Educational Committees

In the light of frantic pace of amelioration in the domain along with the desire for our students to learn and ingest in the most productive manner, our synopsis is revised and updated meticulously on regular basis. Since the commencement of our educational life in 2010 datum has been compiled in an objective avantgarde manner. These are then interpreted and according to the obtained conclusions, program of studies advancement and its efficiency is adapted systematicaly. Committees integral undertaking include gaugeing and determining the validity as well as the efficiency of the program. These committees operate under the supervision of the incumbant Vice-Dean who is in charge of medical program’s discipline.

 

Committees who carry the load of evaluation of the educational program have been listed in order below ;

Curriculum’s Evaluation Committee, Curriculum’s Development Coordination Committee, Medical Education Accreditation Task Force, Assesment and Evaluation Committee, Clinical Skills Committee, Commitee on Student Exchange, Committee on Medical Student Research, Postgraduate Clinical Training Committee, and Committee on Social Medicine.

Curriculum’s development coordination committee (CDCC )

This committee is formed by the membership of the related Vice-Dean, column, year and block’s supervisors together with two student representitives from each academic year of the medical program. The main function of this committee is to supply an annual revision of the academic program of each individual year by employing the contributions of all the members of the faculty. Year, block, and column coordinators are inherent members of this committee as long as they continue to serve their functions in the committee.

Block coordination ; Each block in the syllabus of the medical faculty is overseen by block coordinators. Coordinators are tasked by the advice of the Dean of each department ( if available ) and then later are designated by the Dean’s office. Block coordinators function (s) are expressed in detail in the faculty members’ handbook.

Year’s coordination; Each academic year’s syllabus is coordinated by two coordinators. Annually assigned coordinators, block coordinators and the Dean’s office work together. Year coordinators are assigned for the task each year by the Dean’s office. Year coordinators’ function (s) are expressedin detail in Faculty members handbook.

Column coordination; Restraint for the syllabus contents of the second to fifth years rests on the column coordinators shoulders. As defined by the medical faculty’s graduates portfolio; column coordinators task is to enhance and build the syllabus. İn  addition the syllabus should be in accord with ÇEP (Core Education Program) as well as USMLE (United States Medical Licensing- Examination). Distribution of the syllabus through the academic years in an appropriate manner is also included among column coordinators’ tasks.

Each year column coordinators meet at least twice, reporting their recommendations for upgrading the syllabus to the Dean. The column committees meetings are chaired either by committee’s president or an appointee.

Medical Education Accreditation Task Force; Has been setup to coordinate Koç University’s activities to acquire accreditation. The panel is made up of concerning Vice-Dean. Any member of the faculty who chooses to take part, students’ representative, graduate’s representative, and adminstration’s representative. The panel’s first task is to assess Koç University’s educational medical programs for “UTEAK” ‘s accreditation, apply to ‘Association of Assessment and Accreditation of Medical Programs’ (TEPDAD), coordinate the accreditation’s mechanism. In 2018 our faculty was accredited as a result of the labor of our devoted members. The panel contributed by applying the recomendations and alterations required through the acorditation process.

Curriculum Evaluation Committee; The task of this committee is to revise all the syllabus and examination systems through the medical faculty of Koç University. They then prepare a report for the Dean, in which they point out the short falls and the measures to be taken to conform to national and international criterions. Moreover at the end of each academic year, early each June, they prepare reports for each individual class, assessing performances and together with their proposals they submit them to the Dean.

Student Research and Exchange Committee (SREC)

This committee organizes both student research programs and summer research internships including national and international student exchange programs such as Erasmus, GHLO, Farabi. The committee aims to build a bridge between Koç University Faculty of Medicine students and faculty members in the field of scientific research since the second year of the university, to develop students’ research skills by enabling them to cooperate in the stages of interpreting and producing scientific knowledge. Secondly, the committee ensures that the appropriate infrastructure is prepared for students to participate in international and domestic education, research activities, they also make certain that our students have fair access to these opportunities. The activities of the SREC committee are as follows:

  • The coordination of incorporation of Koç University medical students into new as well as existing research projects
  • Follow up, assess, and report all project operations
  • Arrange presentations of faculty members’ projects to each class at the beginning of each academic year
  • Organize “Research Days”, select as well as evaluate oral and written (posters) projects
  • Carry the task of tracking all forms of academic output of our students, such as articles, oral and posters presentations
  • Announce deadlines about national and international undergraduate funds and research competitions
  • Committee is responsible for execution of applications for Erasmus student exchange program, international research internships and conferences.
Committee of Careers in Medicine (CCIM)

Promoting open and candid information and discussions of career path options, providing individual coaching/counseling to create a personalized career plan with regards to the interests, values, qualifications, personalities, skills, needs, and preferences of current KUSOM students.

The members of CCIM are full-time faculty members (MD) of KUSOM with different educational backgrounds from various international programs who are individually dedicated to guiding students on their career paths through mentorship, student advisory, basic and advanced educational activities, and elective clerkship coordination. The committee has one acting chairperson to lead meetings and oversee activities: Prof. Dr. Sinem Ezgi Gülmez (Chairperson, Medical Pharmacology), Prof. Dr. Yasemin Bölükbaşı (Radiation Oncology), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ece Dilege (General Surgery), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Billur Sezgin Kızılok (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery), Dr. İlker Eren (Orthopaedics and Traumatology), Assist. Prof. Dr. Banu Oflaz Sözmen (Paediatric Haematology Oncology), Dr. Ozan Altuntaş (Otorhinolaryngology). Chairperson and members are appointed by the Dean’s Office for a 3-year period.

