Madame Rendu, concerned about the education of her eldest daughter, sent her to the Ursuline Sisters in Gex. Jeanne Marie stayed two years in this boarding school. She was "highly intelligent" but her education was essentially practical. During her walks in town, she discovered the hospital where the Daughters of Charity cared for the sick. She had only one desire, to go and join them. Her mother gave her consent that Jeanne-Marie, in spite of her young age, might spend some time at this hospital. There she gained some experience in caring for the sick.