Rolling admission · Istanbul · Delivered in English
Sit in on the weekly tumour board and follow women with gynaecological cancer through theatre, the ward and follow-up at a university teaching and research hospital in Istanbul, where cases fall in your dates.
What you see depends on the department's clinical calendar during your placement; the list below describes the department's usual scope, not a guaranteed programme.
In gynaecological oncology the operation is one step in a pathway that begins and ends at the tumour board. A new referral, such as an ovarian mass or a biopsy showing endometrial or cervical cancer, is reviewed with its imaging and histology; boards of this kind typically include gynaecological oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and medical and radiation oncologists. The board decides whether surgery comes first, whether chemotherapy or chemoradiation is the better primary treatment, and whether the patient is fit for the plan. Observers attend the weekly board and listen as these decisions are reached, with teaching for observers given in English.
The tumour site shapes the decisions you hear. Endometrial cancer is usually treated surgically, with minimally invasive hysterectomy and staging where suitable, and molecular classification increasingly guides adjuvant treatment. Early cervical cancer may be managed surgically, whereas locally advanced disease generally goes to chemoradiation. In advanced ovarian cancer the central question is whether complete cytoreduction is achievable at primary surgery or only after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Fertility-sparing options are discussed for selected younger patients with early-stage disease. Which of these situations arise during your dates depends entirely on the referrals the department receives.
Surgery is followed by its own sequence. On the ward round, observers see recovery after major pelvic and abdominal surgery, the management of complications and the arrival of final histology. Final pathology then returns to the board, where adjuvant treatment and the follow-up schedule are agreed. The surgical approach is itself an oncological decision: for radical hysterectomy in early cervical cancer, randomised evidence has led major guidelines to favour open surgery, whereas minimally invasive surgery is standard for most early endometrial cancer. Robotic technique as such is covered on its own focus page.
This page follows one service, gynaecological cancer care, from referral and tumour board to theatre, ward and follow-up, whereas the gynaecological surgery page spans every list in the department. Robotic surgery appears here only as one possible approach, described in depth on the Robotic Gynaecological Surgery page, and benign disease such as endometriosis has its own page.
Senior students and graduate physicians drawn to gynaecology or to oncology who want to see surgical, chemotherapy and radiotherapy decisions fitted together around one patient.
Suited to obstetrician-gynaecologists with a specialist qualification whose stated interest is gynaecological cancer care; other recognised specialists may apply, with fit decided by the department. Over 12–24 months you follow tumour board decisions through to their outcomes.
Both routes are strictly observational: observers attend theatre and clinic without patient contact, do not scrub or assist, and are not assessed on any procedure.
| Clinical Observership | Clinical Fellowship | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 1, 2 or 4 weeks (extension possible on request) | 12 to 24 months, agreed with the host department |
| Who it is for | Medical students in clinical years and graduate physicians from outside Turkey | Recognised specialists and family physicians seeking advanced exposure beyond standard specialty training |
| Format | Full-time, strictly observational — outpatient clinics, operating theatre, ward rounds, case discussions | Extended observational attachment to one department: daily practice, service structure and specific techniques |
| Certificate | Certificate of attendance issued by the host hospital and signed by its Medical Director | Certificate on completion issued under the accreditation of the affiliated university school of medicine |
| Start | Rotations typically begin on a Monday; dates are agreed individually | Start date planned around the date you request and the department's capacity |
One online application for both routes. State Gynaecological Oncology as your focus in your objectives; ATDERA reviews the file and prepares it for the Gynaecological Surgery department, then replies with next steps, typically within two working days.
Already started? The application page picks up where you left off.
ATDERA Global Limited (Companies House No. 17173428, registered in England and Wales) coordinates this programme for a university teaching hospital in Istanbul. ATDERA is not a hospital and does not provide clinical care; admission decisions and certificates are the host hospital's.
One online application covers both routes and all twenty-one specialties — details, programme choice and documents in five short steps. ATDERA reviews the file and replies with next steps, typically within two working days.
