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Teaching emergency medicine in France has a long history spanning several decades, marked by numerous pioneers and a significant delay compared to other countries. The first step was to include first-aid techniques in the core curriculum of medical studies, pioneered by Louis Lareng in Toulouse in 1964. The second step was the creation of university diplomas, the first of which was established at Université Paris XIII Bobigny The higher specialization in emergency medical assistance (Capacité d’aide médicale urgente; CAMU) was created in 1986, but it was not until 1989 that universities were first authorized to award it. In 1998, the higher specialization in emergency medicine (Capacité de médecine; CMU) replaced CAMU. As early as 1997, discussions began on creating a complementary postgraduate diploma (Diplôme d’études spécialisées complémentaires; DESC) or a specialized postgraduate diploma (Diplôme d’études spécialisées; DES) to establish emergency medicine as a fully recognized academic discipline. Consultation between the heads of emergency services in the three founding academic disciplines led to the creation of the French council of emergency medicine (Collégiale nationale des universitaires de médecine d’urgence; CNUMU). This consultation, extended to professional unions and other specialties, led to the creation of the DESC in 2004. In 2010, following a government report recommending the creation of a DES, intense negotiations took place to obtain it, despite opposition from student and professional unions. The DES in emergency medicine was created on November 13, 2015. France was the twentieth country in the European Union to recognize this medical specialty.