Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services (VSHS), in collaboration with the Association of Anesthesia Technicians and Technologists and Üsküdar University Anesthesia Club, organized the “2nd Vocational School of Health Services Days.” The event, held under the theme “The Science of Anesthesia,” addressed all aspects of the anesthesia profession. Topics such as the current status of the profession, anesthesia in obstetrics and gynecology, and the post-pandemic state of healthcare workers were discussed in detail.
The event took place at Üsküdar University’s Çarşı Campus Emirnebi Conference Hall and was attended by President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör, Rector’s Advisors Prof. Mehmet Zelka, Prof. Muhsin Konuk, and Prof. İsmail Barış, VSHS Director Prof. Mesut Karahan, Head of the Anesthesia Program Instructor Merve Aydın Karabaş, Yeditepe University Hospitals Anesthesia and Reanimation Specialist Prof. Hatice Türe, Anesthesia Technician at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine Hospital and President of the Association of Anesthesia Technicians and Technologists Yasin Burak Özer, Anesthesia Technician at Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Hasan Uygur Koç, Anesthesia Technician at Zeynep Kamil Women and Children’s Diseases Training and Research Hospital and Üsküdar University Anesthesia Program Graduate Ülkü Dilli, Anesthesia and Reanimation Specialist Assoc. Prof. Serpil Ustalar Özgen, and Üsküdar University Anesthesia Program Graduate and Lawyer Gonca Gürbüz, among others.
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Events like this are incredibly valuable”
President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan delivered the opening speech of the event, emphasizing the importance of knowledge and experience sharing: “These kinds of events are incredibly beneficial. Above all, they enable significant information and experience sharing. They also offer literature exchange and important networking opportunities in one’s personal development journey. It is extremely valuable for forming both friendships and professional connections. Maintaining such events is very important. Perhaps similar programs can be merged, grouping related fields to create broader initiatives. If continued this way, students will see the clear benefits of these events in the future.”
A high sense of responsibility is essential…
Prof. Tarhan shared a personal experience from his medical career: “I had an experience that left a lasting impression on me. In the 1980s, I was working at Erzincan Military Hospital. There were no anesthesiologists at the time, so we performed anesthesia with technicians. A soldier was being prepared for a routine varicocele surgery. During the operation, the neurologist said, ‘Give oxygen,’ and the technician complied, but the situation did not improve. The blood was dark and thick. They quickly completed the operation. Post-op, the patient began to wake up, but not as expected. He could not fully regain consciousness. He was referred to psychiatry. It turned out he had developed hypoxic encephalopathy, that is, insufficient oxygen had reached his brain. Investigation revealed the oxygen tank had been switched with a nitrous oxide tank. Can you imagine? A 20-year-old soldier suddenly exhibited symptoms like Alzheimer’s. He did not know who he was, where he was, or even that he was a soldier that is completely devastated. The technician had failed to perform the most basic responsibility: double-checking. What was thought to be oxygen was actually nitrous oxide, and the brain was deprived of oxygen. If the surgery had lasted a little longer, the patient might not have survived. This incident alone shows just how sensitive and responsibility-heavy the profession of anesthesiology is.”
“Teamwork within the anesthesia team is crucial”
Tarhan underlined the importance of teamwork in anesthesia: “In other professions, a 2–3% error rate may be acceptable. However, in healthcare, especially in surgery, this is not tolerable. Think of it like piloting. A pilot’s smallest mistake can have massive consequences. The same applies in anesthesiology. What might seem like a one-in-a-million error statistically becomes a 100% error for that one patient. Therefore, working with a strong sense of ethical responsibility is essential in this field. The anesthesia team must operate with this sensitivity and also be well-versed in teamwork. The team must function like clockwork during surgery. Being up to date with the latest technological advances in medical devices is crucial for everyone on the team. Continuous self-improvement and staying open to new information are indispensable in this profession because there are always new developments and opportunities.”
