Université de Reims-Champagne-Ardenne I Pharmacie I Study in France

Name: Viktoria

From: Belarus, Vitebsk

Studied in: France

Studies start: 2015

Grade: Première année commune des études en santé (First Common Year of Health Studies)

Program: Faculty of Pharmacy

University: Université de Reims-Champagne-Ardenne

Program satisfaction rate: 3/5

Internship: –

Job: –

🎓 Application

How did you learn about this program?

From my cousin, who moved to France a couple of years earlier.

Why did you decide to enrol in this program?

Before I moved to France, I studied for 3 years at the Faculty of Dentistry in Belarus. I really didn’t like the specialty of dentistry, and with a clear conscience, I dropped out of university and decided to try a similar specialty in France: doctor or pharmacist (in Russian, this is often called “provizor”).

Why this field specifically:

• I have always been attracted to science (especially chemistry). Scientific subjects always came easy to me, unlike linguistics and humanities. I was genuinely interested in learning the details of how the human body works and how the world is structured overall.

• But why not pure science: I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find a job in the field and didn’t believe in my own abilities.

• Why the pharmacy faculty and not medicine: based on the results of the competitive year (formerly called PACES, now PASS and LASS) — a common competition for medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, midwifery, and manual therapy faculties — I didn’t get into medicine in the first year. But I wasn’t upset because I had thought I would go into pharmacy anyway. I love chemistry and hate anatomy (I’m bad with spatial thinking).

Also, pharmacists, especially in the industry, have the opportunity to build an international career. We are more mobile.

Pharmacy students also have more opportunities to work part-time during their studies (you can work in a pharmacy as a student starting from the 3rd year), which allows for more independence while studying.

• There is also almost guaranteed employment (shortage of doctors and pharmacists).

• Good salaries after graduation (from about €3000 net).

What was your application experience?

To be able to work as a pharmacist (in a pharmacy, industry, or hospital), it is necessary to pass a competitive year common to several medical specialties (specialties: doctor, pharmacist, manual therapist, dentist, and midwife): formerly PACES, after the 2019-2020 reform called PASS and LAS.

I sent my file through the French Embassy in Belarus (language B2 level, motivation letter, and various documents like birth certificate) to 3 universities. I chose based on where I would have the best chances to enter these specialties, since the university’s prestige at this stage doesn’t matter much in my experience.

Almost all applicants get admitted to this year (PACES: première année commune des études en santé — literally, “first common year for medical studies”).

But during this year, you have to pass 2 exam sessions. Based on the grades, a list of students (ranking) is created. Some students are redirected to other specialties after the first semester if they are at the bottom of the list.

In June, selection happens based on the ranking. Usually, 15-25% of first-year students move on to the second year (the medicine faculty is the hardest, then the others).

If you don’t succeed the first time or if you get admitted but not to the specialty you wanted (for example, you wanted to be a doctor but ended up as a midwife), there is another chance to enroll again in the first year (PACES) and try the competitive exam again.

Now this system has changed. There are two different paths to enter medicine:

• PASS: similar to PACES, but you also have to choose an additional specialty as a backup, so if you fail, you can continue to the second year of another faculty (for example, law). There are two exam sessions in the form of tests; if you rank in the top 10%, you get admitted to the second year. If you are on a waiting list, you will have to pass oral exams, and the best candidate will be chosen.

• LAS: you enroll in any other faculty (for example, design) with the option to study medicine. You have the right to try passing the oral exam for medicine over several years (you have to study both your main faculty subject and medicine at the same time).

Subjects include: chemistry, physics, math (statistics), molecular biology, cell biology, anatomy, physiology, medical law, psychology, embryology, pharmacology...

Don’t expect to be able to work part-time during the competitive year. It’s impossible. In the first semester, I went to a bar once and to the cinema once. I studied 12-14 hours a day.

I strongly recommend finding paid private courses in advance: they run alongside your studies. Price: €1000-2000 per semester.

Of course, this is not mandatory, but without these courses, your chances drop to almost 0%. For example, about 85% of students at our faculty attended additional courses.

What level of English is required to enter this program?

None.

What level of French is required to enter this program?

B2.

💡 Your impressions from your study abroad experience

What are your general impressions about this program?

Duration of study: 6 years (including the first competitive year), no intermediate diplomas. Usually, all 6 years are done at the same university.

But these 6 years usually magically turn into 7, 8… years.

Why? Because in France, the system of repeating years is common: if you don’t pass exams the second time, you have to repeat the course. At our pharmacy faculty, about half of the students couldn’t move on to the 3rd year.

1. So what are the specialties?? Specialization happens around the 5th year; before that, we all study almost the same subjects regardless of the future career path.

2. Pharmacy practice: 6 years

Basically, two options: buy a pharmacy or work in someone else’s pharmacy.

Only a pharmacist can buy a pharmacy, not just any businessman with money. So almost every pharmacist who wants to can buy one (not everyone wants to, because the workload is three times higher). You need to have French citizenship and a bank loan for the purchase (which pays off in 5-10 years).

But working as an employed pharmacist can also be interesting: you need to enjoy interacting with patients and be pedagogical. The salary here doesn’t depend on sales volume, so you don’t have to push unnecessary products. The job consists of checking doctors’ prescriptions (if a doctor prescribed medicines with strict contraindications or two incompatible drugs, pharmacists share legal responsibility equally with the doctor), as well as educating patients (you can even schedule an appointment with the pharmacist to explain treatment strategies and support for chronic diseases).

