68 students took the “Medical Student Oath”
68 prospective physicians, who started education at Izmir University of Economics (IUE) Faculty of Medicine this year, put on their white coats and swore the “Medical Student Oath” at the White Coat Ceremony held online due to the pandemic. Prof. Hakan Abacıoğlu, Dean of IUE Faculty of Medicine, said, “Health problems of people and our planet are increasing and changing. The future physicians must manage this change and lead the society. We will raise young people in this direction, and we will always be with them.”
IUE Vice Rector, Prof. Çiğdem Kentmen Çin, Surgeon Zafer Beken, Chairman of the Executive Board of IUE Medical Park Hospital, and Prof. Hakan Abacıoğlu, Dean of IUE Faculty of Medicine, attended the ceremony, which is broadcast live on the social media accounts of the university with full participation of students. Seher Arı, Faculty of Medicine Student Representative and Onur Gülen, who entered the faculty with the highest score this year, also delivered speeches at the ceremony. After the speeches, a total of 68 students, 6 of whom are foreign, put on their white coats and swore the "Medical Student Oath" together.
WE DEDICATE IT TO HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
Dean Prof. Abacıoğlu stated that they continue their journey to a good medical education as a faculty by growing and getting stronger. Prof. Abacıoğlu said, “Even though we cannot get together physically due to the pandemic, this ceremony symbolizes that we will continue our life and we will not give up. Just like our colleagues who fight Covid-19 on the front lines and do not give up life and survival at the expense of their own lives. We dedicate our students' oath to healthcare professionals in our country and around the world. We tell them 'we have not forgotten', 'we are with you' and 'we are grateful'.”
KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM ARE THE BASIS OF MEDICINE
Prof. Abacıoğlu continued his speech as follows: “Medicine means knowledge and science. Physician means the decision maker; wise person means person who has wisdom. Knowledge is not possible without questioning nature; wisdom is not possible without questioning ourselves. For this reason, we say to our students "question yourself". Medicine is also a change and innovation in one aspect. This ceremony ties the ancient roots of our medical profession to the future. Today, the health problems of people and our planet are increasing and changing. The future physicians must manage this change and lead the society. We will provide all kinds of support for young people to get the best education.”
CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT
Emphasizing that medicine is a profession that has a conscientious responsibility and requires continuous development, Surgeon Zafer Beken, Chairman of the Executive Board of IUE Medical Park Hospital, delivered the following messages to the students: “Today, in one of the most important moments of your life; you will crown this sacred duty for your family, friends and humanity by wearing your white coats. I fully believe that you will perform this profession persistently with love with the responsibility and honor of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's statement, 'Entrust me to Turkish physicians'. Medicine is a profession in which a person must constantly improve him/herself. Especially nowadays, we have no option but to stay up-to-date due to the development of technology at the speed of light and the indispensable integration of medicine with the technological structure.”
PERCEPTION SHOULD CHANGE
Surgeon Beken continued his speech as follows: “One of the handicaps of today's healthcare system is the deficiency in identifying the root causes of diseases due to the specializations to evaluate human metabolism and diseases of the organs separately as branches. Another shortcoming is that medicine only steps in when disease processes begin. Maintaining a healthy life should be a priority for all of us. In order to maintain a healthy life, our perception in health system should be changed and this issue should be added to our education system. On this meaningful day, I congratulate all of you and remember all our healthcare professionals who lost their lives during the pandemic period.”
EXPERT TEACHING STAFF
Noting that the white coat worn by physicians is a symbol of trust, peace and mercy, IUE Vice Rector, Prof. Çiğdem Kentmen Çin said, “Even if we cannot hold our ceremony with the enthusiasm we are accustomed to on our campus, or not side by side; I can feel the sparkle, energy and excitement in our students' eyes. I have no doubt that they will have a successful academic year by making the best use of the opportunities provided by the university. Within our medical school; we have a very strong academic staff who are experts in their fields and have proven themselves with their work. With our merger with the Medical Park Hospital, the largest private hospital in the Aegean Region, we have brought invaluable scientists to our academic staff. As one of Turkey's leading universities in distance education, we have created a system of international quality our students can easily use. In this period, both the university administration and the academics will always be with students.”
