Call from KTTB to YÖDAK: “Be transparent and scientific in the medical and dental equivalence process”

Nicosia, 7 March 25 (TAK): President of the Turkish Cypriot Medical Association (KTTB), Ceyhun Dalkan, stated that the process of assessing the qualifications of those who will practice the professions of medicine and dentistry should be carried out in a standard, objective and transparent manner.

In his statement, Dalkan criticized that diploma equivalence processes do not have sufficient standards and transparency and that there is no KTTB representative in the Medical and Dentistry Equivalence Commission.

Dalkan made the following statements:

“Under the current KTTB law, medical and dentistry diplomas received from countries other than the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Republic of Turkey, the European Union Member States, the United States, the United Kingdom or Canada must be approved by the Higher Education Planning, Supervision, Accreditation and Coordination Board (YÖDAK) in cooperation with KTTB. However, we believe that the equivalence processes carried out do not have sufficient standards and transparency, and there is no KTTB representative on the established commission.

Therefore, in the letter we officially forwarded to YÖDAK, we stated that the representative of the KTTB, a professional organization with public legal personality, must definitely be included in the Medical and Dentistry Equivalence Commission to be established. In addition, we once again stated that it is imperative to have experts with clinical knowledge and academic competence in the evaluation process of medical and dentistry education.”

Noting that this process, which directly concerns public health, is not only an administrative issue but also carries importance in terms of scientific competence and patient safety, Dalkan demanded that equivalence processes be carried out based on certain criteria, in an auditable and impartial manner.