38.uluslararası tıp tarihi kongresi / 38th International Congress on the History of Medicine 1-6 Eylul 2002 Istanbul An I nvaluable Experience: “I nstitute of Community Medicine, Hacettepe University” Murat Civaner 1 , Yücel Demiral 2 , Gazanfer Aksakoğlu 2 Medical Education Learning and treating health have been of main interests of the mankind since the beginning of human life and showed great progress towards medical education during the evolution process. A considerable change has occurred in the medical education concept at the 20 th century and the development has accelerated dramatically for the last quarter especially. The main understanding underlying the change was the community based education, which gave way to the foundation of the Institute of Community Medicine, Hacettepe University. Although founded as an educational organ, the Institute covered research and service tasks at the same time inevitably, with the existence of the Districts provided by the Ministry of Health. The rationale of the collaboration between the University and the Ministry was to enable the students of medicine and other health disciplines as well as the health personnel to observe and realise the health needs of the community. The Institute Institute of Community Medicine-Hacettepe University was founded in 1964 together with the establishment of the University as a new medical centre in Ankara. Nusret Fişek had been the head of the Institute from 1966 until its closure following the military coup in 1982. The institute had four main goals: • Education : Educate the medical students with community based understanding within the environs of the people living in the districts affiliated to the University, • Research : Evaluate the living and health conditions of the residents of the districts and implement measures of precautions and promotion, • Service: Render health services to the residents of the districts with a holistic medical approach and multi-disciplinary understanding, • Guidance: Lead the several health and medical institutions and schools of the country with the above mentioned experiences. The goals of the Institution were to be accomplished through the Districts that were affiliated to the University in terms of management and education, and they were administered by academicians who were experienced and specialised in the field. Organisation of the Institute was consist of Department of Community Medicine, two Health, Education and Research Districs (HER) and Tuberculosis Education and Research Centre (Fig.1) 1 Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Community Medicine 2 Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Community Medicine