"She commits to practicing for three years": Oyonnax offers 56,000 euros to a medical intern to settle in the city

Offer a scholarship to a medical student in exchange for years of practice in the town. This is the idea of ​​the town of Oyonnax (Ain) , 22,500 inhabitants, which voted in the municipal council a few days ago to sign an agreement setting out the terms of a partnership that the community considers "win-win".

Concretely, the city has decided to pay 56,000 euros to a doctor in training. At the end of her studies, Lisa Adjeroud, a final year intern in Lyon, will come and settle in Oyonnax for a fixed period. "She is committed to staying in practice for about three years. For us, it's a great opportunity," explains Laurent Harmel, first deputy of the city of Oyonnax.

The student's choice was not made by chance. "Ms. Adjeroud came to do a six-month internship in the emergency room during which she showed an attachment to the territory and its inhabitants." The intern, who will complete her studies next November, is expected in her future office - which the city of Oyonnax is committed to finding for her - from January 2026 and will bring a little new blood.

In Oyonnax, of the eleven general practitioners working full-time or part-time (to which must be added 3.5 full-time equivalents at the Ramsay medical centre), almost half are between 65 and 70 years old. "We are clearly in an under-resourced area," explains Laurent Harmel, although he is aware that "56,000 euros may seem expensive."

But he considers that health is priceless: "After ten years of study, after having been forced to work at will in our hospitals, that a bonus is paid to these young doctors, that does not shock me." The municipality of Oyonnax, which also lacks physiotherapists, independent nurses and speech therapists, says it is open to other recruitments.