Many foreign doctors are seeking the most important information about the equivalence of the medical degree in Turkey in order to work in Turkish hospitals, especially if they obtained their medical degree from outside Turkey. For this reason, Skyline Education will provide you with detailed information regarding the equivalence of both the general and specialist medical degrees, which includes the necessary steps to be taken—steps that vary depending on whether the doctor is a specialist or not—along with the most important details about the required documents and the equivalence exam.
We wish you an enjoyable and informative reading.
Overview of the Equivalence of the Medical Degree in Turkey
Until 2011, foreign doctors were not permitted to practice medicine in Turkey. In that year, the Turkish Parliament approved a law that allows a foreign doctor to work in the private sector only, provided that the foreign doctor either holds a medical degree from Turkish universities or holds a medical degree from outside Turkey and possesses an equivalence for that degree certified by the Turkish state.
It is also required that the doctor is proficient in Turkish, as language is very important because it is used in the equivalence exams. For this reason, the foreign doctor must begin the process of obtaining equivalence for his or her medical degree in Turkey by enrolling in an official institute to learn Turkish and must achieve at least a B1 level, so that a work permit can be obtained in the future.
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Steps for the Equivalence of the Medical Degree in Turkey
There are four basic steps that you need to take if you are a general practitioner and wish to have your degree recognized in Turkey, namely:
- Achieve a strong command of the Turkish language.
- Pass the General Medical Equivalence Exam (STS).
- Complete the mandatory training period at one of the approved Turkish hospitals.
- Obtain a work permit in Turkey.
Steps for the Equivalence of the Medical Degree for Specialist Doctors
If you are a specialist doctor, you must follow the steps mentioned above in addition to the following steps:
- Pass the specialization exam, which is an oral exam that includes performing a surgical procedure if your specialty is surgical.
- Complete the training phase at one of the approved Turkish hospitals, which lasts for 3 months.
Administrative Procedures for the Equivalence of the Medical Degree in Turkey
There are many administrative procedures that a foreign doctor must complete, whether at the Ministry of Higher Education (YÖK) or at the Ministry of Health for specialists. It is worth noting that these procedures can be completed personally by the individual, and there is no need for any service office to follow them up.
These procedures also require the provision of certain necessary documents for the equivalence of the specialist doctor's degree, which are:
- The original Bachelor's degree certificate (not a copy), which must be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- The original transcript, which must be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- The equivalence of the high school certificate from the Turkish embassy in the country where the doctor resides, or from the Directorate of Education in the city where they reside within Turkey.
- A copy of the passport, which must be valid.
- If the foreign doctor wishes to submit the necessary documents through a service office, an official power of attorney for the equivalence procedures must be prepared, translated into Turkish, and authenticated at the Turkish embassy, or alternatively authenticated by a notary (noter) within Turkey.
Required Documents for the Equivalence of the Medical Degree for Those Holding a Specialist Certificate
If the foreign doctor is a specialist, they should begin preparing the following documents:
- The Bachelor's degree equivalence certificate.
- A translated copy of the passport.
- The specialist certificate, which must be translated into Turkish.
- A document indicating the period during which the specialization was practiced, noting that some certificates may include the duration of study; therefore, this document might not be necessary, especially if your certificate clearly states the start and end dates of the specialization.
- A document proving that the concerned institution holds an educational and training license.
Enrichment: All of the above documents must be translated and authenticated by a notary before being submitted to the relevant authorities. As for all documents originating from outside Turkey, they must be authenticated exclusively by the Turkish embassy; in addition, certificates from European countries must be authenticated with an apostille stamp.
After the aforementioned documents have been prepared, authenticated, and correctly translated, you must go to the Equivalency Department in the Turkish capital, Ankara—affiliated with the YÖK institution—and submit them in person or through the service office handling the transaction. Subsequently, the Equivalency Department of the Turkish Ministry of Higher Education will review the file and the submitted documents.
The Ministry of Higher Education also contacts the university from which the doctor obtained the degree to verify the accuracy of the data, a process that takes between 6 to 12 months. After that, the file is either approved or rejected if any discrepancies or deficiencies are found.
The submitted documents remain as copies at the Turkish Ministry of Higher Education, while the original documents are returned immediately after the file is opened at the Ministry.
Note: The time during which the data is being verified can be used for two purposes: first, to improve one’s proficiency in Turkish, and second, to take the equivalence exam known as STS.
Key Information about the Medical Degree Equivalence Exam in Turkey (STS)
The medical degree equivalence exam in Turkey is held twice a year, specifically in February and August, and consists of 120 questions solely in the field of clinical medicine. The questions are divided as follows:
- 40 questions in Internal Medicine.
- 30 questions in Pediatrics.
- 30 questions in General Surgery.
- 20 questions in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The passing score for this exam is 35 out of 100. The exam is administered exclusively in Turkish and follows the American style in which one correct answer is deducted for every four incorrect answers. Therefore, it is advised to answer only the questions that the doctor is certain about, and to avoid random guessing as it may result in losing correct answers.
After passing the exam and having the file submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education accepted, there remains one final step before the applicant is recognized as a general practitioner in Turkey: the mandatory training phase at one of the governmental university hospitals. This training lasts between 6 and 9 months at one of three Turkish universities chosen by the doctor, and the departments include:
- Internal Medicine
- General Surgery
- Pediatrics
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Family Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
It is noteworthy that after the completion of the mandatory service period, the equivalence certificate is handed over to the foreign doctor, and they begin practicing officially as a general practitioner in Turkish private hospitals.
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Thus, we have reached the end of our article on the equivalence of the medical degree in Turkey, after having provided you with detailed information on this topic. If you need any additional details regarding studying in Turkey, you can contact Skyline Education.