Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Maral Yeşilyurt, Assistant Head of the Speech and Language Therapy Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences, completed the associate degree program she started during the pandemic and then enrolled in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics after taking the Vertical Transfer Exam (DGS). Yeşilyurt thus became both a lecturer and a student at the same university. Maral Yeşilyurt, who previously completed one undergraduate, two master's, and one doctoral program, said, “I want to address my students, young people. Don't be afraid to learn new things. Life is full of opportunities, and what matters when opportunities arise is to meet them well-equipped.”
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Maral Yeşilyurt, Assistant Head of the Speech and Language Therapy Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences, shared her journey of becoming a student again while being a lecturer at the university.
Yeşilyurt stated that she enrolled in a second university without an exam during the pandemic, saying, “I had enrolled in the Anadolu Üniversitesi AÖF Laboratory and Veterinary Health Department. I'm glad I did. From that department, I transferred to the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics with DGS.”
“Being a student in this field will give me the chance to delve into the practical side of the work clinically”
Maral Yeşilyurt also explained why she chose the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics while conducting studies in the field of Speech and Language Therapy:
“Actually, my aim is to delve deeper into my own field, to get to the root of the work. In the field of speech and language therapy, I particularly work on voice disorders and voice therapy. During this process, we could observe behavioral and pathological changes in the therapies we conducted. But now, different sciences in the world have shown me that changes occur at a more fundamental level. I initially supported my interest in the formation of voice and the fundamentals, structural, and genetic characteristics of voice disorders through readings, but I realized that genetic, structural, and molecular-level changes could only be supported up to a certain point through readings. In this direction, I decided to go into the laboratory aspect of this work. I decided to study a new discipline. Taking another undergraduate education alongside teaching, being a student of Üsküdar Üniversitesi in this field, will give me the chance to delve into the practical side, that is, the laboratory, of the work clinically.”
Combining voice and genetics…
Dr. Maral Yeşilyurt stated that her goal with a new undergraduate program is to examine the foundation of her own field, saying, “After completing this department, voice and genetics will always be a part of my career. My goal after completing the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics is definitely not to shift solely to that field, but there are other disciplines where these two sciences converge, such as forensic sciences. Criminal voice and criminal DNA analyses are now being conducted. When you combine the two fields, many different options actually emerge.”
Advice to young people: don't be afraid to learn new things
Dr. Maral Yeşilyurt advised, “I want to address my students, young people. Don't be afraid to learn new things. Life is full of opportunities, and what matters when opportunities arise is to meet them well-equipped.”
I've taken after my late grandfather…
Yeşilyurt stated that her close circle was not surprised by her entering a new educational process, concluding her words as follows:
“My husband, my children, my mother, my siblings were not surprised. They are waiting to see if there will be more to come. Before this, I had completed one undergraduate, two master's, and one doctoral program. In between, of course, I completed an associate degree program. This allowed me to take the DGS. Studying a new department from time to time seems to have become a family tradition for us. My late grandfather graduated from his third university at the age of 65, completing law school. Before law, he studied Physical Education Teaching and then History-Geography. In this regard, I have taken after my grandfather.”
Cake celebration from department academicians…
The faculty members of the Speech and Language Therapy Department, who appreciated Dr. Yeşilyurt's success, celebrated her by cutting a cake.
