Kavak: My two main goals for the next 10 years are to increase the capacity of hospital services and to implement new techniques and technology in mother-child health care. In sum, I am planning to make health care available to all
If professor Zehra Neşe Kavak were asked to give advice to young people thinking about becoming doctors, it would be “Never, never give up!”
“My advice for young people is ‘never, never give up!' on your goals and dreams in life,” Kavak told the Turkish Daily News. “Always, follow your dreams and goals in life and do not hesitate to take risks. Be unique and productive in what you do. So if I were ever to be asked what I regret, my answer would be ‘nothing' because I have lived everything. There is nothing left that I yearn for and I have never hidden from life and struggles. I have chosen to confront my relationships, challenges and fears.
“I witnessed a lot of people abandoning the battlefield very quickly, contrary to their former claims that they loved challenge. But real warriors never desert the battlefield. This fight might make one feel sadder or make one wear out more, but it teaches more. And isn't this life anyway? I believe God loves the fighters too; not the deserters.”
Kavak is an attractive woman who juggles a stunningly successful professional career as a doctor with family life. She is married and has two children. She was named one of this year's top 10 successful women in Turkey. Asked why she thought she deserved that designation, Kavak replied, “I was born the youngest of five children to a conservative family in Istanbul. I grew up in a patriarchal, father-dominated family atmosphere with an affectionate mother.
“I was a very successful student. I was the best in all schools I went to – primary through high school. My high school graduation average in grades is still a record 9.83 out of 10. I had more of a social life at medical school; however, my academic success continued uninterrupted.
“I became a professor at the age of 38 and at this age I learned that success is more often the result of hard work than talent. For three years I have directed the Marmara University Hospital – one of three university hospitals in Istanbul. I almost had the hospital renovated in my time, set up many research labs and even opened an art gallery. Also in my time, the hospital reached standards exceeding even those of private hospitals and announced it had turned a profit for the first time in its history.
“This intensive work did provide me with prestige and fame, and that may be more than I had deserved. I could say that I have been rewarded almost every prestigious ‘community contribution award' in Turkey in the last three years. My life has been published in papers and broadcast on TV several times under the title ‘A Portrait of Success.' So I have been serving my country in many fields: the academic profession, educating residents, medical students, helping patients and participating in different social activities and committees.”
Kavak continued, “What makes me unique is that I have not hesitated to take risks in my career and I have stood up for what I believed was right. In the three years that I served as a head doctor in Marmara University Hospital, there have been disagreements from my colleagues, but I stood up for what I thought was right for the hospital. Recently, a medical student has asked me the same question, and I told her ‘never, never give up!' I believe that people who are persuasive can achieve unique goals and standards.”
Being a doctor in Turkey
There are far fewer female doctors in Turkey than male; yet in Russia it is said the opposite is true. But what will it take to interest more Turkish women in the medical profession? According to Kavak, while there are still more men practicing medicine than women, the number of female doctors in Turkey is steadily and significantly increasing.
Kavak said if you work hard enough you create your own opportunities. It is hard working that leads to success, not intelligence.
Turning to her own career: “There are a multiple of factors which have influenced my choice of profession; however, the most significant may be my desire to serve my country and its people, especially its women. Serving the people has been my calling.
“Being a woman myself, I find it to be especially appealing to care for women as an OBGYN doctor. In addition, as a professor not only am I able to perform obstetrics and gynecology but I also get the chance to lecture young medical students and residents. It is especially gratifying to always be with the young generation.”
What makes this woman capable of accomplishments far more numerous than most men ever achieve? Kavak answered: “I believe that being organized and using your time efficiently is the key. As long you are organized in your job and stay focused, you can find enough time for both your career and your family. Being a medical doctor and especially an OBGYN doctor is especially demanding. There have been times in my life that I had to choose between my career and my family. I am regretful to say that at those times I had to spare more time for my profession. As a medical doctor, patients always take priority.”
Kavak said what motivated her was being able to help people in need and seeing the results of her work – giving them the best health service possible. She suggested the secret was always being optimistic and believing every problem could be solved with positive thinking. Being able to start was almost reaching the end, she added.
“My two main goals for the next 10 years are to increase the capacity of hospital services and to implement new techniques and technology in the mother-child health care. In sum, I am planning to make health care available to all.
“At this time of my life I am happy with where I am, both in terms of my profession and my private life. I have struggled a lot throughout my career to obtain this position. In the future, I hope to spend more time on research and publishing literature and medical books internationally. I am the editor of a medical book that was published in England two months ago. I hope that I can continue such work in the future as well.”
Kavak on perinatal care in Turkey
“Perinatal medicine is an area that is developing rather quickly. Therefore, we must follow the global standards and most importantly work very hard, obtain the best education.
Perinatal and maternal mortality rates are an index of the development of a country. Perinatal care in Turkey has improved tremendously in the last decades. The maternal mortality rate has dropped from 208 per 100,000 in 1974 to 28 per 100,000 in 2005. However, there are major variations throughout the country. In the northeast parts of Anatolia, it is as high as 68 in 100,000, whereas in the western regions of Turkey, it drops to 7.4 out of 100,000. It is comparable to the rate in the United States, which is 8 in 100,000. Also, in rural areas it is 40 in 100,000, whereas in urban regions it is 20.7 in 100,000.
The most cause of maternal death, constituting 20 percent, is bleeding. The second most common reason, at 16 percent, is preeclampsia-related causes. In the third place, at 10 percent, come embolisms. These can be prevented to some extent with better hospitals and more developed intensive care units.
There have been similar improvements in neonatal death rates. The neonatal death rate has dropped from 35 to 1,000 in 1983 to 16 out of 1,000 in 2003. In 2007 there were 22,612 perinatal deaths in Turkey. Around one-third of these deaths were babies with birth weights less than 1.5 kilograms, 17 percent had birth weights under 2.5 kilograms and 19 percent were over 2.5 kilograms. Neonatal death rates can be reduced with better perinatal care. Early antenatal diagnosis during pregnancy is crucial. Thus, pregnant women can be transferred to hospitals with better neonatal care units. Throughout Turkey, there is a shortage of neonatal care units and neonatalogists.
Considering these rates, I think we should improve access to health facilities especially in the northeast parts of Turkey. Throughout the country, there is shortage of the neonatal care facilities. We should increase the number and the quality of neonatal care units.” source
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