He graduated from the Department of Dentistry at the Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, in 1923. In 1924, he became an assistant in the same department, and in 1929, he became a senior assistant. During the 1930–1931 academic year, he worked at the School of Dentistry in Paris and at St. Louis Hospital, where he earned his certifications. During the 1937–1938 academic year, he was appointed associate professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. During the 1938–1939 academic year, Kantorowicz assigned him to work alongside Prof. Dr. Tibor Peterfi and Prof. Dr. Philipp Schwartz in the Department of Histology and Pathology at the Faculty of Medicine. Following this work, Gürkan established the Department of Dental Histology at his own school. In 1941, he became a professor in the Department of Dental Diseases and Treatment. Prof. Dr. Gürkan served as President of the Turkish Dental Association from 1945 to 1946. In 1949–1950, he spearheaded the establishment of the “Pediatric Dentistry Service.” From 1957 to 1959, he served as director of the School of Dentistry at Istanbul University, and in 1963, he became the first director of the Private Istanbul College of Dentistry, which was founded in Istanbul.
From 1964 to 1966, he served as the first dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at Istanbul University. In addition to his professional duties, Gürkan was constantly engaged in the study of Ottoman history, Turkish language and literature, and Turkish music; in 1968, he taught the courses “History and Deontology of Dentistry” at his faculty. Suat İsmail Gürkan is the composer of many works that are still enjoyed today and have become part of the standard repertoire.