Today, there are special days related to many professions and subjects. These special days are sometimes organized to draw attention to a victimized situation and sometimes to show affection. Sometimes the special days, which attract attention with protests, sometimes turn into a feast. Medicine Day, which is celebrated on 14 March every year in our country, is one of these special days. Healthcare workers, who touched human lives and were entrusted with their lives, are remembered on this special day.
Health workers face many problems while performing their profession. On the Day of Medicine; attention is drawn to the problems experienced by health workers in the field of service and the improvement of their conditions is brought to the agenda. Since 1976, the week in which 14 March is included is considered as Medicine Week and celebrations are held.
How Did Medicine Day Come About?
II. During the reign of Mahmut; The first medical school was established under the name of Tıphane-i Amire and Cerrahhane-i Amire, with the recommendation of chief physician Mustafa Behçet. The date of its foundation, March 14, 1927, is accepted as the day that modern medical education began in Turkey. The foundation day of the school, 14 March, is celebrated as Medicine Day.
Since 1976, the week that includes 14 March has been accepted as Medicine Week. The first Medicine Day celebration was on March 14, 1919; It was carried out when Istanbul was under occupation. Under the leadership of Hikmet Boran, a third year medical student, they gathered to protest the occupation and the famous doctors of that period also supported this protest. So Medicine Day; It was started as a homeland defense movement by people practicing medicine.
Between 1929 and 1937, 12 May was celebrated as Medicine Day. 12 May is the date when the first Turkish medicine classes started at the Yıldırım Darüşşifa in Bursa. However, over time, this practice was abandoned and it was started to be celebrated as 14 March Medicine Day again.
Similar celebrations are held on different dates around the world. For example, in America; March 30, 1842, the date when general anesthesia was first used in surgeries, is celebrated. In India, 1 July, the date of death of Bidhan Chandra Roy, a famous doctor, is considered doctors’ day. Known for his important work on yellow fever in Cuba, Dr. December 3, the birth date of Carlos Juan, and August 23, the birthday of Ibn Sina in Iran, are considered “Doctors’ Day”. There are impressive stories behind each doctor’s day, which is celebrated in many countries of the world. Celebrated in our country, March 14 is also the symbol of the love of independence and sacrifice in the history of Turkish medicine.
