While the identity of the physician is based on natural
tendency and characteristics acquired by personal effort
to a limited extent, it is actually a formation structured on
information and skills gained by training. The result of this
situation is that, physicians who are especially conscious
about their professional identity and are at peace with
it, feel a deep respect and a strong commitment to their
tutors. Components as stated in the Hippocratic Oath in
the tradition of medicine to hold their tutor as equal to
their parents, give him a share of theirs if he is in need of
money, and to teach his offspring this art, are indicators of
this respect and commitment. Undoubtedly these positive
feelings were more strong in the distant past when training
was given as peer to peer communication and they were
relatively weakened in today's world, which accepts that training belongs to institutions, not people in a general
framework with subjects of the curriculum in medical
schools shared by a large training staff and lecturers facing
students to a limited extent.
In the context of the trainee - tutor relationship between
Hamdi Suat Aknar (1873-1936) (Figure 1) and Hulusi
Behçet (1889-1948) (Figure 2), the approach of Hulusi
Behçet to his tutor is a striking example of voicing such
positive emotions in recent history of Turkish medicine1-7. The professional life of Hulusi Behçet, one of the most
famous names of Turkish medicine in the international
arena, has been intersected for a few periods with Hamdi
Suat who is the founder of the modern pathology in Turkey8-10. Hulusi Behçet was in want of information from
all areas of medicine during his studentship, realized the
importance of the science of pathology and performed intense theoretical and practical studies in this area. His
interest continued in the specialization period as shown by
his insistence on basing his clinical studies on a pathological
basis. Besides his professional scientific interest in the area,
Hulusi Behcet has mentioned his tutor with respect and
gratitude at every opportunity.
Hulusi Behçet has been embedded into the history of
Turkish dermatology by being a successful scientist and
tutor as well as a prolific writer and dedicated publisher.
He has mentioned Hamdi Suat in one of his important texts among his rich bibliography while he has written
one text entirely about him11. In the “Opening Lecture”
of Istanbul University in 1933, Hulusi Behçet strongly
emphasized the contributions of Hamdi Suat Aknar to
Turkish medicine and dermatology at a time he was left
outside the university with a questionable decision related
to reform. This important speech was published several
times in different publishing media8-10. In the sincere
necrology he wrote after the sudden loss of his tutor and
included in the journal published by him, he has gracefully
expressed the deep grief he felt as well as the feelings of love
and respect for his tutor.
The section about Hamdi Suat in the “Opening Lecture”
of Istanbul University in 1933 given by Hulusi Behçet and
the full text entitled “Master Hamdi” published in Archives
of Dermatology and Venerology Clinic are included
below, preserving the language, expression and grammar
of the period8-11. The equivalents of some words and
sequences of words and two historical information notes
have been added into the text in the square brackets in
order to provide easier understanding.
OPENING LECTURE (THE SECTION ABOUT
HAMDI SUAT)
Hamdi Suat has been great of great service to the
introduction of Turkish science in the world and resolving
fine and delicate points of some rare diseases of the skin. I
am proud of hearing, seeing and reading his unprecedented
assistance to the dermatology discipline on behalf of being
a Turk. I have learned the natural and disease-related
changes of the skin by working with him for two years
before becoming a physician and being in contact even after
leaving school. My gratitude is endless.
MASTER HAMDI
Master Hamdi is the person that I had my first lesson in
my discipline during school. How histology, anatomy and
pathology were being studied in our time is known by those
who lived during that period.
We were in the fourth grade even though we did not have
any idea about histology. The revolution had taken place
[military and civilian medical schools were united under
the name of the Faculty of Medicine]. The Faculty was
established and Master Hamdi had undertaken the courses
in pathology and anatomy. Like our friends attending each
discipline, three of us began to attend the pathological
anatomy laboratory. Of course the first stage was to learn
the microscopic formations of the anatomy of a healthy
body.
He regularly thought us anatomy. He showed the skin and
its components and characteristics and successively went on
to disease-related changes. We worked in his laboratory for
two years and we did not lose our contact with each other
after school. Thus, our relationship with Master Hamdi
lasted 27-28 years overall.
During the period he was in the faculty, we visited him,
observed some preparations and talked about disease
factors need to be investigated. Finally he was appointed
to our hospital. Here, our relationship continued in a more
frequent and close manner. I rejoiced when I read his articles
on some rare diseases of skin and cordially congratulated
him. I responded humbly especially when I saw his articles
on skin tumor.
The museum he established in the faculty was indeed a
masterpiece. In fact, all the foreign professors visiting
Istanbul congratulated him on this matter with consensus.
Professor Favre was the latest one to arrive [Maurice Favre
(1876-1954), French physician and dermatologist]. He
was talking with Favre on paradenitis and while he was
explaining what are the mainstays in disease-dependent
anatomical changes, the professor, who discovered the
disease, was appreciating the comments of Master Hamdi.
Master Hamdi was very industrious. His industriousness
was accompanied by humility. He did not like to show-off at
all. He would only express his satisfactions with his peculiar
smiles. He valued his honor. He respected his elders, loved
his employees with appreciation and his love was sincere
and real.
I will not much prolong the text because many colleagues
have mentioned about master Hamdi separately in booklets
and various newspapers. I have suffered a lot and felt grief
because of his death with the title of a student closest to
him. I suffer a great hardship when I see the laboratories
he reestablished in little time at our hospital (Yenibahce),
preparations he has prepared and when I check his
microscopy preparations and I most deeply feel sorry for
his death at an age that he would be most productive. All my
friends and his students are undoubtedly very sorry.
But my grief will continue all my life. After all, Master
Hamdi is the one who reconciled me to my discipline,
showing its subtlety in his microscopy and made me start to
feel enjoyment from the subtlety of my discipline, who gave
me this love during my work alongside him. The foundation of my presence is that holy person. He is
a great master. He is a valuable lecturer. He is a virtuous
entity. What I feel is an intimate material and spiritual pain.
CONCLUDING REMARK
Following on these quotations showing the relationship
between them and before the last review of the text, it
will be appropriate to a make a series of reminders on and
emphasize the professional-scientific identities of “trainee”
and “tutor”.
Clinical studies related to basic medical sciences spread
over a wide range of topics have made Hulusi Behçet an
internationally recognized scientist, and the disease he
has defined and now known by his name has especially
made him a well-known and remembered person today.
Behçet's disease is a clinical table included in the interest
areas of various medical disciplines such as immunology,
rheumatology, ophthalmology and dermatology and is still
not fully understood with no definitive treatment.
Hamdi Suat Aknar, who deserves to be qualified as the
founder of pathology in a scientific sense in Turkey, is also
a scientist who has drawn attention internationally with
his studies. His pioneering work on cancer types and his
efforts to spread awareness of the fight against cancer on
a community scale are especially worth mentioning. His
studies about rare diseases of the skin and skin tumors have
made him a pioneer of dermatopathology in Turkey.
The fact that they are two important names of Turkish
medicine makes the relationship between Hamdi Suat
Aknar and Hulusi Behçet worth examining more closely.
The respect, loyalty, devotion, gratitude paid and received
by scientists who have demonstrated outstanding
achievements in this relationship are an indicator that these
positive emotional feelings are compatible with success
and that self-focus is not a condition for success. From a
different point of view, the writings of Hulusi Behcet about
Hamdi Suat Aknar can also be read as the expression of how
a medical lecturer positively impacts both the professional
success of his student and his student's approach to him by
doing his properly.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank Prof. Dr. İlhan Tuncer for his
encouraging and supporting approach and spiritual
contribution to our work.
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