a French
specialization degree :
All the medical specialities are available, except the following specialities:
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family medicine
emergency medicine
forensic medicine
work medicine
For surgical specialities physicians must enrol first into a DES for 2 years and then into a DESC, which
means that they cannot be directly trained in specialized surgery even if they have already been trained in
general surgery in Saudi Arabia.
Please note that once physicians have been selected for this program, they cannot ask for a change of
geographical area. They will be selected for a specific specialty in a specific geographical area.
PLEASE NOTE!!
Even if Saudi physicians will not be able to stay in France to practice as specialists and are invited to
come back to Saudi Arabia, they are highly expected to keep and sustain closed relationships with
France and to participate in the Saudi network of physicians trained in France.
Applicants must also be aware that the years already spent in Saudi Arabia in the required speciality
cannot be currently taken into consideration and that they will have to enroll in a full residency
program (that is also the case for people who want to go to the US or Canada).
Applicants provide any document which could represent an added value to the application such as a
document from your employer/sponsor which stipulates his own interest to support the application in a
specific specialty.
Applicants are asked to pay particular attention to the letter of motivation (statement letter) which is
very important in the process of selection: this letter stresses in particular your motivation to come to
France and to commit to this French Saudi programme of cooperation.
The statement letter explains :
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who the applicant is,
why He/She chooses this speciality
which are the needs in his/her hospital and/or in Saudi Arabia regarding this specialty
why He/She wants to go in France
what his/her expectations are from the French resident programme regarding professional
objectives,
what is his/her professional future when coming back
and any further information the applicant considers useful to support his/her application.
Please note that incomplete files will be not be uploaded.
French learning process - (Guidelines)
Once you have been selected, you will have to learn French language. Learning a foreign language
takes time and dedication. You will need at least 12 months to reach the B2 level (Advanced level
from the CEFR-Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), level required to start
your residency in a French hospital (and minimum level required to be registered in any institution
of Higher Education)
There will be two steps in your program for learning French
STEP 1
You will follow a course in one of the 3 Alliances Françaises in Saudi Arabia (Riyad, Djeddah or Al
Khobar) during six months. During that time, you will cover the first two levels. At this stage, it is
essential to master the basics of the language and for every hour spent in class, you will need to study
at least the same time by yourself.
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A1 Level: can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases
aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him /herself and others
and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people
he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person
talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
A2 Level: can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most
immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local
geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple
and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple
terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of
immediate need.
STEP 2
You will go to France where you will enroll in an intensive course with classes in general and
medical French. You will cover the next 2 levels and take an exam certifiying a B2 language level
before starting your residency. The exams should be TCF, TEF, DELF or DALF.
You will be then in immersion and you will need to take every opportunity to interact with nativespeakers and practise outside the class: watch TV, go to the movies, listen to the radio, and/or join a
sports club… Listening skills are crucial to work in a fast-paced environment such as a hospital.
You also need to familiarize yourself with medical French: reading articles or documents related to
your field of specialisation is the best way to expand your vocabulary and memorize structures.
You will learn vocabulary in context and be able to use it again in an appropriate way.
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B1 Level: can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters
regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to
arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple
connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences
and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for
opinions and plans.
B2 Level: Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract
topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a
degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite
possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of
subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages
of various options.