- Prof. Özlenen Özkan: “It is important for physicians to use their knowledge and experience in ways that serve the country.”

- Prof. Sezai Yılmaz: “I do not support the idea of young physicians going abroad at the very beginning of their careers.”

- Prof. Hayrunnisa Bolay Belen: “In recent years, the scientific research infrastructure in Türkiye has developed significantly. Young people should recognize the value of these opportunities.”

- Prof. Uğur Türe: “If you work with passion, failure is not an option.”

March 14, 2026

Veteran physicians who have carried out significant operations and life-saving treatments in Türkiye and around the world reflected on the importance of the medical profession on March 14 Medicine Day and offered advice to young physicians and medical students.

Noting that medicine is a profession that directly touches human life and requires strong empathy and dedication, the distinguished physicians delivered messages encouraging young people studying medicine to uphold the ethical and human dimensions of the profession.

Prof. Özlenen Özkan, Rector of Akdeniz University and a faculty member of the School of Medicine, emphasized that medicine is not only about treating patients but also a profession that carries responsibility toward society and the country’s future.

Stating that it is important for young physicians to see different countries and scientific centers, and that such experiences enhance scientific perspective and knowledge, Prof. Özkan said:
“It is important for physicians to use the knowledge and experience they gain in ways that serve their country.”

“A doctor is not only someone who heals patients, but an enlightened person who thinks about their country”

Emphasizing that practicing medicine requires not only professional competence but also conscience, ethics, and a love for humanity, Özkan continued:

“A doctor is not only someone who heals patients; a doctor is also an enlightened person who constantly thinks about their country. In this sense, the duty of physicians is not limited to treating patients; they must also think about the future and help shape it. They must act with this sense of responsibility. At a time when there are so many wars around us, and as a country located in the midst of these conflicts, we once again see how valuable science truly is.”

Prof. Sezai Yılmaz, Director of the Liver Transplant Institute at İnönü University, stated that medicine is one of the most special professions that directly touches human life. “The greatest reward in medicine is saving a life or improving someone’s quality of life.” he said.

Emphasizing that the medical profession requires not only knowledge and technical skills but also conscience, empathy, and a strong sense of responsibility, Prof. Yılmaz noted that physicians stand by people in their most difficult and vulnerable moments, which is why the profession has been regarded as sacred throughout history. Highlighting that medicine requires a long and demanding education period, he offered the following advice to young doctors and medical students:

“As young doctors and future physicians, medical students carry a great responsibility. This profession requires continuous learning and disciplined work. If they proceed without distancing themselves from science, uphold ethical values, and always place the patient at the center, they will become not only good physicians but also individuals who provide great service to society. Because medicine is a profession practiced not only with knowledge but also with empathy, patience, and a strong sense of responsibility.”

“Young physicians should not go abroad at the very beginning of their careers”

Prof. Yılmaz stated that it is possible for graduates of medical schools to advance professionally in Türkiye and said:

“I do not support the idea of young physicians going abroad at the very beginning of their careers. For a young medical graduate in our country, it is not difficult to progress through certain professional stages. Even though they often exert far greater effort abroad to overcome these stages, many young physicians face serious difficulties and hardships. I would therefore recommend that they reconsider this issue.”

Prof. Hayrunnisa Bolay Belen, faculty member of the Department of Neurology at Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Head of the Department of Algology, and Director of NÖROM, stated that understanding a patient’s pain and showing empathy lies at the heart of the medical profession.

Emphasizing that medicine is a profession that directly touches human life, Belen noted that approaching patients suffering from pain requires great sensitivity. She continued:

“Providing relief to patients, especially those experiencing pain, is extremely important. It truly requires strong empathy. Once we establish empathy, we begin to think about how we can help the patient, how we can relieve their pain at that moment, and what we can recommend in the long term.”

“There is no limit to sacrifice in medicine”

Prof. Belen pointed out that there is no limit to sacrifice in the medical profession and said that medicine cannot be measured in material terms; its greatest reward is the benefit provided to patients and the sense of moral fulfillment it brings. Offering advice to young physicians planning to work abroad, she emphasized that physicians should carefully determine their goals when planning their careers.

“It is easier to understand people from your own society”

Noting that Türkiye’s scientific research infrastructure has developed significantly in recent years, Belen said that young people should recognize the value of these opportunities. She stated:

“In many European countries, it is difficult to see as many patients as in Türkiye. In some respects, they cannot fully understand the disadvantages until they go abroad. It is easier to understand people in your own society. When the culture changes and you are in a different environment, helping those people can also become more difficult.”

Prof. Uğur Türe, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery in the School of Medicine at Yeditepe University, stated that medicine is not merely a profession but a way of life that requires knowledge, wisdom, and passion.

Noting that the terms doctor and physician carry different meanings, Prof. Türe said: “A doctor practices medicine, but a physician is someone who possesses wisdom. Being a physician is something different; it goes beyond simply being a doctor.”

“If you work with passion, failure is not an option”

Advising young doctors and those who aspire to become physicians to work with passion, Prof. Türe said: “If you pursue what truly inspires you and work on it with dedication, failure simply will not be an option.”