“This perspective fosters growth”
Tarhan illustrated the importance of having a vision with examples: “There is a well-known story about Mimar Sinan. While building the Selimiye Mosque, he meets two workers. He asks one, ‘What are you doing?’ and the man replies, ‘Working for my daily wage.’ He asks the other the same question, and he says, ‘I am building the world’s greatest place of worship.’ Mimar Sinan later observes that this visionary individual eventually becomes a supervisor. That is what vision does, and it fosters growth. If your vision is limited to ‘How much can I get done today?’ and you only focus on fulfilling your duty, it is difficult to improve. But if you aim beyond your current capabilities, you grow. Another example is from the Kennedy era. When he visited NASA, he asked a janitor, ‘What are you doing?’ and the janitor replied, ‘I am helping send a man to the moon.’ Do you see the vision? Just like in Mimar Sinan’s story. This mindset leads to personal development and applies to every profession. As someone more experienced, I wanted to share these reflections with you. I wi
sh you all a successful congress and sincerely hope that this event organized by the Vocational School of Health Services continues sustainably.”
Prof. Nazife Güngör: “You are performing a very sacred and serious duty”
Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör delivered the opening speech of the event. Güngör said: “You are performing a very sacred and serious duty. You are directly touching people’s lives and are involved in the most critical moments of the professional process. Therefore, it is extremely valuable that you not only reinforce your knowledge in classrooms and laboratories but also in event halls like this, by meeting professionals from the sector. These kinds of social and scientific events offer the first interactive encounters with the profession and help shape your future. I sincerely congratulate the Vocational School of Health Services for initiating this event and hope it will continue to grow with a different theme each year. Our goal should be to expand this organization to include other universities, increase knowledge sharing, and turn this event into a recognized brand. If the Vocational School of Health Services wants, it can do it; and if our students want, they can achieve even more. Embrace this event, let’s grow it together, turn it into a brand, and reflect our university’s strong brand value onto it as well. I congratulate you all and wish for a productive event.”
Prof. Mesut Karahan: “Our students continue to meet with healthcare professionals”
Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services (VSHS) Director Prof. Mesut Karahan also spoke at the event. Karahan stated: “We have structured our educational model on three pillars: theoretical courses, laboratory practices, and workplace-based vocational training. We added a fourth pillar consisting of events and projects. During the 2024–2025 academic year, we held a total of 169 events. Our students continue to meet with healthcare professionals and receive training by visiting various institutions. For example, with our neurophysiology students, we conducted a hands-on event about sleep. Some of our students received certified training at AFAD. Projects are also very valuable to us. Currently, we have 13 active TÜBİTAK 2209-A and B projects led by our students. Students manage their projects, and professors provide mentorship. We aim to further develop this fourth pillar.”
Instructor Merve Aydın Karabaş: “Working in this field requires patience, experience, and sacrifice”
Üsküdar University Vocational School of Health Services Anesthesia Program Head Instructor Merve Aydın Karabaş spoke as part of the event. Karabaş said: “This branch of science, which requires constant attention and care, is a multidisciplinary field with high responsibility where decisions directly affect human life. Working in this area requires not only knowledge but also patience, experience, and sacrifice. Healthcare professionals in the field of anesthesia are the invisible but indispensable heroes of medicine. I say invisible because they usually work in intensive care units or operating rooms. We often encounter them during our most critical, anxious, or unconscious moments. We know they are always by our side during life’s most delicate times.”
Neuroanesthesia covered from all angles
The opening session of the program was delivered by Prof. Hatice Türe, Anesthesia and Reanimation Specialist at Yeditepe University Hospitals. She presented on the topic of “Neuroanesthesia.”
Anesthesia lab visited
As part of the program, the Vocational School of Health Services' Anesthesia Laboratory was also visited. Following the tour, the first session of the program began.
All details of anesthesiology were discussed
During the session, Yasin Burak Özer, Anesthesia Technician at Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine Hospital and President of the Association of Anesthesia Technicians and Technologists, presented on “The Current Status of the Anesthesia Profession.”
Hasan Uygur Koç, Anesthesia Technician at Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, shared a presentation titled “Anesthesia Emergencies – A Case Presentation.”
In the second session of the program, Ülkü Dilli, Anesthesia Technician at Zeynep Kamil Women and Children’s Diseases Training and Research Hospital and Üsküdar University Anesthesia Program graduate, addressed “Anesthesia in Obstetrics and Gynecology.”
Assoc. Prof. Serpil Ustalar Özgen, Anesthesia and Reanimation Specialist, spoke on “Our Healthcare Workers After the Pandemic.”
Lawyer Gonca Gürbüz, an Anesthesia Program graduate from Üsküdar University, gave a talk titled “Malpractice.”
The event, which covered the science of anesthesiology in depth, attracted great interest.
Certificates of appreciation were presented to the healthcare professionals who contributed to the program.
The event concluded with a group photo.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)