Rolling admission · Istanbul · Delivered in English
Follow how a university ear, nose and throat department assesses hearing loss and chronic ear disease, selects candidates for implantation and operates under the microscope, with no operative role, on the lists scheduled during 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 chronic ear disease the first question is what the operation is for. A dry perforation of the eardrum may be repaired to stop recurrent infection and, in some patients, to improve hearing; cholesteatoma is generally treated by surgery because it can erode the structures around it. The extent of disease, the anatomy of the mastoid, the state of the other ear and how reliably the patient can attend follow-up all influence the choice of technique. Hearing reconstruction may be done at the same operation or planned as a second stage.
Cochlear implantation is decided by a team. Candidates generally have severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss and gain limited benefit from well-fitted hearing aids. The otologist, the audiologist and, for children, the specialists who support speech and language development assess hearing, imaging of the inner ear and hearing nerve, general health and expectations. In children born deaf, earlier implantation is associated with better language outcomes, so timing is part of the decision. Criteria and funding differ between countries, which visiting physicians often find instructive.
In theatre the work is done through an operating microscope, and the facial nerve is identified and protected throughout; many teams use nerve monitoring for this. For an implant, the electrode is placed in the cochlea and the device is tested before the wound is closed. Surgery is only the beginning: the device is commonly switched on some weeks later, and hearing is built through programming and rehabilitation. An observer who follows a patient from the audiology laboratory to the operating microscope sees how these decisions connect.
This page covers ear surgery and hearing implantation within the ear, nose and throat department. Head and neck oncology has its own focus page. Rhinology, laryngology and paediatric ear, nose and throat practice are described on the parent department page.
Trainees and graduate physicians in otorhinolaryngology who want to see how hearing assessment, case selection and ear surgery fit together; clinical-year students are eligible but usually gain more from the wider department.
Otorhinolaryngologists with a specialist qualification who state otology and implant surgery as their interest within the department; the department decides allocation, and ear lists are followed alongside its other clinics and lists.
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 Otology & Cochlear Implant as your focus in your objectives; ATDERA reviews the file and prepares it for the ENT 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.
