The “1st International Medical Students Project and Innovation Congress (ÜTOPİK)”, hosted by Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, was held.
President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, said, “Technology gives speed to our lives, but human values guide our lives.”
“Think about the needs of the future, not today. When you realize unmet needs, a project emerges,” said Prof. Tarhan, stating that every treatment-resistant patient in medicine is, in fact, a separate project.
The “1st International Medical Students Project and Innovation Congress (ÜTOPİK)”, hosted by Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, was held at the Ibn-i Sina Auditorium of Üsküdar University NP Health Campus. The congress, which brought together academics and medical faculty students, offered an important platform for sharing scientific production and innovative thinking.
The opening speeches of the congress were delivered by Congress President, 3rd-year medical faculty student Begüm Şener, along with Congress Vice President, Faculty of Medicine Deputy Dean Prof. Mehmet Aydın, Rector's Advisor Prof. Tayfun Uzbay, Vice Rector Prof. Hikmet Koçak, and President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan.
President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, stated that the project culture studies carried out for years at the university have now become more visible with student congresses.
Prof. Tarhan stated that as a university, they included project culture and entrepreneurship courses in all undergraduate programs in 2014. He said, “We made the project culture and entrepreneurship course compulsory for first-year students. In subsequent years, project-oriented courses were integrated into the education programs by senate decision.”
Emphasizing that every student should prepare a project before graduation, Prof. Tarhan said, “Students will prepare projects in the format of TÜBİTAK and the Turkish Health Institutes Presidency, gain presentation experience at congresses, and transform this into a graduation project.”
Prof. Tarhan, drawing attention to the importance of project-based education, stated that the human brain learns best by experiencing.
“Life is actually a project. A project has a goal, a logical framework, and an action plan,” said Prof. Tarhan, noting that project management also provides resource management and target-oriented thinking skills.
Prof. Tarhan stated that producing projects is not limited to just making academic publications, adding, “What is truly important is what the work done is good for. It is necessary to question what need of people it addresses.”
Noting that critical thinking, questioning, and teamwork are among the essential skills of the era, Prof. Tarhan emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in project production.
“Teamwork is absolutely necessary to develop a project. It is necessary to produce a product by working as a team under the mentorship of an instructor,” said Prof. Tarhan, stating that projects must be suitable for science, reason, and life, and added, “A study that is suitable for science, suitable for reason, but incompatible with life will remain on the shelf.”
Prof. Tarhan stated that artificial intelligence and digital transformation have become decisive in professional life, saying that students need to develop their digital literacy skills and added, “If you do not have digital literacy and artificial intelligence knowledge, it is not possible to advance in the profession today.”
Explaining that they are carrying out studies at the university to enable medical students to pursue double majors or minors in software and computer engineering, Prof. Tarhan stated that artificial intelligence has created a revolution as significant as the transformation brought about by the printing press and electricity.
Emphasizing that generative artificial intelligence offers new opportunities in academic production but also carries ethical risks, Prof. Tarhan stated that ethical principles should be considered in the use of artificial intelligence, saying, “There are generative artificial intelligence systems that can even write articles. Therefore, rules are being developed in ethics committees to specify the extent to which artificial intelligence is used.”
Explaining that mathematical modeling and artificial neural networks are at the core of artificial intelligence, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan cited Geoffrey Hinton as an example, stating that modeling the brain's operating system brought about the artificial intelligence revolution.
In his speech, Prof. Tarhan also drew attention to ethical values, emphasizing the importance of using technology in the right hands.
Recalling Elon Musk’s words, “Intelligent people have become cheap, but people of character have become expensive,” Prof. Tarhan said, “In the future, the most valuable people will be those with character.”
“Technology gives speed to our lives, but human values guide our lives. We must not lose these values, our human qualities. Character building is important for this. It is necessary to take this into account when creating a project. Let it be compatible with life, compatible with humanity,” said Prof. Tarhan, emphasizing that ethical principles and human benefit should be at the center when developing projects.
