Introduction

The Family Medicine specialty was first added as a separate area of medical specialization in Turkey in 1983. In 1985, family medicine specialization training was offered in nine Ministry of Health training hospitals in three major provinces: Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. On July 16, 1993, with the passing of law #12547, the Turkish government established the Departments of Family Medicine in medical faculties. Dr. Nazan Bilgel, a staff member of the Public Health Department, was commissioned by Dr. Mete Cengiz, the Dean of Medical Faculty at Uludag University. 

 

The first family physician research assistant, Dr. Yeşim Uncu, began training in 1995 at the  Department of Family Medicine at Uludag University. Subsequent research assistants, Dr. Ganime Sadıkoğlu, Dr. Alis Özçakır, Dr. Züleyha Alper, and Dr. Hakan Özdemir, began specialization training in 1996-1997. For many years, this group served as the core staff of the department until Dr. Ganime Sadıkoğlu retired in 2010 and Dr. Hakan Özdemir retired in 2018. In 2016, Dr. Gaye Çelikcan was appointed to the Department of Family Medicine by Rector Prof Dr. Yusuf Ulcay, where she was working at the Health Culture Department of the Rectorate. 

 

In 2017, Dr. Züleyha Alper worked on the establishment of the Department of Medical Education. Currently she works in both at Family Medicine and Medical Education departments.

 

In 2018, Dr. Nazal Bilgel’s duty period expired and Dr. Yeşim Uncu was elected to replace her as chairman of the Department of Family Medicine. Nazan Bilgel retired in 2018. Currently, there are 3 faculty members and a specialist in education and health services in Family Medicine Department of Uludag University.

 

Location

 

The faculty members' rooms, an assistant room, and seminar hall are located on the 3rd floor of the Basic Science Building at campus.

 

There is also a family medicine outpatient clinic located in the Emergency Service of Uludag University Hospital. 

 

 

Educational Opportunities

 

There are several excellent training opportunities for department members and more are being developed.

 

In April 2000, management of the Vocational Skills Laboratories of the medical faculty (MBL-A and MBL-B on the 7th floor of the hospital) was given to the Department of Family Medicine by Dr. Selçuk Küçükoğlu the Dean of Medical Faculty at Uludag University .

 

In 2016, the Department of Medical Education and the (USIM) Center for Good Medicine Practices and Simulation Center were established. The management of laboratory were transferred to the Department of Medical Education and Family Medicine faculty members continue to work as trainer in the skills courses.

The faculty members of the Department of Family Medicine serve as lecturers for undergraduate and graduate courses in cooperation with other departments such as the Department of Medical Education, the Department of Medicine History and Ethics, and the Department of Biostatistics. 

 

In 2002, the World Federation for Medical Education visited the Uludag University Medical Faculty during the accreditation process and highlighted a lack of education in the primary health care environment outside the hospital in their report. Afterwards, a 1-month elective internship was introduced as a mandatory family practice internship (compulsory elective) for sixth-year medical faculty students.

 

In a joint collaboration, the Ministry of Health and Uludağ University established the Fethiye Family Medicine Health Center (2002), Orhangazi Municipality and U.Ü. Faculty of Medicine Family Medicine Health Center (2003), and the Emek Municipality and UÜ Medical Faculty Family Medicine Health Center (2006), and the Department of Family Medicine began offering field training for medical students. 

 

In 2009, the Family Medicine Polyclinic was established in the emergency department, addressing the acute and chronic issues affecting non-emergency patients admitted to the emergency room, as well as the medical issues of university staff and students.

 

The health service delivery centers, which had been carried out jointly with the municipalities, were closed in 2010 with the withdrawal of municipalities from health services. In 2012, a new protocol was signed between the Public Health Directorate of Bursa and Uludağ University for establishing field training and research centers for medical students. It was ensured by Uludağ University that students engaged in the Family Medicine Internship were sent to various designated family health centers (ASM) for field training. Since inception, this training has been very effective in improving students’ treatment skills and the overall feedback from students has been very positive. At present, students are required to perform a 1-month family practice internship in one of 7 ASMs: Fethiye ASM, Heykel ASM, 125.Yıl ASM, 29 Ekim ASM, Ulus ASM, Mihraplı ASM, or İhsaniye ASM).

 

In order to apply for specialization in family medicine, students have to get the Central Specialization Exam (TUS). The specialty period is 3 years and is carried out within the framework of Medical Specialty Board (TUK). Specialization students are expected to successfully complete their rotations, to be successful in theoretical and practical courses, and to prepare (and successful defend) a thesis based on original scientific research. Furthermore, students are expected to engage in scientific research above and beyond the thesis research project to be published in a scientific publication during their specialization period. 

 

To date, 19 specialization students have completed their education in our department and become family medicine specialists.

 

Students are allowed to conduct research in any area of primary health care during their family medicine specialty. Family Medicine, which is a general medicine specialization, offers students the opportunity to work on a wide range of subjects in both preventive medicine and healthcare delivery.

 

We provide services for the family medicine outpatient clinic and in the Occupational Health and Safety Unit, which is the responsibility of Dr. Alis Özçakır.