Sami ZAN 1921 – 1984

He is a professor of anatomy and an academician. He was born in İstanbul in 1921. After graduating from Haydarpaşa High School, he was admitted in İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine, the only medical school in Türkiye, in 1940. In 1945, when he was in the 5th grade, he was transferred to this new faculty to complete his internship by order of the ministry upon the opening of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, the second medical faculty of the country in the capital and graduated from this school in 1946.

After completing his military service and compulsory service as a physician, he entered the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy as an assistant in 1948. He became a specialist in 1952, an associate professor in 1955, and a professor in 1960. Between 1978 and 1984, he was the chair of the Professor of Anatomy. When he died of a heart attack in 1984, he was still serving as chairman. One of the most famous sayings of Sami Zan, who is remembered for his lovely anecdotes, anecdotes, proverbs, and lecture technique to make the lessons interesting while he was teaching at the university, is "To be a physician is to master every subject". The name of this respected and beloved professor at the university was given to one of the lecture halls of Basic Medical Sciences at İstanbul Faculty of Medicine.