Rolling admission · Istanbul · Delivered in English
Follow how breast cancer operations are planned to remove the tumour safely while preserving the shape of the breast, at the tumour board, in clinic and in theatre, within a university general surgery department.
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.
Decisions begin at the tumour board. A breast tumour board typically brings together breast surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, medical and radiation oncologists and, where reconstruction is in question, plastic surgeons, who review the imaging, the core biopsy and receptor status together, with the patient's preferences as reported from clinic. The board decides whether surgery comes before or after neoadjuvant systemic therapy and whether breast conservation is realistic. Observers follow these discussions with the supervising team's summary in English; they do not present cases or contribute to decisions.
Oncoplastic surgery widens the range of tumours that can be treated by conservation. The key variables are the size of the tumour relative to the breast, its position, breast size and ptosis. Where a simple wide local excision would leave a visible defect, tissue can be rearranged within the breast (volume displacement), the tumour can be removed within a reduction pattern (therapeutic mammaplasty), or tissue can be brought in from nearby (volume replacement). Clear margins remain the non-negotiable aim; shape is the second objective, never traded against the oncological one.
Reconstruction after mastectomy adds a question of timing. Immediate reconstruction can be planned at the same operation, but expected post-mastectomy radiotherapy, smoking, body habitus and the patient's wishes may favour a delayed or staged approach, and the choice between implant-based and autologous reconstruction is discussed with the plastic surgery team. Symmetrising surgery on the other breast may follow later. Observers see that these decisions involve two departments, and that the oncological plan sets the pace for the reconstructive one.
The parent general surgery page covers the whole department, from hernia and colorectal work to emergency surgery; this page concentrates on its breast cancer pathway, from the tumour board to oncoplastic theatre lists. Free-flap breast reconstruction is the subject of the reconstructive microsurgery page, and cosmetic breast augmentation is not part of this focus.
Clinical-year students and graduate physicians interested in breast or general surgery, and surgeons who want to watch a multidisciplinary breast service turn tumour board decisions into shape-preserving operations.
General surgeons with a breast interest apply through general surgery, and plastic surgeons focused on breast reconstruction through plastic surgery; either way the 12–24-month fellowship is an observational attachment to that one department, with this focus as the stated interest.
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 Oncoplastic Breast Surgery as your focus in your objectives; ATDERA reviews the file and prepares it for the General 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.
