5 years after the establishment of Atatürk University, the first step of the legal establishment of Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine was taken by taking a historical decision for the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine on 6 June 1962 under the chairmanship of Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp HIZALAN. With this decision taken by the Board of Directors of Atatürk University, Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp HIZALAN officially applied to the Ministry of National Education with the letter numbered 1867 on 15 June 1962. This decision was approved by the Minister of National Education Prof. Dr. Şevket RAŞİT HATİPOĞLU on 12 July 1962 and the official letter stating that this approval was made was sent to our Rectorate on 15 August 1962. Thus, the decision to establish Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine was completed in legal terms.

In the same year, Prof. Dr. Eyüp HIZALAN, Dr. Muzaffer KÜRKÇÜOĞLU and Dr. Tali URAL were appointed as Expert Consultants and this committee prepared a need plan by conducting research in the developed medical centres of the world and this plan was submitted to the State Planning Organisation in 1963. After the preparation of the requirement plans, the studies for the provision of training staff gained momentum and Dr. Muzaffer KÜRKÇÜOĞLU and Dr. Tali URAL, who were assigned in this regard, personally met with Prof. Dr. İhsan DOĞRAMACI, President of Hacettepe Medical Centre in Ankara and asked for their support during the establishment phase. On 17 July 1963, the cooperation project and protocol with Ankara University Hacettepe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in the establishment and development of Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine was signed by Prof. Dr. İhsan Doğramacı and Prof. Dr. Eyüp HIZALAN and approved by the then Minister of National Education Dr. İbrahim ÖKTEN. In accordance with the cooperation protocol, an advisory board consisting of 7 people was formed to assist in the establishment and development of Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine.

The members of this board are given below:

1. Prof. Dr. İhsan DOĞRAMACI
2. Prof. Dr. Doğan KARAN
3. Prof. Dr. Sabahattin PAYZIN
4. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nusret FİŞEK
5. Dr. Muzaffer KÜRKÇÜOĞLI
6. Dr. Tali URAL
7. Ministry of National Education General Director of Higher Education

At the third Advisory Board meeting held on 25 March 1964 under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Doğan KARAN and attended by a consultant invited from the State Planning Organisation, Prof. Dr. Muharrem KÖKSAL from Hacettepe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences was nominated as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. Prof. Dr. Muharrem KÖKSAL from Hacettepe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences was nominated as the Dean of Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine. Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp HIZALAN announced the appointment of Prof. Dr. Muharrem KÖKSAL as Dean on 28 March 1964.

The first students of the faculty were sent to Hacettepe Faculty of Medicine in the 1964-1965 academic year to receive F.K.B. education. This first group of twenty-three students completed their education and returned to Erzurum on 13 February 1966. In 1966, Prof. Dr. Ali ERTUĞRUL was appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. On 12 February 1966, a group of 33 faculty members, most of whom specialised abroad with their own means, came to Erzurum and started to work at the Numune Hospital, which was allocated to the Faculty of Medicine by the Ministry of Health.

In 1968, the Morphology buildings were put into service within the Atatürk University Campus and in the same year, the foundation of the research hospital was laid by Süleyman DEMİREL, the prime minister of the time. After the completion of the hospital construction, our Faculty moved to its own Hospital in 1978.

The deans of Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine since its foundation are as follows:

Prof. Dr. Muharrem KÖKSAL (Founding Dean)
Prof. Dr. Ali ERTUĞRUL
Prof. Dr. Mithat TORUNOĞLU
Prof. Dr. Ergun R. SABAR
Prof. Dr. Tali URAL
Prof. Dr. Muzaffer KÜRKÇÜOĞLU
Prof. Dr. Yaşar KUYUCU
Prof. Dr. Ayvaz KARABIYIKOĞLU
Prof. Dr. Zeki BAŞAR
Prof. Dr. Mete BABACAN
Prof. Dr. Ayten URAL
Prof. Dr. Sabahat KOT
Prof. Dr. Durkaya ÖREN
Prof. Dr. Şevki ÖZDEMİR
Prof. Dr. Handan ALP
Prof. Dr. Cahit KARAKELLEOĞLU
Prof. Dr. Sabri Selçuk ATAMANALP
Prof. Dr. Özkan POLAT
Prof. Dr. Sabri Selçuk ATAMANALP
Prof. Dr. Akın LEVENT
Prof. Dr. Fatih ALBAYRAK
Prof. Dr. Meltem ALKAN MELİKOĞLU (Current Dean)

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Faculty of Medicine is one of the oldest faculties of Atatürk University, founded in 1957.
The official establishment year of the faculty is 1962.
The first students of the faculty were sent to Hacettepe University in 1964 for Basic Medical Sciences education.
The annual student quota is 264.
The language of instruction of our faculty is Turkish and English.
In 2022, there are 103 professors, 63 associate professors and 89 doctor members working in 42 departments in our faculty.
More than 6200 physicians have graduated from our faculty since 26 October 1970.
Our faculty provides education to students of Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences University Faculty of Medicine. Our faculty provides education to 42 students of Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University and 62 students of Health Sciences University Faculty of Medicine.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, our faculty has a total of 2852 students, including 2323 undergraduate and 429 medical speciality students.
The main branches of the faculty are located in three departments as Basic, Internal and Surgical Medical Sciences.

The duration of education is 6 years in the Turkish Department and 7 years in the English Department:

3 years pre-clinical
2 years clinical and
1 year Internship

The six-year curriculum covers the basic principles of medicine, practical applications as well as contemporary developments.

The aim of the first three years is to develop the student’s knowledge of medical sciences by providing basic knowledge to understand and analyse human diseases. The curriculum of each year is divided into 7 committees. At the end of each committee there is an exam. There is also a final exam at the end of the year. In order for a student to pass to the next year, he/she must score at least 60 out of 100 points (60% of the average of the committee exams and 40% of the final exam must add up to 60). The normal duration of each year in Basic Medical Sciences is 36 weeks.

The aim of the programme in Clinical Sciences (fourth and fifth year) is to teach the student the etiology, pathophysiology, symptoms, clinical and laboratory findings and treatment of diseases. In order to be successful in each internship in this period, the student must score at least 60 points out of 100 points. In Clinical Sciences, the 4th term is 40 weeks and the 5th term is 36 weeks.

The aim of internship (sixth year) is to train students who understand the importance of public health and preventive medicine and who are competent enough to diagnose and treat diseases. In this period, the responsible faculty member states his/her decision about the student as “successful” or “unsuccessful”. (The responsible faculty member can also report the result as a grade. In this case, the student must receive at least 60 out of 100 points from each internship to be successful). The normal duration of internship education is 52 weeks.

English Department also has 1 year preparatory class education.

FACULTY HOSPITAL

Our faculty has a hospital with a total capacity of 1450 beds in the Research Hospital and Application Centre. The emergency service of this hospital is available 24 hours a day.

ENTRANCE CONDITIONS

High School Diploma

Students are admitted to our faculty through the National Student Selection and Placement Examination (ÖSS). This exam, which is held once a year, is conducted by the Student Selection and Placement Centre (ÖSYM).

EARNED TITLES and OPPORTUNITIES

Upon successful completion of all compulsory theoretical and practical exams in the education plan, students are awarded the title of Doctor of Medicine.

Our students who become Medical Doctor can work as general practitioners in hospitals in our country and in private practice.

Our graduates who receive the Doctor of Medicine diploma can apply to the national Medical Speciality programmes exam and PhD programmes.