‘’A GOOD PHYSICIAN MUST FIRST BE A GOOD PERSON’’
Dr. Suat Gunsel University of Kyrenia Head Physician and Radiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Nail Bulakbaşı stated that the 14th of March has been accepted as the day that modern medical education has started, and the day celebrated as the Medicine Day, in the new Turkish Republic that was founded after the War of Independence. He also stated that this day is only celebrated by the Turkish Republic and TRNC, however countries around the world celebrate similar Medical Days on different dates.

Prof. Dr. Nail Bulakbası who made a statement due to the 14th of March Medicine Day drew attention to the fact that, although in recent years, this Medicine Day has been used to highlight the occupational problems faced by the physicians and health system, it must be a date used to state the meaning and importance of the word ‘’physician’’ which has been eroded with time. He said; ‘’because throughout history, physicians have not only distributed health but have taken on responsibilities that have contributed towards increasing public values in all areas of life ‘’.

PHYSICIAN: CARRIES THE DEFFINITIONS OF JUDGE, PHILOSOPHER, DOCTOR
Head Physician Nail Bulakbası who stressed that the modern medical application must include preventive health services as well as the diagnosis and treatment of patient. He drew attention to the fact that including all these aspects, a good physician must first be a good human being. Head Physician Prof. Dr. Nail Bulakbası recorded the following in the statement he gave regarding the 14th of March Medicine Day:

‘’The word ‘’hkm’’ that etymologically means ‘’knowledge’’ in Arabic has entered the Turkish language from Aramaic or Hebrew from the Northwest Sami languages as ‘‘Hekim’’ (physician). The word ‘’Hekim’’ which means healer, carries the same root as the word ‘’Hakim’’ (judge) which means wisdom, the one who knows everything; and the word ‘’Hikmet’’ (wisdom) which carries the meaning of God’s aim that cannot be understood by human beings.  The name Hekim carries the meanings of knowledgeable one, judge, philosopher, and physician and for centuries this word has been used for people who provide full health both physically and spiritually.

Since the first humans in the world, it is believed that those who conduct healing carry spiritual powers, it is not surprising that the word Physician carries a Godly meaning.  Due to this divine meaning, physicians have been respected, been held at a distinguished level and have always been protected by authority throughout history.  It is not surprising that all great physicians in history since Asklepios such as Socrates, Aristotle, Galen, Ebubekir el-Razi, İbn-i Sina are also great philosophers.  Because they have all taken part in the efforts of seeking the unknown and have approached the mysteries of how the body, considered as the source of life, works philosophically and from time to time religiously.  Due to this reason, medicine has generally been lost in a whirlpool combined with philosophy and religion until the middle ages. Experiments on corpses for artistic reasons that started especially after the Renaissance and Reform movements started in Europe, have formed the base of modern anatomy and biology sciences and has rescued medicine from the pressurised clasps of religion enabling it to be modern, free and dependant on experiments.  This period that continued during the 17th and 18th century revealed that medicine must be taught as a science within the framework of certain rules and starting in Europe, medical schools were established in various parts of the world.

MEDICINE DAY MUST BE A DATE THAT EMPHASISES THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF MEDICINE
Parallel to these developments in Europe, although medical schools were tried to be opened in the last years of the Ottoman Empire to reduce the losses due to wars, this did not happen due to religious pressures or it was left as a privilege given to Jews or Christian minorities.  This pressure was managed to be relieved in the time of Mahmut the 2nd and the Tıphane-i Amire and Cerrahhane-i Amire were established on the 14th of March 1827 with the suggestion of head physician Mustafa Behcet. The young nationalistic physicians educated in these Amire’s after the First World War celebrated the Medicine Day on the 14th of March 1919 for the first time as a reaction to the enemy invasion and famous names such as Dr. Fevzi Paşa, Dr. Besim Ömer Paşa, Dr. Akil Muhtar (Özden) attended and supported these celebrations.

Due to this reason, all talks, actions and attitudes that target physicians and reduce the value of their occupation in recent years, must be stopped because one day, everyone will require a good physician.

THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF MEDICINE: FIRST, DO NO HARM
The medical occupation has changed form under today’s conditions, applications supported with great technological developments have come to the forefront, however the first and most important rule of medicine still remains true: ‘’First, do no harm’’. Due to this reason, firstly everyone must carry out their own responsibilities in perfecting the medical education, the necessary educational conditions must be produced for physicians to be trained, to gain experience and most importantly the ‘’hands’’ of the specialists and apprentices must be kept clean.  Because to be a good physician needs; a great attention to detail, knowledge combined with experience and a strong ethical view wrapped up in responsibilities. With this matter on hand, I would like to remind my young colleagues that, what makes a physician holy is to know the value of and to protect the ‘life’ that has been given to us, and to provide equal service without making any discrimination between age, beliefs, language, ethnic root, gender, nationality, political views, race, sexual leniency, social standing or any other reasons. Although the main point of this service is people, it also covers all living beings generally and life itself. Due to this reason, the modern good medicine approaches include preventive health services alongside the diagnosis and treatment of patients.  However, beyond all these specifications, a good physician must first be a good person.

As it states in the Hippocratic Oath,  I celebrate all my co-workers who protect and develop the honoured and respected traditions of their occupation with all their might, that always hold first the health and peace of their patient and that have devoted their lives to serving humanity, Medicine Day  and I wish them health and peace.’’