Update on the development of emergency medicine as a specialty in Turkey

Emergency medical care, both prehospital and hospital-based, is currently provided by general practitioners in over 90% of the emergency departments in Turkey. In the early 1990s, government and university leaders recognized that Turkey needed to improve its emergency medical care system, and they chose to adapt the mature and tested Anglo-American model of emergency medicine (EM). EM was declared to be an independent specialty by the Ministry of Health in 1993. The first paramedic school and the first EM residency programme (36 months in length) were opened at the Dokuz Eylul University in 1993 and 1994, respectively. In 1995, the Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey (EMAT) was established. Today, there are 14 EM residency programmes around the country, and these are trying to design a common curriculum. The connection between departments is improving with annual meetings organized by EMAT. In addition, EMAT is developing international collaboration in the Middle East region. The Turkish government is trying to promote EM specialist physicians and paramedics in the national emergency care system.