The Conference of Deans of Medicine announced on Tuesday that between 10,000 and 10,500 new residents are expected to join hospitals this November, an unprecedented level. This surge follows the crisis triggered by the reform of the residency entrance exam, which came into effect in 2024 and introduced a minimum passing grade on the written exam and a new oral examination. As a result, some students strategically chose to repeat their fifth year, reducing the number of residents to just 8,500, compared to the usual 9,500.
This year, 10,590 candidates (94,2% of the graduating class) passed the written exam and will take the practical clinical exams, the OSCEs, in June. "The figure will probably be between 10,000 and 10,500," said Isabelle Laffont, president of the Conference of Deans, noting that the increase in numbers is now structural.
The increase is part of a long-term effort undertaken since the abolition of the numerus clausus: between 2018 and 2025, the number of students entering the second year of medical school increased by approximately 20%, reaching 12,000 places. "Our medical schools are full," summarizes Isabelle Laffont.
This increase in staff comes at a crucial time in a hospital system under chronic strain, where interns are an essential cog, particularly in emergency departments.
