France has announced a major overhaul of its university admissions system for health studies, replacing the long-standing PASS and LAS pathways with a single bachelor’s degree and two opportunities to sit the competitive entrance exam. The reform, unveiled by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research in early 2024, aims to streamline access to medical, dental, midwifery, and pharmacy programs although maintaining academic rigor. The change will take effect starting with the 2024–2025 academic year, affecting tens of thousands of prospective students nationwide.
Under the previous system, students could enter health studies either through the Parcours Accès Spécifique Santé (PASS), a dedicated first-year track focused on scientific foundations, or the Licence avec Accès Santé (LAS), which allowed students to pursue a broader bachelor’s degree while taking health-related minors. Both routes culminated in a highly selective national exam, with limited spots available based on ranking. Critics argued the dual-path model created unnecessary complexity and inequity, particularly for students who switched tracks late or faced scheduling conflicts.
The new framework replaces both PASS and LAS with a unified three-year bachelor’s degree in health sciences, officially titled the “Licence Santé.” Students enrolled in this program will have two chances to pass the national ranking exam — known as the Épreuves Classantes Nationales (ECN) — typically taken at the end of the second and third years. Those who do not succeed on either attempt may still graduate with the bachelor’s degree and pursue alternative careers in health research, public policy, or biomedical industries.
According to the Ministry’s official announcement published on January 18, 2024, the reform is part of a broader strategy to reduce student attrition and improve equity in access to health professions. The government cited data showing that nearly 60% of students who began in PASS or LAS did not ultimately secure a place in a health program, often after investing two or more years of study. By consolidating the pathways and offering two exam attempts, officials hope to increase transparency and give students a clearer sense of their prospects early in their academic journey.
The reform has been welcomed by several student unions and academic leaders who have long called for simplification. “This change acknowledges the reality that many students discover their vocation for health studies later in their undergraduate journey,” said Camille Dubois, president of the National Federation of French Students (FNEF), in a statement to Agence France-Presse on January 20, 2024. “Having two chances reduces the pressure of a single high-stakes exam while maintaining the selectivity needed for rigorous clinical training.”
However, some university faculty have expressed concerns about capacity and resource allocation. With a single admissions track, institutions may face challenges in managing larger cohorts in foundational courses. The Ministry has pledged additional funding to support expanded teaching staff and tutoring services, particularly in universities with high demand for health programs. A follow-up decree issued in March 2024 outlined €120 million in supplementary funding over three years to assist with implementation, including investments in digital learning platforms and remedial instruction.
Prospective students applying through Parcoursup, France’s national university admissions platform, will now select “Licence Santé” as their preferred choice when seeking entry into health-related fields. Admissions will continue to be based on baccalauréat results and academic records, with no change to the overall numerus clausus — the legally set number of students permitted to progress into second-year health studies each year. For the 2024–2025 cycle, the numerus clausus remains fixed at approximately 8,200 places across medicine, dentistry, midwifery, and pharmacy, according to the latest figures released by the Directorate General for Healthcare Supply (DGOS).
The reform also aligns France more closely with other European countries that offer integrated undergraduate pathways to health professions. In Germany, for example, students typically complete a pre-medical bachelor’s before applying to medical school, while in the Netherlands, numerus fixus policies apply at the institutional level rather than through a national exam. French officials say the Licence Santé model preserves the strengths of the national ranking system while reducing administrative fragmentation.
As implementation begins, the Ministry has launched a dedicated portal on its website providing detailed guides for students, educators, and university administrators. The site includes sample curricula, timelines for the two exam windows, and FAQs addressing credit transfers and equivalency for students who wish to change majors. Updates will be published regularly through the summer of 2024 as universities finalize their program structures.
The next official update on the reform is expected in June 2024, when the Ministry plans to release a mid-year implementation report detailing enrollment figures, faculty feedback, and early performance metrics from the first cohort under the new system. Until then, prospective students are encouraged to consult the official Parcoursup platform and their target universities’ health sciences departments for program-specific guidance.
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