The University of Mons has been dealing with unfounded allegations and harmful untruths since announcing the authorization for a master’s degree in medicine at Mons. There are misunderstandings regarding funding or over-funding, causing doubt among the general public and students and their families. The university clarified its position and assured that the students will have competent teachers, quality teaching, and supervision on the Mons site. The joint master’s degree with ULB is not a whim, and the Faculty of Medicine has been in existence for 50 years. Resources, including academic and infrastructure, already exist, and there will be no financial repercussions for the community. The university has state-of-the-art laboratories and quality equipment. The partnership with ULB and Erasmus academic hospital will allow students to carry out internships within Hainaut hospitals. Regardless of whether a student completes their bachelor’s degree in Mons or elsewhere, they will receive the same funding from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The master’s degree will not cost the federation additional funding, and the training will not be cheap. The goal is to make general practice more attractive and concrete for students and to encourage them to settle in the province of Hainaut. The university hopes to increase the number of doctors established in the province with this master’s degree. The majority of medical students in Mons come from the province of Hainaut, making this a major opportunity for them to follow a complete cycle of study in Mons while still benefiting from a joint degree with ULB.
Unfounded allegations, harmful untruths, this is what the University of Mons believes it has had to face since the announcement of the obtaining of the authorization necessary for the organization of a master’s degree in medicine at Mons. Remarks “spread or uttered” which come from a misunderstanding, maintained by notions of “funding or over-funding” and which are enough to sow doubt in the minds of the general public or directly of students and their relatives.
This Thursday, the UMons therefore wanted to put the dots on the i. There is no question of talking regarding a master’s degree “without funding” or a “master’s degree at a discount”: the students will be supervised by competent teachers, on the Mons site, and will benefit from quality teaching. The promise is formulated and justified by several arguments. “First of all, it should be remembered that this is indeed a joint master’s degree with the ULB, a joint degree”, insists Philippe Dubois, rector.
“It’s not a whim, even less a desire for sub-localism. Our Faculty of Medicine has been in existence for 50 years, so it should not be created. Its existence therefore implies the current and effective existence of resources, both academic and in terms of infrastructure. There will therefore be no financial repercussions for the community. We already have state-of-the-art laboratories and quality equipment.”
A solid partnership with ULB and Erasmus Hospital
No question, either, of demanding the creation of an academic hospital. “We have a partner, the ULB, and an agreement that binds us with the Erasmus academic hospital. This will allow our students to carry out their internships within Hainaut hospitals hosting the 200 CHU beds shared by Erasmus, but also with Hainaut general practitioners”. moreover applicants, precisely, to welcome students.
Concretely, whether a student who completes his bachelor’s degree in Mons continues his studies there or whether he goes to continue his master’s degree elsewhere, for example in Brussels, will not change anything in the question of his funding, granted by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. “Each student enrolled in Mons will benefit from the same funding from the FWB as a student enrolled in the same course at ULB”insists the rector once more.
The organization of the master will therefore not cost the FWB one euro more or in any way imply “cheap” training, as feared by some students and families, lost in the face of a flood of information that is difficult to read. “For our part, we are going to make the profession of general practitioner more attractive, more concrete for students who may have a truncated vision of the profession”, adds Dr. Alexandre Legrand, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
”The internship network already exists but will be extended, especially in general medicine, even if the students will not be obliged to do their internship in Hainaut.” The objective remains to encourage students to practice general medicine and to settle in a province that they know for living there and for having carried out the major part of their internship there. “We are not making anything up when we say that a medical specialist is more mobile than a general practitioner, more established in the community. We therefore have good hopes of being able to increase the number of doctors established in the province of Hainaut thanks to this master’s degree.”
In Mons, it is estimated that out of 100 medical students, 80 to 85% of them come from the province of Hainaut. Giving them the possibility of following a complete cycle of study in Mons while still benefiting from the advantages of a joint ULB degree is therefore a major opportunity, whatever some may say.
In conclusion, the University of Mons wants to make it clear that the allegations and rumors surrounding the master’s degree in medicine are unfounded and harmful. The university has emphasized that the program will be taught by competent teachers, on the Mons site, and with quality teaching. The joint master’s degree with ULB is not a whim, but rather a major opportunity for students to follow a complete cycle of study in Mons while still benefiting from a joint ULB degree. Furthermore, there will be no financial repercussions for the community, and the internship network already exists but will be extended, especially in general medicine. The objective remains to encourage students to practice general medicine and to settle in a province that they know for living there and for having carried out the major part of their internship there. By offering this program, the university hopes to increase the number of doctors established in the province of Hainaut.