Studying General Surgery in Turkey

General surgery stands out in Turkey due to its modern medical hospitals equipped with the latest technologies, medical devices, and elite doctors. This has made Turkey a distinguished country and a destination for many patients from around the world to perform surgeries. In this article, we will discuss everything related to the study of general surgery in Turkey, including its advantages and disadvantages.    

General Surgery in Turkey

The specialty of general surgery is a field of study that follows the principles of general human medicine. It requires six years of study, including hospital work, and is conducted under the supervision of specialized professors. During this time, the surgeon learns to manage surgical operations that involve almost all parts of the body. 

The surgeon is responsible for diagnosing and treating medical conditions that affect the internal organs of the body, such as the digestive system and its branches (stomach, small intestine, and large intestine). They also treat hernias of all kinds, endocrine diseases such as those of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, and anal diseases like hemorrhoids. Other duties include removing gallstones, treating obesity, diseases of the liver, pancreas, spleen, and bile ducts, as well as all tumors that occur in these areas. 

Number of years Studying General Surgery in Turkey 

The number of years of studying general surgery in Turkey is five, followed by a one-year training period. This lifestyle is very stressful as surgeons receive information from direct medical references determined by supervising professors, and at the end of each year there is an exam, which consists of an oral interview and a written test. The success of this exam allows the student to progress to the next year. The years of specialization are divided into: 

The first and second years: During these two years, doctors take courses in thoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, and general surgery. At the end of these two years, the doctor will have completed all surgical specialties. 

Third year: In the third year of specialization, surgeons begin to perform special operations such as removing the appendix, but under the supervision of experts. 

Fourth year: The fourth year student is considered the first assistant to the surgeon, and they specialize in all surgeries, including minor surgeries such as umbilical hernia. 

Fifth year: In the fifth year, students participate in most surgeries in the department, whether cold, ambulatory or tumor operations. 

Sixth year: After that, the doctor enters the internship year and is the first doctor in the team who has completed all the academic courses. This year is dedicated to the clinical application of medical information and training for independence and adaptation in the work of doctors.

Specialty Subjects in General Surgery

General Surgery is the specialty in which work begins after graduation from medical school. As such, there are no university courses to study and submit exams in these subjects; instead, the study of specialization is limited to internationally recognized scientific references. To apply the concepts that were studied in the teaching hospital outside of academic circles, a search for clinical cases on the following topics should be conducted: 

Small Bowel Surgery

Colon Surgery

Emergency Medicine

Vascular Surgery

Breast Surgery

Liver Surgery

Stomach Surgery

Rectal Surgery

General Surgery Specialties

There are many surgical specialties that come after studying human medicine, such as eye surgery, neurosurgery, brain surgery, ENT surgery, and many other surgical specialties. Here we mention the sub-specialties that can be studied after completing the study of general surgery, including:

Colon and Rectal Surgery: One of the main areas of general surgery is dealing with surgical and endoscopic methods of treating diseases of the intestine, colon, and rectum, as well as treating different types of cancers that occur in these areas. 

Vascular Surgery: This specialty deals with the treatment of conditions that affect arteries and veins throughout the body, such as diseases resulting from widening, narrowing, or blockage of blood vessels. 

Endocrine Surgery: In this specialty, the surgeon studies methods of treating diseases resulting from dysfunction of the endocrine glands, such as the thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, and other endocrine glands.

Pediatric Surgery: In this specialty, all children's diseases are studied, especially those that require surgery to treat them. 

Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Surgery: This specialty includes the treatment of diseases of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, and pancreas.

Transplant Surgery: This specialty examines how to surgically transplant organs such as kidneys, liver, and pancreas and how to manage the immune responses that the body causes after a new organ transplant. 

Pros and Cons of Studying General 

The pros and cons of studying general surgery are numerous. On the one hand, students face difficulty learning from a variety of sources, extremely stressful work schedules, psychological trauma, and not being able to deal with blood constantly. Additionally, the impact on personal life can be significant due to the lack of space for privacy. On the other hand, there are some positives to working in surgical medicine, such as reducing the patient's suffering and pain, high financial income, and success in this field giving self-confidence. 

One of the biggest challenges students face is the density of sources they can learn from and the differences between them. Long shifts and training are among the most challenging, both physically and mentally, for a physician. Working in general surgery puts the doctor at the heart of the problem and exposes them to difficult situations, so they are required to treat the patient by various means to preserve their life. One of the challenges faced by surgeons, and surgeries in particular, is not being able to deal with blood constantly, which can be an obsession that is difficult to overcome. Furthermore, the doctor's presence may be required at any time and on any day, including holidays, which greatly affects the doctor's personal life with their family. 

One of the most important benefits of general surgery is the easing of human pain and suffering and the ability to radically change the patient's life by performing surgery that treats the disease in a way that allows them to continue life naturally. This moment is one of the most enjoyable moments that make doctors forget about fatigue. Additionally, one of the attractive advantages of practicing general surgery is the high financial income and salaries received by surgeons. Despite the difficulties of success in this field, it gives the doctor a lot of self-confidence and a sense of satisfaction when treating intractable cases, which gives the doctor high self-confidence and a sense of satisfaction.  

