Departement de la Charente-Maritime - Grants for medical students

Grant for medical interns in Charente-Maritime

You will receive a total of 42,000 EUR, paid monthly over the three years of your placement. The amount increases each year: 800 EUR per month in the first year, 1,100 EUR in the second year and 1,600 EUR in the third year. The funding comes from the Charente-Maritime department in south-west France, which aims to attract more general practitioners to its rural and underserved areas. The grant applies retroactively from the first day of your current semester. You can combine it with government and health insurance-related funding schemes.

Who can apply

• Study level: You are a junior doctor (resident) in general practice in the 3 cycle of your medical training.
• Field: General medicine only.
• Timing: You can apply at any time during your work placement.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.
• Commitment to practise here: Upon completion of your studies, you undertake to work for 4 years as a self-employed (freelance) doctor in a community in Charente-Maritime that is classified as ‘at risk’ or ‘highly at risk’. These are areas with a shortage of doctors, which are listed in a publication released annually.
• Deadline to settle: You must open your practice in the chosen municipality within 36 months of completing your internship (the year spent as a junior doctor does not count towards this).
• No double funding: Since the decree of 5 January 2026, you can no longer combine this grant with the ‘Contrat d’Engagement de Service Public’ (CESP), a separate government grant scheme. Should you subsequently apply for the Ministry’s settlement grant as well, your residency obligation will be extended to 6 years.

How to apply

Please send your application by post or email to the Charente-Maritime Department. Please enclose a copy of your identity document, a CV, a covering letter and your current certificate of enrolment. There is no fixed deadline, so you can apply at any time during your placement. A committee will review each application and vote on it; you will then sign an agreement with the department.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very narrowly defined. You must be a junior doctor specialising in general practice and be prepared to work as a self-employed practitioner for four years in a specific underserved area of a French département. This keeps the pool of applicants small; so if you fit the profile and are prepared to make this commitment, your chances are good. As there is no fixed application window, you can apply as soon as your plans are finalised.