Medical Adventure in Turkey

During my internship, I was in the Department of Gynecology with four of my future colleagues, where I was able to get acquainted with many interesting cases, examine patients, and attend several operations, including assisting and gaining practical experience in surgery.

It is one thing to learn about a syndrome or a disease theoretically from the books and another to step into the operating room, where patients with exactly these conditions are treated surgically. At this point, the hypothetical case you once read about is now a reality, and you are part of it. This process adds more confidence and knowledge to the small steps you have taken in the medical field so far, allowing you to understand that everything you have learned so far is very important and applicable in everyday practice, which I think is invaluable.

The program allowed me to assist specialists who had immense experience in working with leading clinics in EU countries, to ask them questions, and to receive answers based on their unique perspectives. One such experience was with Prof. Dr. Ragıp Atakan AL, who was the head of the Department of Gynecology and played a leading role in managing complex medical cases. I particularly remember a couple of such cases; a 25-year-old patient with Mullerian aplasia, a myomectomy for a giant-sized placenta, an ectopic pregnancy case where the fetus was attached to the uterine fundus in a non-standard manner, and many others.

It was also very interesting to observe the activities of the residents, who, due to their extensive experience, managed cases and performed operations independently in such a way that they could be considered licensed practicing physicians. In those periods when operations were not planned in the operating rooms intended for gynecology, the residents allowed us to attend operations of other specialties, which is why this particular internship was a multidisciplinary experience. I would especially highlight the laparoscopic kidney operations performed in the urology department, which were performed using robotic technology and 3D technology.

Of course, the internship was not limited to the days spent in the clinic. Every day we visited the city for sightseeing, tasted the Turkish cuisine, and learned about their culture. Overall, this month was quite productive and helped deepen my theoretical, practical, and cultural knowledge, and most importantly, it fulfilled the main mission; to show us and understand what medicine is like in practice.