Grenoble
Hospital
by Lucy Harten-Ash
“Stages” – Placements
There are two main hospitals in Grenoble, aptly named “Hopital Nord” and “Hopital Sud”. All placements except Rheumatology are based at Hopital Nord, a 5 minute walk from La Tronche ( Halls of residence).
Placements last 4 weeks for core units (cardiologie, pnemonologie, rheumatologie) and 1 week for the smaller units (ophthalmologie, urgences, “ORL” (ENT))
Students are expected to be in hospital from 8/9am till 12am, and lectures are in the afternoon 2-6pm (usually without a break) in the building opposite the Hospital – but not all of these will be relevant to you. Aline Paillard will give you a timetable of all the lectures when you arrive, just pick the ones you feel are relevant.
French Medical students are in charge of the administrational running of the ward-ordering tests, Xrays etc. However, if you ask, it is possible to break away from the ward you’re assigned to, and go into theatre, sit in on clinics, see procedures etc. Just ask!
Interns are the equivalent of our House Officers (F1/2) and are great people to get to know- generally really helpful and friendly.
Both hospitals have a fantastic and very cheap restaurant “Le Self”, for which you need a swipe card – this should be issued to you on arrival, and you can top it up as you go with cash at the till in the restaurant itself.
Dress code
You will be issued with a knee length white coat, which should be worn at all times whilst in hospital. Under this you can wear anything you choose
Most importantly introduce yourself to everyone, be annoyingly keen and ask questions, it is the best way to learn.
GP
The equivalent of the student health service is located on campus close to Les Tailles tram stop. There is a drop in service or you can make an appointment.
Internet
Eve Café on campus does unlimited wireless Internet for a one off payment of 3
Euros. Take in your laptop (and a passport photo for your card) to get connected.
Laundry
There is a laundrette at the terminal tram station at campus. Take your own washing powder, as the powder there is expensive.
Library
There is a really sweet little library at the little shopping centre on Doyen Gosse (2 min walk from La Tronche). Its really cheap to join, and good for borrowing children’s books to improve the French!
Ecole de Glisse
This is a fantastic club that offers really cheap lift passes, transport to the slopes and free lessons. It costs about 30 euros to join, and from then on weekend Deux Alpes lift passes are 12 euros. (Weekdays are cheaper) Join at the swimming pool at the campus (take your student ID and passport photos). You buy the “forfaits” at the swimming pool, which you then take, with your Ecole de Glisse card, to the ski resort where you exchange it for a lift pass.
Ecole De Glisse also offers transport to the ski resorts, but we tended to make our own way there by public transport, as it was cheaper. However, if you are using the Ecole de Glisse lessons, it’s worth going on their transport as you get there slightly earlier, in time for the class.
Transport in and around Grenoble
Bus to and from the airport
The bus to and from the airport is linked to specific flights. When you arrive at the airport the yellow coach to town will be waiting directly outside the airport. You can buy your tickets from the driver and its about 2 euros for a student. When you’re going to the airport, check at the bus station beforehand what time the bus goes. If you miss the connecting bus you may end up missing your flight or forking out for an expensive taxi journey!
Tram
The tram in Grenoble is amazing- its so quick and a tram comes practically every two minutes. You can get unlimited bus and tram travel for 23 euros a month, by getting a student “Tag” card from the Maison du Tourisme. Take in your passport and student ID, plus a passport photo. For the first month you’ll need an extra 3 euros for the actual card, and then after that you can top it up in a Tabac, at a tram station, or at the Maison du Tourisme. You can top it up a few days before the beginning of the month, which is a good idea, as the ticket conductors tend to travel on the first of the month, and are reminiscent of Dementors from Harry Potter.
Bus to Deux Alpes
Get to the Bus station early on Saturday Mornings! If you’re catching the Saturday morning bus to Deux Alpes, don’t wait until you get to the bus station on the Saturday morning to buy your ticket-you’ll have to queue for ages, and the bus will probably be full. Buy it at least a day before. Also you can buy a carnet of 10 tickets which works out cheaper, and you just stamp the card every time you use the bus. (You can share carnets with more than one person)
Accommodation
La Tronche
We all stayed at La Tronche – a university hall of residence a 5-minute walk from Hopital Nord. It was brilliant! Extremely cheap – it worked out about 100 euros a month, and a really friendly place. It was full of lots of international students, particularly other Erasmus medics, who were all really good fun. The accommodation is pretty basic – a small room with a bed desk and basin, shared shower and toilet per corridor, and an extremely basic kitchen on every floor (no fridge- just hang stuff in plastic bags out of your window). But its definitely worth it- so convenient for hospital and town, so cheap and a really really sociable place
La Tronche is less than 5 minutes walk from Grand Sablon tram station.
Our 10 Favourite things about Grenoble
- Taking a picnic and a bottle of wine up to the top of the Bastille and watching the sun set over Grenoble. Ahhh!
- Pan au chocolat and pizza from the boulangerie in Deux Alps when you arrive first thing Saturday morning
- French Patisseries
- Sunday Markets at St. Clare les Halles
- The Christmas Market at Place Victor Hugo
- Coming out of Hopital Nord on a sunny day to be met by Belledonne
- French underwear at Princess Tam Tam
- 2 euro bottles of wine
- The Italian strip of pizzerias along the river
- An afternoon skiing after a morning in hospital!