CCIM organizes short-term activities and develop long-term strategies. Short-term activities consist of organizing “Careers in Medicine Days” once a year to make KUSOM students meet and discuss with “role-model” medical professionals. Long-term strategies aim to develop a more structured career-development plan that consists of a comprehensive online repository of tools and resources and provides the opportunity to work collaboratively with a trusted advisor who can give the student personalized guidance.

Visit CCIM website for more information and activities www.ccim.ku.edu.tr

Counseling Group for Faculty Advancement (CGFA)

To support the academic development of the faculty members and future candidates who will realize and maintain KUSOM vision, to provide an environment suitable for this development, and to support them to acquire the necessary competencies and reach the leadership level in their fields.

The target group of the committee consists of two main groups:

1.       Persons who may have academic interests but have not yet completed their orientation

  • Medical specialty students,
  • Specialist physicians (instructors) in the academic staff,
  • Junior faculty members (assist. Prof.),
  • Specialist physicians who are not in the academic staff,
  • Doctoral students enrolled in SBE and whose advisor is a full-time faculty member at KUSOM,
  • Post-doc students enrolled in KUTTAM and whose advisor is a full-time faculty member at KUSOM;

2.       Senior academic faculty members who wish to mentor.

CGFA assists the young academician candidates of the specified target group to perform their “next steps” in planning their academic careers by establishing a “personal support mechanism” in the planning of their academic careers, monitors their career development and reach their goals. It provides the necessary support. A mentee can match multiple mentors which will be located in the mentor pool and working in different Departments. The committee operates on demand and represents the first institutional unit to apply. The Committee does not contradict or exceed the Department practices during all its activities but plays a complementary role. Heads of Departments can request opinions from the committee if they deem necessary. The Committee operates independently from the Appointment and Promotion Committee. The committee’s personal and prospective academic career support for young academician candidates does not mean that candidates who receive support will be appointed or promoted in the KUSOM and / or KUH; the committee does not undertake, guarantee, influence or influence this. Academic appointment and promotion in KUSOM and KUH is a separate and independent process that proceeds with YÖK, KU and KUSOM rules and criteria.

The members of CGFA are full-time senior faculty members of KUSOM with different educational backgrounds from various international programs who are individually dedicated to guide students on their career paths through mentor-mentee relation. The committee has one acting chairperson to lead meetings and oversee activities: Prof. Dr. Sinem Ezgi Gülmez (Chairperson, Medical Pharmacology), Prof. Dr. Kemal Baysal (Biochemistry), Prof. Dr. Yasemin Gürsoy Özdemir (Neurology), Prof. Dr. Serhan Tanju (Thoracic Surgery), Prof. Dr. Yavuz Gürkan (Anesthesiology and Reanimation). Chairperson and members are appointed by the Dean’s Office for a 3-year period.

CGFA organizes short-term activities and develop long-term strategies. Short-term activities consist of organizing training activities for mentors in collaboration with GSHS and ORPHEUS. Long-term strategies aim to develop a more structured career-development plan covering mentor-mentee relationship.

Visit CGFA website for more information and activities www.cgfa.ku.edu.tr

Assessment Committee (SOMAC)

Duties of this committee are in the following order

  • To control the aptitude of questions in written exams.
    •  
  • To take part in

 

      • mock – exams.
      • pre-exam meetings
      • post-exam meetings to evaluate the exam
      • Set up question banks

 

  • Prepare groundwork to form question banks
  • Search for ultraprecise software.
  • Organize preliminaries for oral exams to be conducted in a legitimate tone.
  • To have representatives attend all written and oral exams
  • To inform students about the conduct and evaluation of exams.
  • To follow up on proper enactment of evaluation sessions of the exams held after each block and assessing the  feedback communicated to students
  • To follow faculty students’ “TUS” and “USMLE” ‘s exam results. Evaluate and report the score to the Dean’s office.
 
Clinical skills’ committee (CSC)

Clinical skills committee initiates,

  1. Encompassing clinical skills in the syllabus.
  2. Contributing useful teaching material and contemporary academic mechanisms.
  3. Administering the “SP” standardize patient training scheme. Double-checking the presence of the “ standard patient “     on time on the due date in regards with OSCE,
  4. Supplying block coordinators with required training in advance. ( sp, clinical script, and skills )
  5. Preparing blueprints and aims for bedside training sessions as well as an essential framework for these.
  6. ” Advanced Learning Center” ‘s coordination is also another responsibility of the clinical committee.
Postgraduate Clinical Training Committee (PCTC)

Constitution of Medical education and training of the “specialty and subspecialty” divisions is the initial task of this committee. Furthermore, they oversee the recruitment of the required faculty members as well as the provision of official reports for assistants, together with the rapprochement of Koç University’s Medical School’s syllabus with requirements of “ Turkish Medical Speciality Association “ (TUK) and “ Medical Speciality League of Türkiye “ (TUKMOS)

Committee on Social Medicine; Prior to graduation, during the care education program, covered under the topic of “sufficiency”, an adequate doctor is defined as; an individual who exhibits integrated ( bio / life + soc / + psy / psychological ) as well as cultural standpoint towards conservation and development of personal and public health. This individual attains refinement by prioritizing personal and public interests. This committee’s main function is to devise pertinent procedures to generate such experts.

The mentioned objective can be fulfilled by ensuring the path that will follow in an orderly technique. Curriculums should build up cultivative students with a sense of responsibility towards the public and humanity. Set in motion and administer programs to enhance cognition of advocacy and its applications in the field of medicine. Draft projects for students to acquire expertise in the areas of; physicians’ responsibilities towards society, as well as the issue of health advocacy. Within such aim’s context associated organisms and committees within distinctiveNGO’s to gauge and evaluate the newly developed curriculum.