With a 28-year career as a researcher, clinician and faculty member who has had the opportunity to work in leading universities and scientific centers in the US, who has had the honor to preside over various international academic organizations, and who has visited many world centers as a speaker and an inspector, I can proudly say that despite its relatively recently establishment, the Koç University School of Medicine is a world-class institution in every regard. The fact that it attracts the most successful “crème de la crème” high school graduates is, of course, a result of its high quality. The value, prudence, and quality guarantee that comes with the respected name of the Koç Family – the founders and unwavering supporters of our university – as well as their Foundations, is evident in every corner of our School of Medicine. Our faculty members consist of clinicians, instructors, and researchers who were trained in Turkey’s most outstanding schools, and whose careers have earned them international reputations. This creates diversity and richness, which is a rare privilege not only in our country, but also in many countries in the world. The School’s vision brings to our faculty and country many valuable scientists and physicians who have developed their careers abroad and accomplished many achievements on the international platform, which ensures that they produce different models in our country thanks to their knowledge and expertise. Consequently, we have an understanding of how to adopt global changes to the fullest extent and analyze international relations in a way that reflects the realities of our country. Starting with our Founding Dean Ruacan, this model composes the foundation of our school in every aspect. The principle of continuity in administration accelerates growth and development at Koç University, even when changing the Dean of a faculty which interrupts many centers in the world, since this principle allows for the immediate placement of the proper faculty staff. Koç University Hospital, the flagship of the clinical departments in the School of Medicine, is a highly efficient medical center equipped with cutting-edge technology and employees who have committed to our mission to conduct medical research that will benefit both our country and the world, and to provide impeccable guidance to our students to prepare them for their careers in medicine. Another hospital operating under KSVK, the American Hospital which has the best and most experienced staff in Turkey, is another important factor that contributes to our center providing high quality services since its foundation, even though it is still a young medical center. It’s possible to feel the excitement and dynamism of our young faculty everywhere. Our administrative staff has constructive, understanding, and conscientious leadership qualities which is quite rare to find in similar centers. Our center has an educational program which is based on the principles of listening to students, prioritizing academic development, regarding application of most the efficient educational models as one of the most important aspects of its mission, and operating with the goal of producing exemplary educational models not only for our faculty, but also for use by other departments in our university as well as other universities in our country. The success of this program is proven by the fact that our graduates receive world-standard recognition and show outstanding success in the American USMLE exams, and that they rank first in almost all parameters calculated from the mean scores on the Turkish Examination for Specialty in Medicine, all of which makes us very proud. It’s obvious that we will achieve our mission in the coming years with increasing success.

Perhaps the only issue that those who try to predict the future agree on is the fact that technological development and change will only get faster. Development and change in the world of medicine have already been strikingly fast. Considering that change will come even faster in the future, it is obvious that one of the most important goals institutions that provide medical education and health services should have is the ability to adapt as needs and conditions change.

The most important factors students who are choosing their future occupation and career must consider when deciding on which educational institution to attend is whether the institution is contributing to science and does it have the capacity to adapt to the future. Whether the institution has the capacity to sustain its qualities is perhaps the most important factor.

The Koç University School of Medicine has many advantages in this area. The faculty is fully integrated with a well-established university which includes other faculties such as the basic sciences and engineering faculties which are competent in research and technology production. In addition, the university includes behavioral sciences, law, business administration, and nursing faculties which are important integrative factors for medical practice. The corporate structure and the profile of the academic staff are familiar and well versed with international scientific cooperation and the exchange of opinions. The university is still “privileged and attractive” for academicians who built their careers abroad and came back to Turkey, and the university administration endeavors to maintain these qualities.

Considering the past 10 years of its performance, the institution has shown an outstanding development in a very short time. When choosing a school to attend, it should not be neglected that a dynamic school that shows constant development will create important opportunities for the future.

Koç University is more than an institution simply providing an undergraduate education. Being a part of Koç University means acquiring scientific and critical thinking skills, working for science and humanity, and producing articles in addition to discoveries. Therefore, the most important thing that sets Koç University apart is its student and academic profile. Experienced and idealist academic staff with world-class competencies act with the awareness that they are educating the most outstanding and successful students in the country, and that they are preparing these students to become the leaders of the future. Every student at the Koç University School of Medicine receives one-on-one education so they can apply the best practices of medical science anywhere in the world after their graduation. They are trained not only as physicians but also as hardworking scientists who respect ethical values and human rights. The education and support they receive are not limited to their university years but continues after graduation, so that they improve their competencies in their fields of expertise. Koç University is the place where the dreams of the youths who desire to serve human health come true.

