Cuma Yıldırım
I was born in Gaziantep in 1969. I completed my primary, secondary and high school education in Gaziantep. In 1987 I entered Ankara University Faculty of Medicine and graduated from the same faculty in 1994.
In 1994 I started as a research assistant at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine. During my residency I worked as a rotating resident at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine.
I became an Emergency Medicine Specialist after passing the specialty examination in 1999. I then started working as a Lecturer at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine.
During this period I served as a founding faculty member of the Erciyes University Paramedic Program and taught courses in this program.
In 2000 I transferred to Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine Emergency Department as a lecturer.
In 2002 I became an Assistant Professor and served as a founding faculty member of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine. At the same time I became Head of the Department.
In 2004 I worked as an observer physician at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Kings County Hospital and Bellevue Hospital Center in New York, United States, to improve my knowledge and skills.
In 2005 I became Deputy Chief Physician of Gaziantep University Şahinbey Research Hospital and held this post until 2008. In the same year I served as founder of the Gaziantep University Paramedic Program.
I became Associate Professor of emergency medicine in 2006 and Professor of emergency medicine in 2011. In 2009 I began teaching courses in English in the English Medicine program opened at the Faculty of Medicine. I still teach emergency medicine courses in the English program of the Faculty of Medicine.
In 2018 I became a founding faculty member of the Department of Clinical Toxicology at the Gaziantep University Institute of Health Sciences and became Head of the Department.
In 2019 I became coordinator of the internship program of the Faculty of Medicine. In November 2021 I also became Chair of the Health Board.
From 2004 I was a member of the Board of Directors of the Emergency Physicians Association of Turkey (ATUDER) and held this post for 10 years. Within the same association I served as Chair of the Board of Competency.
Also in 2004 I became Editor-in-Chief of the Academic Emergency Medicine Journal and served as editor-in-chief for 10 years. During this period I published 45 issues. About 30 of these issues were published in English and were included in international indexes. Also, “the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) application in scientific articles in our country was first initiated by me during this period.”
In 2009 the journal Emergency Medicine Case Reports was launched by me. This journal is a case reports journal that started publication in the country.
Between 2000 and 2010 I was responsible for the Trauma and Resuscitation course in Southeastern Anatolia for 10 years.
In 2011, on behalf of the Emergency Medicine Association, I presented the measures needed to prevent violence in healthcare to the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Commission on the Prevention of Violence in Healthcare. This report was included in the work of the Parliamentary Commission on the Prevention of Violence in Healthcare.
Throughout my academic career I have taken part as coordinator and speaker in many congresses, symposia, courses and panels. I have many publications in emergency medicine, particularly on ‘Emergency department management, Clinical Toxicology and Bedside
Ultrasonography’.
In 2011 I became a founding member of the Gaziantep-based ‘Academic Thought and Research Association’ and served as its president for 7 years.
During this period I organized 1 national symposium (Symposium on Revitalizing Our Educational Life) under the association’s responsibility. I also organized many panels, meetings and conference programs on the social problems of the country and the region.
Since 2014 I have been a member of the Board of Competency and the Toxicology working group under the Emergency Medicine Association of Türkiye (TATD).
In 2011, in a vote by all emergency medicine specialists across the country, I was elected Chair of the Emergency Medicine Specialty Board (TUKMOS) of the Ministry of Health Medical Specialty Board (TUK). I held this post for 5 years. During this time I was instrumental in preparing the first Core Training Program (ÇEP). The same ÇEP is still in use.
I am currently a faculty member at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine. I am Head of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Head of the Division of Clinical Toxicology, coordinator of the Faculty of Medicine internship program and Chair of the Health Board.
I am married with 3 children (2 daughters and 1 son).