Prof. Tarhan, calling on students to focus on the needs of the future, said that innovative projects arise not from existing needs, but from needs that have not yet been met.
“Think about the needs of the future, not today. When you realize unmet needs, a project emerges,” said Prof. Tarhan, stating that every treatment-resistant patient in medicine is, in fact, a separate project.
“Our shortcoming is not publishing our work sufficiently,” said Prof. Tarhan, adding that the congresses would equip students with scientific presentation and publishing skills.
Vice Rector Prof. Hikmet Koçak stated that the future healthcare system would rise on the shoulders of young physicians, saying that students should be trained not only as good clinicians but also as individuals who can dream, research, and produce projects.
Prof. Koçak stated that the congress was organized to broaden the horizons of students and share the experiences of academics with young people, saying, “Today, we are here to broaden your horizons and enable you to benefit from our experiences. Because the future will now be on your shoulders.”
Emphasizing that the foundation of medical education is to train good physicians, Prof. Koçak said, “A doctor will primarily serve their patient. We are trying to train physicians who are self-confident, not afraid of the patient, make correct diagnoses, and provide correct treatment.”
However, Prof. Koçak stated that medicine is not limited to clinical practice alone, adding that accessing knowledge and following changing scientific developments are also of great importance, that knowledge in the field of medicine changes very rapidly, and that artificial intelligence and digital technologies accelerate this transformation even further.
Prof. Koçak stated that the university is ready to offer support to students in project development, emphasizing the importance of students working with academics from different disciplines.
Prof. Koçak advised students to examine the life stories of scientists from the past, saying, “Research what difficulties scientists faced. When you compare the opportunities of those periods with today’s conditions, you will see that you have much greater advantages in terms of accessing knowledge today.”
Emphasizing that students should be passionately committed to their work, Prof. Koçak said, “We ask our assistant colleagues; ‘How many surgeries did you perform in your dream?’ If surgery doesn't enter your dream, you cannot be a good surgeon.”
Rector's Advisor Prof. Tayfun Uzbay stated that knowledge production and scientific thinking are the most important forces determining the future of societies, calling on young people to “Never be afraid to ask questions, think multidisciplinarily, and never give up on saying ‘I can do it.’”
Prof. Uzbay said that producing projects and innovative thinking is not only academic success but also a fundamental element shaping the future of societies, stating, “To produce knowledge, you need to think, make projects, and these projects need to bring forth innovation. It's not about repeating things; it's important to question what is new, what is more practical, and what can be more useful.”
Prof. Uzbay, drawing attention to the importance of future-oriented studies, said, “Global competition is no longer determined by physical strength, but by knowledge and the ability to use knowledge. Knowledge empowers defense, economy, and quality of life.”
“The person who invented the microscope was not a professor, but a cloth merchant,” said Prof. Uzbay, explaining that the lens developed to examine the quality of fabrics eventually turned into a microscope.
Prof. Uzbay also touched upon brain research, one of the thematic areas of the university, stating, “Today, we still do not have a holistic brain theory. This is because we always look at the brain from a single perspective. However, there is a need for anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and different disciplines as much as neurobiology. When you are interested in medicine, also be interested in anthropology, sociology, and philosophy. Because science is now progressing within a multidisciplinary structure.”
Prof. Uzbay stated that the identity of a scientist begins to form during university years, saying, “The scientific personality does not form later. Just as athletes are trained from a young age, future scientists should begin to gain their identity during their university years.”
Dean of Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine and Congress President (Academic) Prof. Haydar Sur, drawing attention to the importance of congresses where students contribute to scientific production, emphasized that young people have a vision that can correctly interpret the future.
Prof. Sur, addressing the congress via video message, stated that students organizing scientific congresses made him very happy as a dean, adding, “But what makes me even happier is that they identify the content very well. They see the future very clearly. They also make extremely accurate choices regarding who to invite to speak in which field.”
