Access to health studies (medicine, midwifery, dentistry, and pharmacy) is undergoing significant changes with the disappearance of the First Year Common to Health Studies (PACES), commonly known as "the first year of medical school."
High school graduates from Savoie and Haute Savoie can now access courses in medicine, midwifery, pharmacy, and massage therapy through the University of Savoie Mont Blanc.
Access health studies through the USMB's Licences Accès Santé (Health Access Licenses)
Health Access Licenses are demanding programs reserved for highly motivated students with a strong work ethic.
The USMB's Health Access Licenses include courses in the chosen discipline, English classes, and courses that provide the skills necessary to pursue studies in health: modules covering health disciplines and preparation for exams that allow students to apply for health programs. They combine a health option and disciplinary training in the chosen license program. It is therefore recommended that students have a sufficiently solid foundation to be able to follow the health option courses without dropping out.
The health option at USMB is worth 10 ECTS credits over the year and includes courses in:
- Hybrid teaching (flipped classroom, distance learning, face-to-face sessions)
- Human physiology
- Sciences (Physics-Chemistry, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Histology-Biology)
- Biostatistics
- Anatomy
- Introduction to medication knowledge
In collaboration with the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA), the University of Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB) offers health-related options in 11 bachelor's degree programs: STAPS (Science and Technology of Physical and Sports Activities; 3 majors), Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Geography and Planning, Mathematics, Psychology, Chemistry, Physics, Physics-Chemistry, Computer Science and Engineering Sciences, on the Bourget-du-Lac and Chambéry-Jacob-Bellecombette campuses.
The choice of discipline for your bachelor's degree in health sciences is extremely important. It is essential that you genuinely enjoy the discipline you choose and are able to achieve good results in order to be admitted tothe second year of health studies.
In total, the health-related courses offered by these 11 bachelor's degree programs provide nearly 110 places for high school students wishing to enroll in a bachelor's degree program in health sciences (L.AS).
| Places on the Health Access Bachelor's Degree at USMB | |
| Chemistry | 20 |
| Geography and planning | 5 |
| Computer science | 5 |
| Mathematics | 7 |
| Physics | 2 |
| Physics and Chemistry | 2 |
| Psychology | 20 |
| Earth Sciences | 4 |
| Life Sciences | 20 |
| Engineering sciences | 4 |
| STAPS | 20 |
Students can apply for the health studies program that interests them (approximately half of the places in the second year of health studies are reserved for L.AS students, either at the L1 level or after completing an L2 or L3). If not admitted, students can continue in the second year of their chosen bachelor's degree program. They can reapply for admission to the second year of health studies after at least one additional year (inthe second orthird year of their bachelor's degree program).
Access massage therapy studies from USMB
Students enrolled in USMB programs (L.AS, bachelor's degrees in Science, Technology, Health) have the opportunity to access the massage therapist training program offered by the physical therapy department of the Grenoble Alpes University Hospital (IFMK in Grenoble). There are two recruitment channels available to them, each with a quota of reserved places. In both cases, access is selective:
- Access from thefirst year of a bachelor's degree in Science and Technology of Physical and Sports Activities (STAPS) or thefirst year of a bachelor's degree in Science, Technology, and Health at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc (specific USMB quota for 2020-2021: 3 places)
- Access from USMB or UGA L.AS, in L1 or L2 and L3 (quota shared by UGA and USMB for 2021-2021: 2 places +2 places)
Please note: The number of places available in 2021-2022 for each of the two tracks will be determined at a later date (after the redistribution among the different tracks of the 18 places reserved this year for PACES repeat students).
PASS or LAS? How to choose?
There are two ways to enter the second year of health studies after high school: the Licence Accès Santé (L.AS) and the Parcours Spécifique Accès Santé (PASS).
The Specific Health Access Program (PASS) (not offered at USMB) consists of a core curriculum in health, plus an elective chosen from a field or discipline outside the health sector (e.g., law, humanities, science, and technology). At the end of the PASS year, students can apply to study the health program of their choice. If they are not admitted, they cannot repeat the PASS. Students can continue into the second year of a bachelor's degree at the university (depending on the subject option they have chosen) and apply for health studies after at least one additional year (inthe second orthird year of the bachelor's degree). The PASS is similar to the former first year common to health studies (PACES). It includes a minor subject offering an introduction to disciplines outside the field of health. However, the weighting of scientific and health subjects is decisive for admission to thesecond year of health studies.
In comparison, L.AS programs are designed to accommodate different and more varied profiles in order to diversify the profile of healthcare professionals. Health access licenses also make it easier for students whose plans have not come to fruition to change direction. To succeed in L.AS, it is necessary to obtain good results in the subjects of your bachelor's degree and to validate the health option.