First year medical students at Sorbonne-Paris-Nord University, in Bobigny, preparing to take exams, have they deliberately truncated the results of their Covid-19 tests in order to be screened positive and be placed in solitary confinement?
This, in order to obtain two additional weeks of revision, by passing their exams during a special session.
This is what students of the faculty say, who denounce the attitude of their comrades in this extremely competitive sector, where places to go to second year remain limited.
“Last year, medical studies were reformed, recalls Chloe
(the first name has been changed)
, a student. Suddenly, this year, we are wiping the plaster of this reform a little. We are registered in Pass [
Editor's note
:
Specific health access route]
, where you follow both a health major, common to everyone, and a minor license that you choose. Me, I took the science of life. For this license, we had to take our exams at the beginning of May, while in other minors, they were scheduled for the end of May. Those of health, which we all pass at the same time, took place on May 12th. Since the beginning of the year, life science students have denounced this inequality, which left us less time to prepare than our comrades in other fields. But the university did not want to change the dates. "
The students assure it, in medicine, where cramming is almost a religion, every working day counts.
“We are 375 in Pass for only 50 places in medicine, one in midwife, five in dental and ten in pharmacy, detail the young women.
It is played to a tenth near the level of the notes.
"
Free tests "to be of service"
It is this feeling of inequity that would have led some students to try to obtain additional weeks by testing positive for Covid-19.
“They did not hide it, assures Stéphanie
(the first name has been changed)
.
Some even encouraged us to take advantage of it, but for us it was out of the question.
"
According to these young women, the fraudsters would have obtained these false positive tests thanks to the help of a student - whose identity they do not know - in the dental sector, who was doing an internship in a laboratory.
The latter would have used tests of real patients to provide positive results to his comrades, a priori for free.
"No one has ever told us that it was paying, it was rather presented as a service", they describe.
Read alsoDouble or risk infecting others?
The dilemma of Covid-positive medical candidates
The students suspect several people of having taken advantage of the tip.
"As soon as my daughter told me that some young people were planning to cheat, I warned the university, but I took a long time to get answers", regrets a parent of a student, revolted that potential future doctors are diverting laboratory tests.
Three students caught their exams
In an email sent on May 4, the university nonetheless asked students positive for Covid-19 to make an appointment by teleconsultation with the preventive medicine service, reminding them that "any finding of a fraudulent Covid certificate positive will be the subject of a request for referral to the disciplinary council ”.
“It would have been better to ask them to take a new test in a second laboratory, regrets the student's parent.
In teleconsultation, no one will check if you have a fever.
And apparently, some of the students concerned did not even pass this teleconsultation without causing them a problem.
"
"The students, who had to take their minor at the beginning of May and who were detected positive for Covid-19 were indeed able to catch up with their exams during an bis session, confirms Nathalie Charnaux, head of the UFR Health, Medicine and Human Biology from the Bobigny campus.
In life sciences, this concerned three young people, who all followed a teleconsultation.
"
According to the official, the university reacted as soon as it was alerted but no fraudulent system has been uncovered. The faculty says all the same that it will carry out new checks. “If there has been fraud, there will be a disciplinary sanction. "