I am one of the first graduates of the Koç University School of Medicine, and I am now doing my post-doctoral studies at Yale University. During my first years at the Koç University School of Medicine, I learned the importance of research, how to translate research results into clinical information, and most importantly, how to ask questions that allowed me to get this position and to quickly start doing research and writing articles. In November 2018, I visited Koç University with one of my professors from Yale University and explained to researchers from the Middle East how to ask questions and apply certain experiments. I also lectured at KUTTAM. It was very satisfying and it made me proud to lecture at the university where I had been a student.

Even though it was a risk being one of the first students to graduate from the faculty, I knew that the end result was going to be good after having examined the rare opportunities and the strong academic staff of the faculty. After every class, the professors asked for our feedback in order to improve everything and the educational system was very dynamic and efficient. As I saw these developments take place, when I was in my 6th year at school I said to myself, ‘I wish I was a freshman again’. We were like a family with our professors. We had the opportunity to work together both before and during clinical training. Now, when we visit other schools we miss that type of relationship between students and professors.

The Koç University School of Medicine will continue to be the best School of Medicine as long as it continues to be dynamic and maintains its values and if it has not given up or lost heart like the other 100-year old universities that have turned into stagnant faculties.

One of the turning points in my life was when I chose to study at Koç University. In addition to the education I received there, one of the most important factors that makes me remember and miss my university years was my friends. My classmates valued the personal development of others as much as their own, and their contributions to my life are priceless. You spend the first three years of university at the Rumelifeneri Campus which offers a more colorful and rich university life than other schools making you a versatile individual. A student at the Koç University School of Medicine can be an amateur radio broadcaster, a ‘mentor’ to new students, and a researcher in a laboratory. My suggestion for everyone who gets accepted to Koç University is to discover new horizons.

Koç University was the first and the last university I visited when I was trying to decide which school to choose. After I spoke with Rector Umran İnan and saw the professional environment and the beautiful campus, with the confidence given by the name KOÇ, I didn’t hesitate to choose the school as my first preference.

I spent the first three years of my medical education – perhaps the best years of my life – on a liberal, student-friendly campus that offers the best opportunities in Turkey, not only in terms of education but also social facilities. We took a wide range of courses during those three years, and this was a satisfying and important process that prepared us for life. In addition to education, I took part in social activities such as rowing and dancing, and I acted as vice president of a club and as a festival coordinator. I received medals for my achievements. I increased my knowledge in medicine and culture thanks to the medical seminars held every Friday which hosted expert speakers. Thanks to the fact that I volunteered to do laboratory work in addition to my academic program, I was able write my first article in my second year. With the moral and material support of our university, we took part in research activities on brain surgery in an important experimental laboratory for 2 months in the US. I chose Koç University as I thought I wouldn’t find such opportunities at another university, and I realized before too long that I was right. I had the opportunity to do an internship in Arkansas at the end of my 4th year, and another 1-month internship in the best clinic in Germany and even Europe in my 6th year. I would like to sincerely thank my dear Professor Eftal once again for giving me this opportunity. After my internship in Germany, I received an offer from the same clinic and since May 2017, I have been learning basic surgical assistance. Students, assistant doctors and professors from different parts of the world come to our clinic for observation, and I can make the right decisions in patient examinations, surgeries, treatment planning, and diagnoses thanks to the quality, world-class education I received.

Unlike many other students, I’ve never had any problems getting my diploma equivalency certificate in Germany thanks to the carefulness Koç University showed in having a functional, detailed system of logbooks. Our School of Medicine always gives one-on-one support to students in any field they wish to concentrate on. All this proved how right my choice was when I decided to study at Koç University. Sooner or later I would love to go back to Koç University and share my experiences with new students. One of the strongest aspects of the Koç University School of Medicine is that education is provided to a low number of outstanding students and therefore, the relationship between students and professors becomes very strong.

