General Council of Allier - Grants for medical students

What you get

You will receive 800 EUR per month throughout your specialist training, for up to 48 months (4 years). This amounts to a total of around 36,000 EUR. The funding comes from the Allier department in central France, which has launched its Wanted programme to tackle the shortage of doctors in its rural areas. In return, you undertake to open a practice in an underserved part of the department for at least 3 years once you have completed your training. An underserved area is an area with too few doctors. You will agree on the exact location with the department’s elected representatives. The Mission Santé team will put you in touch with local doctors and available vacancies.

Who can apply

• Study phase: You are a junior doctor (‘intern’), which means you are currently undertaking specialist training following your initial medical examinations.
• Field of study: Any medical specialism is a possibility, from general practice through to ophthalmology and psychiatry.
• Commitment: You undertake to practise as a doctor in an underserved area of the Allier department for at least 3 years after completing your training.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.
• University: You can study at any university. What matters is where you practise afterwards, not where you study.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is aimed exclusively at junior doctors who are prepared to commit to working in a specific rural department for at least 3 years, meaning that there are few applicants competing for this position. If you are firmly committed to practising as a doctor in the Allier region and are able to make this long-term commitment, your prospects look good. The department is actively recruiting doctors and has opened the scholarship to all specialisms, which works in your favour.