Attributes of a Surgeon

Specializing in general surgery is not an easy task, as it requires many strong qualities and skills that the student must fully master in order to succeed and excel in this field. These qualities and skills include:

Accuracy in work.

A strong memory.

Patience responsiveness.

Kindness in dealing with patients.

The ability to cooperate.

The ability to withstand work pressure.

Time management skills, and the ability to use all medical equipment. 

Accuracy in work is essential for general surgery science, as the slightest error is excluded. Surgical work depends mainly on the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment methods, as the surgeon deals with human life.

A strong memory is also important, as there are many diseases and conditions for which treatment methods must be studied during residency.

Patience is also necessary, as the working hours are long and the fatigue is great,

in addition to the intensity of the study and the diversity of references.

Responsiveness and close observation are also indispensable elements in the study of general surgery, as all diseases must be linked to accurately reach the correct diagnosis.

Kindness in dealing with patients is also a quality that a surgeon must possess. 

The ability to cooperate is also essential for successful surgical work, as it requires teamwork between the medical, technical, and nursing staff. The ability to withstand work pressure is also important, as the doctor is exposed to severe pressure during the years of training. Time management skills are also necessary, as the responsibilities that a surgeon bears during their working years as a doctor are enormous and can affect their personal life. Lastly, the ability to use all medical equipment is a must, as the surgeon must be able to use many modern medical instruments and technological devices in treatment. 

The most important universities to study medicine in Turkey

Medipol University

Founded by the Minister of Health, Medipol University has become one of the most powerful medical universities in Turkey. It has maintained the highest level of practical training and academic education by using modern technological equipment to serve students and bring them to the highest levels of academic education. It also provides many laboratories equipped with the most up-to-date technologies, giving academic students interested in scientific research an opportunity to reach their goals in the easiest way. 

Bahçeşehir University 

Established in 1998 AD, Bahçeşehir University was able to obtain the United Nations Prize for Higher Education in recognition of its achievements and is ranked first among Turkish private universities in the field of higher education. This has attracted international students, as more than 1,000 students from all over the world apply annually to study medicine at the university. 

Aydin University

The Faculty of Medicine at Istanbul Aydin University was established in 2015, and its medicine program was opened in English. The university has been keen to develop the means of scientific research and provide material and developmental opportunities to achieve its goal in developing this field. 

Okan University

Okan University, one of the oldest Turkish universities, was established in 1999 AD. One of the university's goals is to develop globally by providing education of the highest standards and focusing on educational and research activities that meet the needs of students and society. On the medical level, Okan University Hospital was established in 2016 to train medical and dental students. 

Altinbash University: 

The university consists of nine faculties headed by medical colleges that include human medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, and teaching is conducted in both English and Turkish. University students in medical colleges can do practical training, starting from the first year of the academic years, at Medical Park Hospital, where a partnership agreement was signed between them, which will provide an opportunity for students to strengthen their practical experiences during the study stage and launch them directly into the labor market. 

Istinye University

Established in 2015, Istinye University is one of the strongest Turkish universities in Turkish disciplines, due to its excellence in medical specializations and conducting advanced scientific research in this field. The university provides students with specialized practical training within the hospitals affiliated to the university, including Live Hospital - Medical Park - VM Medical Park. 

Uskudar University

Uskudar University was established in 2011 and is one of the most important private universities in Turkey due to its reliance on scientific research and advanced teaching methods that urge students to think and provide them with many promising jobs in the future. The university also specializes in behavioral and health sciences, and the Faculty of Human Medicine was established in 2018. The university allows students practical training, as they are trained in the university's NP brain hospital. 

Atlas University

Atlas University aims to encourage research and development programmes. Its wide campus houses the Dental Research and Applications Center and the University's Applications and Research Center. 

Gulf University

One of the oldest private universities, Gulf University's main goals lie in ensuring that university graduates have access to medical expertise and employment opportunities as soon as possible.

Studying General Surgery in Turkey for foreign doctors

Studing in Turkey for foreign doctors can be a complex process. Questions often arise regarding the status of doctors who have completed their bachelor's degree outside of Turkey and wish to specialize in Turkish universities. In order to do so, there are several steps that must be taken. First, all academic documents and university certificates must be amended by passing the STS test issued by Turkish universities. Secondly, if the language of study is Turkish, applicants must pass the ALES exam. Thirdly, if the language of study is English, applicants must pass the GRE test. Finally, applicants must pass the TUS exam, which aims to determine the appropriate specialization for the applicant.

Conditions for Studying General Surgery in Turkey

When it comes to studying general surgery in Turkey, medical colleges in Turkish universities have certain criteria that must be met by both Turkish and foreign students. For public universities, a high school average of more than 90% is required, as well as passing the YOS or SAT exam with a high rate. Additionally, applicants must pass a language exam according to the language of study, whether Turkish or English. For private Turkish universities, it is sufficient to have a general secondary certificate with a rate of 70%, and the YOS or SAT exam is not required.