Sleep Biol. Rhythms (2016) 14 (Suppl 1):S45–S46 DOI 10.1007/s41105-015-0012-z
REVIEW ARTICLE
Sleep medicine education in Turkey Murat Aksu1,2 • Selda Korkmaz1,3
Accepted: 17 September 2015 / Published online: 9 December 2015 Ó Japanese Society of Sleep Research 2015
Abstract In Turkey, the onset of sleep studies has extended over by 1960s. At that time, some Turkish scientists joined to the different sleep researches, which were conducted in Europe. In fact, the acceptance of the more scientists by Ismet Karacan who was the director of a sleep unit in USA has been important stage for Turkish sleep medicine. In this sleep center, many researchers came from different subspecialties such as neurologist, pulmonologist, and psychiatrist got training on different aspect of sleep and were in a part of scientific sleep investigations. After that education period, most of them returned to Turkey and founded the sleep unit in their institutions. In addition, they supported the scientists who were interested in sleep medicine in different places of Turkey. After the formation of awareness about sleep medicine and the elevation of the number of sleep centers, Turkish Sleep Medicine Society (TSMS) was established in 1997. This society is responsible for all sleep certification program for both medical doctors and sleep technicians. A large number of universities include 2-year electro-neurophysiology programs for technicians. After this education, if technicians want to have a specialty about sleep, they should apply to TSMS to get a certificate for sleep specialty.
& Murat Aksu
[email protected] Selda Korkmaz
[email protected] 1
Acibadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
2
Acibadem University Medical Faculty, Atakent Hospital Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
3
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Keywords
Sleep Education Turkey
The one of initial books related to sleep is The Philosophy of Sleep in 1834 published by Robert MacNish. In this book, sleep was described as a period between the wake and the death and believed that it was a passive procedure. However, in the advancing years, it was established that sleep is a special and active period, not a passive event. Several cornerstones such as exploration of EEG and REM sleep by 1930s and 1950s, respectively, made a big contribution to development of sleep medicine in the world. In Turkey, the onset of sleep studies has extended over by 1960s. At that time, some Turkish scientists joined to the different sleep researches, which were conducted in Europe. In fact, the acceptance of the more scientists by Ismet Karacan who was one of the milestones in the sleep medicine and the director of a sleep unit in USA has been important stage for Turkish sleep medicine. In his sleep center, many researchers came from different subspecialties such as neurology, pulmonology, and psychiatry got training on different aspect of sleep and were in a part of scientific sleep investigations. After the education period, most of them returned to Turkey and founded the sleep units in their own institutions. They also supported to scientists who were interested in sleep medicine in different places of Turkey. After the formation of awareness about sleep medicine and the elevation of the number of sleep centers, Turkish Sleep Medicine Society (TSMS) was established in 1997. It was a small society at the beginning and in fact only involved in Istanbul and Ankara. In that period, many institutions interested in sleep medicine field have been started. Thereafter the number of members of TSMS extremely increased. In 1998 the society created the first
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certification course and the first certification examination. In fact, that course and examination was ment to establish the godfathers of sleep medicine in Turkey. Turkish Sleep Medicine Society has strong relationship with European Sleep Research Society (ESSR). After 2000, ESRS started to create the standards of sleep medicine education in Europe. TSRS has effort to create and follow those standards. According to those standards, TSRS has established the sleep education program in Turkey in 2009. Unfortunately, sleep medicine is not a speciality or subspecialty in Turkey. In fact TSRS showed efforts in Ministry of Health to describe the sleep medicine as a medical speciality or subspecialty. However, Ministry of Health has not accepted that yet. So far sleep medicine is a medical certification program. Any medical doctor who wants to practice the sleep medicine in Turkey, has to complete that certification program. There are three steps of sleep medicine certification program: The first step is a course which is organized by the TSMS. That course takes 5 days and authors in sleep medicine field give the brief knowledge in basic sleep and sleep medicine. The second step is the theoretical and practical education in special sleep medicine centers. Those centers are credentialed as ‘Center of Excellence’ by the TSMS and have the right to give the sleep medicine education. There are fourteen centers in all over Turkey. The education program in those centers lasts at least 6 months and the composition of that program is described by TSMS. During this program, certain number of PSG montage and recording as well as seeing sleep patient in outpatient clinic is requested from applicant. Finally, the third step of certification program is board examination which is held two times a year by TSMS. The certificate of sleep medicine is validated for 5 years. If the person completes some activities such as attending the national sleep medicine meetings, publish manuscript
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in sleep medicine area, should not take the board examination again. Otherwise, s/he has to pass the examination to continue to practice. In that point, s/he does not have to complete the first two steps of certification program. Turkish Sleep Medicine Society is responsible for sleep certification program for both medical doctors and sleep technicians. A large number of universities occupational schools have four semesters electro-neurophysiology programs. The graduates of this program, have the right to work as EEG technologist, EMG technologist and sleep technologist. If those technologists want to work in sleep laboratories, they should apply to TSMS to get a certificate for sleep technology. Turkish Sleep Medicine Society is also responsible for the accreditation of sleep medicine centers. There are two steps of accreditation process: The first step is composed of paper work. The center describes itself, i.e. the physical conditions, stuff, management, patient outpatient clinic and capabilities. If the center is thought to be appropriate for the accreditation, three members of accreditation committee of TSMS plans a site visit to the center. Accreditation of sleep center is for 5 years. The procedure has to be repeated in each 5 years. Turkish Sleep Medicine Society regulates the sleep medicine edition in Turkey. On the other hand, there is not any subspecialty program on sleep medicine or PhD for medical doctors in institutions. Currently, scientific and clinical sleep medicine is conducted by mainly two different division of medicine including pulmonology and neurology (in some institution, psychiatry and ear-nosethroat). Consequently, sleep medicine has made an important progression from past to present in both scientific and clinical and it will be better in time. However, not to be any speciality or subspecialty program for medical doctors is one of the biggest problems in Turkish sleep medicine education.