Paris VII University was founded in 1971. Like Paris VI University, it was one of the main successors to the Faculty of Science at the former Sorbonne University, and it was also one of the leading research universities in France and Europe.
Unlike Paris VI University, which focused on physics, engineering, and geology, Paris VII University focused on medicine, mathematics, and probability theory. Its campus was built upon the Abbey of Saint-Victor, and Napoleon had likely expanded the school around 1811.
As Eugene had said before, soldiers could also be wounded, fall ill, and lie howling in the desert with no one to help them. Training more doctors was also a service to themselves. Besides, plagues were rampant at the time, and hospitals were the last line of defense. If that line was breached, countless people would die or be injured.
People tended to trust experienced doctors, but even experienced doctors started from zero. You could hardly expect a medical student fresh out of graduation to immediately possess more than ten years of experience.
The Paris Public Medical Assistance Center at the old Place de Grève had a partnership with Paris VII University. Directly opposite the assistance center, on Île de la Cité, stood the Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune, the real hospital. In Napoleon's era, it had been circular. The design had been influenced by Enlightenment philosophy and the widespread belief at the time that plagues were caused by miasma and required good ventilation. It had since been rebuilt into a square structure.
In France, being homeless did not mean being unemployed. Many homeless people were still willing to work to improve their living conditions.
But getting sick was beyond what their meager savings could bear. French law stipulated that citizens could receive medical assistance from public relief institutions as long