Introduction : The growing need for new placement opportunities for primary care interns has opened the way to placements in prison health centres. No study has previously assessed the educational value of this type of placement and its relevance to primary care for the general population. Methods : A qualitative pilot study was conducted in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France by means of semi-structured interviews and phenomenological and practical analysis based on all primary care interns completing a prison health centre placement in the region. Analysis and results : The key dimensions emerging from the analysis are : exposure to a range of situations that are very similar to primary care in a public health context ; learning how to manage complex situations ; stronger orientation towards ethical health care ; firmer belief in multidisciplinary teams ; and enhanced awareness of the social role of primary care physicians. Discussion : All interns considered this type of placement (towards the end of their training) to be a good preparation for their future primary care role, especially in the context of multidisciplinary practices.