At Acıbadem University School of Medicine, student engagement is not limited to simply providing feedback; it is a culture of "co-creation" placed at the very heart of educational governance, quality assurance, and institutional development. We view our students not as passive recipients of education, but as equal stakeholders and active partners in the planning, implementation, and enhancement of our educational programme.
Through the Medical Education Student Committee (TEÖK) and our comprehensive student representation network, our students directly shape the future of our school across governance, curriculum development, peer support, scientific research, and community engagement. This page outlines how our students' voices are integrated into decision-making processes and how their ideas are translated into tangible innovations.
Our student engagement model is built on the principles of continuity in representation, translating feedback into action, and empowering student leadership. The Medical Education Student Committee (TEÖK), established in 2016 with the approval of the University Senate, serves as the institutional heart of this vision. TEÖK elevates student engagement beyond temporary initiatives, preserving institutional memory and creating a permanent, systematic platform for collaboration between students and educational leadership. Through this model, student partnership has become a living, continuously evolving part of our school's educational culture.
Governance and Decision-Making
Student representation at our school is functional and executive, never symbolic. Our multi-layered structure begins with elected Class Representatives for each academic year and Clerkship Representatives during clinical rotations. However, engagement extends much further; TEÖK representatives hold active memberships and voting rights in our most critical decision-making bodies, including the Education Curriculum Committee, Program Evaluation Committee, Assessment & Evaluation Committee, Continuous Development & Monitoring Committee, and the Faculty Board.
Our students also sit at the table during formal accreditation processes, self-evaluation drafting, and the creation of the school's 5-year Strategic Plan, working alongside management to co-author the long-term goals of our medical school.
Programme Evaluation and Feedback
The quality of our educational programme is continuously assured through both quantitative and qualitative student evaluations. At the end of every integrated course and clerkship, all students assess the educational system quantitatively via standardized digital surveys.
Complementing this, TEÖK operates a "Qualitative Feedback System" designed entirely by students. Specially selected student cohorts gather lived experiences from their peers, analyze the input, and present structured reports to the Dean's Office. These reports are reviewed in joint meetings between educational directors and students, immediately translating into "binding improvement plans" for the following academic cycle. Thanks to this closed-loop system, the tangible impact of student feedback on the curriculum is transparently monitored year after year.
Peer Support Systems
Solidarity and knowledge-sharing are cornerstones of our medical culture. To accelerate the academic and social integration of incoming students and those transitioning to clinical years, our school runs a highly structured Peer Mentorship Program. Volunteer senior students guide their junior peers, creating a strong support network that is formally certified by our university.
For more details on the mentorship process, the matching system, and its role in our education, please click.
Research and Academic Community
Student engagement in the scientific research ecosystem is supported through both mandatory curricular and extracurricular programs. Through the "Research in Health" modules in our educational program, every student is required to conduct their own scientific research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor before graduation.
In the extracurricular academic ecosystem, the Student Research Groups program is run by the Acıbadem University Scientific Research Society (ACUTBAT). Students form their own research groups and advance their studies with the support of faculty members. For detailed information on the core research opportunities within our educational program and ongoing projects, please click.
With the full support of the Dean's Office and our faculty members, academic meetings organized entirely "by students, for students" are a source of pride for our school:
- ALIS Student Congress: An international scientific congress that focuses on a specific scientific theme, hosting expert panelists and featuring student research presentations.
- SITS (Simulation and Advanced Technology Symposium): Centered on peer-assisted learning, this symposium features simulation-based education workshops delivered directly by student educators.
- ACUHIT Hackathon: An ideation and software marathon focused on health technologies that encourages students toward innovation and entrepreneurship.
You can access detailed information about these events on our page.
To ensure our students have equitable access to the global academic community, the publication fees for their scientific research in prestigious journals and their national/international congress attendance expenses are directly funded by our Dean's Office.
Community Engagement and Social Responsibility
Serving society is an inseparable part of good medical practice. With this vision, we elevated community engagement from an optional club activity to a mandatory "Social Responsibility Projects" course for all students. Every student collaborates with non-governmental organizations and local governments to develop projects that address real, on-the-ground healthcare needs.
Through the SEAB Protocol established with local health authorities, our students gain the opportunity to receive medical education directly within the community at primary care health centers. All of these extracurricular leadership, volunteerism, and social responsibility efforts of our students are institutionally validated and recorded on the official Social Transcript (ACU IMPACT), which is awarded alongside their diplomas upon graduation.