MSS Clinical French Club (CFC)

Club week video

About the club

The Clinical French Club’s mission is to provide a structured and collaborative environment for medical students to master the essentials of clinical French, including the language required to: 

• Take a patient history 
• Conduct a physical exam and describe findings 
• Explain the diagnosis and treatment plan 
• Answer a patient’s questions

Our philosophy is that we’re all in this together, so let’s help each other learn faster and better!
We welcome French speakers of all levels, from true beginners to francophones. 

Our goal is to identify and master simple, high-yield clinical language that can be put into practice immediately. Club members share the clinical situations they would like to improve in, and together we prepare structured meetings to practice the necessary language. By responding to immediate, real-life needs, we will complement existing resources which focus more broadly on formal grammar or conversational French. Browse our , with a variety of options to suit every taste and budget, available to buy online.

Our meetings emphasize one-on-one practice and in-depth feedback. 

Sample format (~60 minutes): 

• 15 min – Demo of patient interview, followed by questions
• 15 min – Split up into partners, conduct a mock medical interview (histories provided) 
• 15 min – Switch roles and repeat 
• 15 min – Regroup to share the most useful takeaway points, choose the next topic 
  

Post-meeting, the preparatory materials will be updated with new content arising from the meeting.

In addition to doctor/patient interviews, other clinical scenarios will be incorporated according to demand (e.g. interactions with other health professionals, discussing treatment options with a patient).

Contact information

mcgillclinicalfrenchclub@gmail.com