While you’re at university, your personality transforms in ways that become permanent and ultimately settles for a lifetime. I am grateful that I had this transformation here. Koç University and the Koç University School of Medicine have brought me to a point that is better than I could ever expect both socially and scientifically.

I wasn’t sure which university or department to choose after the University exam and to decide, I visited the Koç University School of Medicine to take a tour. As soon as I arrived there, I knew it was the school I wanted to study at, and on the last day before the deadline to submit the university preference form, I wrote Koç University School of Medicine as my first preference and was accepted. From preparatory school to graduation, I have 7 years full of many memories of not only receiving my medical education, but also benefiting from the many social opportunities and building sincere relationships with the professors. I have many friends from the School of Medicine and from other faculties, and this showed me that the medical education here is not the classical type of education you receive at other schools. After the Examination for Specialty in Medicine (TUS) following my graduation, I decided to continue my studies at the school and have another 5 years with the people who have become my family in the previous 7 years. I chose to study in the Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation at the Koç University School of Medicine. I am very happy to continue my specialty training here for the next 5 years. I would like to thank all the faculty members, specialist physicians, administrative staff, hospital staff, and my fellow students.

I entered the Koç University School of Medicine in 2015 on a full scholarship. My medical education adventure started with my interest in my biology classes when I was at high school. But I’ve known since the first day I came to this school that I wanted to be “more than a medical doctor”. This was a large part of the reason why I chose the Koç University School of Medicine. Instead of becoming a doctor with just a medical education, I wanted to be one who has expertise in many fields, can help society in areas other than just hospitals, and who produces policies that solve public health issues both nationally and internationally. I closely follow the economic, political, and social developments around the world, and I found a platform at Koç University where I could combine my fields of interest with my professional career. I started to study international relations through the double major program, and now I am continuing my academic career as both a doctor and a student in the department of international relations. I have been actively participating in student club activities since I started my education in the faculty, and I am happy to contribute to the organization of various events. Thanks to student clubs, I have many friends in the university and in addition, I have had the opportunity to expand my professional network through the events we’ve organized so far. After serving as the Koç University Local Coordinator of the European Medical Students’ Association, I continued my activities in student clubs as the President of the Koç University Medical Students’ Association. At the same time, I am acting as the Financial Coordinator of the European Medical Students’ Association in Europe. For me, the School of Medicine is a platform that not only gives a basic medical education, but also offers the opportunity to develop myself in other fields as well. Indeed, I have had the opportunity to meet many different people from various fields through the management of financial affairs, international relations, event organizations, and networking events. The primary aspiration of the School of Medicine and medical education is to touch and improve human lives and undoubtedly, the ability to communicate and build relationships with people is an important part of fulfilling this mission. For this reason, the School of Medicine has been a school which taught me about human beings and broadened my viewpoint on humanity.

I entered the Koç University School of Medicine in 2015 as an Anatolian scholarship holder. I was highly interested in entrepreneurship when I first started school. In addition to getting a medical education, Koç University was a great opportunity for me with its multi-disciplinary campus. Over time, I formed a self-improvement vision, and I realized that improving society is possible through different identities. Doctors are clinical healers, but entrepreneurs and NGOs are also healers. So, I want to make a mark on a global scale by improving health care services by combining my entrepreneurial skills with my increasing medical knowledge. I have participated in and led many entrepreneurial projects at Koç University. After a while, I carried this interest of mine outside Koç University: I was selected as a fellow to the Entrepreneurship Foundation. I am the only person from Turkey who was accepted into the health care innovation and entrepreneurship program – which only selected 70 people from around the world – prepared by the Harvard University School of Medicine and MIT. I was proud to represent my school and country there. Before Harvard and MIT, I received training at Stanford School, Berkeley Haas Business School, and IE Business School. Currently, I run an enterprise called “Fortuna Healing Innovations” which aims to improve patient services in health care institutions. I believe that health care professionals are highly valuable for improving health care services. Many people from the Koç University School of Medicine and other branches of science supported me during my education, and I am very happy that my school supported me in fields other than medicine as well.

The following sectors and institutions refer to places where Koç University School of Medicine graduates are currently working or can work in the future.

All our students and Alumni can request an appointment from our Career Consultants via https://koc-csm.symplicity.com/students,  link, in order to explore their skills and competencies to associate with job opportunities, designing their career journey and transform it.