• Industry: 6-7 years

In this field, you can do almost everything: from marketing to research in chemistry. We work at all stages of pharmaceutical development and product launch.

The specialty is actually defined in the 6th-7th year when we study the so-called Master 2 (at this point, it’s possible to change university and city). This can be a business school for marketing and management, an engineering school for technologists, or simply a Master 2 in your favorite subject (bacteriology, quality control, pharmacovigilance).

• Hospital or laboratory diagnostics: 5 years plus 4 years of internship (paid, just like in the medicine faculty: starting from €1500 up to €2300 at the end of the internship, plus night shifts).

Clinical pharmacology, radiopharmacy, quality control, intravenous nutrition, pharmacovigilance, management…

2. Social life

First year (competitive): it’s unlikely you’ll find friends. No time, and the environment is very competitive. No parties until you are admitted to the 2nd year.

If you are already a second-year student in any faculty in this field, you will experience the wildest, craziest, most fun parties. Don’t be afraid; it’s not mandatory, but I recommend it.

There are also many other activities organized by students (brass band club, picnics, Gala parties with tuxedos and beautiful dresses, etc.).

There are also conferences where you can network with people from various spheres of our field.

3. Work

From the 3rd year, we can work in a pharmacy.

There is definitely time for this.

I worked 2-3 times a week in the afternoon and 2 Saturdays per month. You can earn €600-700, plus full-time summer work allows you to have a financial safety cushion.

3/3

What was the major program value for you?

Thanks to my university, I can work in a profession I enjoy. I passed the national hospital pharmacy competition.

What did you like about this program?

Many interactive classes: for example, role-playing games — patient-pharmacist, pharmacist-employee… High employment rate after graduation in your specialty. The university invites teachers who actively work in their fields. For example, for the management course, we were taught not just by someone who read a textbook on the subject, but by a lecturer who works in management across different companies.

And what didn’t you like?

Very long. I can’t leave anywhere for 6 years, there are no intermediate diplomas. And if you add the internship, that’s basically 4 years of slavery. During these 4 years, you can’t change cities (only for half a year), and the city is actually chosen not by me but by exam results. Plus, there is a strong hospital hierarchy. It’s better than for future doctors, but still. Many professors are indifferent to our requests.

What is the hardest part of studying abroad?

• Language barrier

• Being far from loved ones

Is this experience different from your experience at your country’s university? If yes, how?

The most important thing I noticed is that here there’s no concept of studying from books — not just from the ’80s, but even 2010 is already considered an old book. We learn only from the latest guidelines and study how to critically read scientific literature. Also, it’s great that I don’t have to decide in 11th grade whether I want to work in a pharmacy or in the industry. I make that choice at the end of university after trying different fields through internships. Lectures are not mandatory (personally, I can’t absorb monotonous theoretical info for 4 hours a day; I need to actively study the material).

How did your typical day look like?

Lectures are in the morning or after lunch (not mandatory; later students still create test lectures with presentations). After lunch or in the morning: practical sessions (in groups of 15-20, the teacher guides problem solving, clinical cases) and lab work (synthesis of paracetamol, bacteria cultivation, and so on). Plus, I worked about 2-3 times a week after lunch or in the morning (when lectures were optional) and on Saturdays. Also, don’t forget—the most important thing is independent study.

📌 Useful resources

If you had questions or issues (studies, language, administration, careers, integration etc), where did you get help/advice?

University websites and organizations; sometimes forums (double-checked with official sources).

Did you contact other students with a similar experience?

Yes.

Was their experience helpful?

Yes.

Could you recommend websites which might help study abroad?

I don’t remember specific ones.

💰 Finance

What was the cost of your program? How did you finance your studies?

About €300/year. First year — personal savings; later — parental support, part-time work, and a student loan as a financial cushion.

🏠 Accommodation

What was your accommodation experience?

For the first 2 years, I lived in a university residence. The room was 9 square meters. The price was €270 (including internet and all utilities), but thanks to CAF, I paid €170. Then I started renting an apartment with my friend (also a student). It’s 55 m² for two people, and with CAF support, it comes out to €120 plus internet and all utilities (€60).

How much did you pay for living per month during your studies?

Around €200 with CAF assistance.

🚀 Career opportunities

Did you do an internship during your studies? How did you find it?

I’m still a student. I’ll start my hospital pharmacy internship in November. No search required — placements are assigned based on competition results.

Did your university help you in this process?

Yes, it prepared me for the national competition without overloading me with irrelevant subjects.

What was the field of your internship? If you don’t mind please share the remuneration you got.

Hospital Pharmacist Internship. I’m not shy to talk about the salary since it’s regulated by law. The first year of internship is about €1500 net plus night shifts (~€100) 2-3 times a month. This pay is not for a 35-hour workweek. The schedule is usually around 50 hours per week. Ask ChatGPT

Did you find a job after graduation?

Not yet — still studying.

🌏 Your future plans

What are your plans?

I plan to stay in France. After the internship, I aim to find a position in a hospital within my specialization.

What do you like about France? And what not?

Like: people, culture, nature, and career prospects.

Dislike: paperwork, being far from home.

Could you give a piece of advice to future students?

You shouldn’t go into medicine solely for the money. It’s a very long path (doctors spend almost 10 years with hardly any say in their specialization — they’re not even asked if they want to be surgeons or bacteriologists) and it’s difficult. It’s also expensive. You really have to love medicine for all the effort to be worth it.

Date: September 2020