Congress Vice President, Faculty of Medicine Deputy Dean Prof. Mehmet Aydın, said that the main goal of the congress was for students to gain a project production culture.
Emphasizing that medical faculties worldwide are changing their understanding of education, Prof. Aydın said, “It's no longer just a doctor who reads and applies what they read; the researcher physician model, who reads, questions, produces projects, and contributes to science, is coming to the forefront. Medical education programs are also being reshaped accordingly.”
Noting that a demanding academic process awaits students after graduation, Prof. Aydın said, “In the residency process you will begin after passing TUS, you will be expected to conduct academic work. At least, you will need to complete a graduation thesis. For this, you need to know how to produce, implement, finalize projects, and turn them into scientific publications. Gaining this competence now will significantly contribute to your academic development in the future.”
Congress President, 3rd-year medical faculty student Begüm Şener, told the story of how the congress came about, saying, “During our work within the scope of our course named Project 2, we thought: if students are producing projects and innovative ideas, why shouldn't we create a platform where they can showcase them, develop themselves, and perhaps experience their first academic presentation? ÜTOPİK was actually born from this idea.”
Stating that they want the congress to become traditional, Şener said, “Today, we are holding the first of these. I hope it turns into a growing traditional organization with stronger projects and better ideas every year.”
In the First Session of the Congress, titled “The Importance of Project and Innovation in Basic and Clinical Sciences,” moderated by Prof. Mehmet Yakup Tuna & Begüm Şener, Op. Dr. Ercan Cihandide discussed “From Surgical Technique to Branding: A Plastic Surgeon's Innovation Journey,” Assoc. Prof. Müge Ensari Özay presented “Introduction to ARGEYEP, TÜBİTAK and TUSEB projects,” Asst. Prof. Cihan Taştan covered “My Project Journey and Space Biology Applications,” Assoc. Prof. Yavuz Dizdar spoke on “The Future of Medicine,” and Prof. Bingür Sönmez addressed “Artificial Intelligence, Digital Health, and Genetics.”
In addition, students presented their scientific work within the scope of peer-reviewed oral presentations at the congress. Clinical examples such as atypical mesenteric ischemia, a case of giant uterine leiomyoma, a case of myocarditis, and reflex epilepsy stood out in the case presentations and review studies.
In the “Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Health” session, moderated by Uzm. Dr. Sezin Canbek & Elahe Parham, Prof. İbrahim Öztek discussed “Turkish Medicine from Past to Present,” Assoc. Prof. Yeşim Özdemir covered “Science Fiction or Reality? Producing Treatment from Disease,” Dr. Sinan Aysen spoke on “Artificial intelligence (AI) longevity,” Prof. Kerem Canbora addressed “Current approaches and technology in joint prosthesis surgery (VR - AI and robot),” and Prof. Murat Kalemoğlu discussed “Innovations in Surgical Operations and Devices.”
In the oral presentations held after the second session, topics such as multi-agent clinical integration systems, the microbiota-brain axis, and case analyses related to genetic variants stood out. During the poster visits held at the congress, participants had the opportunity to evaluate their projects accompanied by the scientific peer-review committee.
In the final section of the congress, moderated by Asst. Prof. Burcu Türkgenç & Nur Su Arslan, a session titled “Global Health and Social Responsibility in Medicine” was held. Prof. Engin Acıoğlu discussed “Good Physician,” Ost. Fzt. Suat Dülger covered “Epigenetic Factors in Healthy Aging: A Vaccine Against the Harmful Effects of Modern Life; Using Challenges that Defy Human Evolution,” and Asst. Dr. Ömer Kılıç- Instructor Aykut Çağlı & discussed “Eye Health Project for Bright Futures.”
Within the scope of peer-reviewed presentations, the historical process of Parkinson's disease, rare neurological cases, and social responsibility projects carried out in earthquake regions were shared with the participants.
The day-long congress continued with interactive events and intense participation, concluding with a Kahoot activity followed by the closing ceremony and award presentation.
