HISTORY

The Department of Public Health at Ondokuz Mayıs University Faculty of Medicine began its activities in 1979 under the founding chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Sevinç Oral, a faculty member of the Department of Public Health at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine. Since then, the department has been chaired by Prof. Dr. Fulya Tanyeri, Prof. Dr. Rengin Erdal, Prof. Dr. Turhan Akbulut, Prof. Dr. Yıldız Pekşen, and Prof. Dr. Cihad Dündar. Since 2021, Prof. Dr. Şennur Dabak has been serving as the head of the department. As of 2025, the department includes five faculty members (Prof. Dr. Cihad Dündar, Prof. Dr. Şennur Dabak, Prof. Dr. A. Tevfik Sünter, Prof. Dr. Özlem Terzi, Assoc. Prof. Dr. H. Nilden Arslan), one secretary, and eleven residency students.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Undergraduate Education

For the Faculty of Medicine:

In years I, II, and III, in addition to theoretical lectures on public health, faculty members also serve as facilitators in Problem-Based Learning (PBL) blocks. For Year VI students, the one-month Public Health internship includes practical training in primary healthcare institutions. The aim is to enable students to recognize health problems in the community, understand preventive medicine principles required to improve community health, and adopt a holistic (bio-psycho-social and cultural) approach in health-related processes.

Other Faculties:

Additionally, courses on "Basic Public Health" are delivered in the Faculty of Pharmacy.

Postgraduate Education

Specialization Training in Medicine (Public Health Residency)

                Between 1979 and 2025, a total of 47 public health specialists have been trained in the department.

The aim of the public health residency program is to provide theoretical and practical training that develops knowledge and skills in areas such as Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Maternal and Child Health, Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases and Outbreak Management, Occupational Health and Safety, Occupational Diseases, Principles of Health Education, Scientific Research Methods, Biostatistics, Health Management, Health Economics, Health Workforce, Chronic Diseases and Prevention, and more.

In addition to the theoretical curriculum completed in the first three years, residency students complete clinical rotation programs in accordance with the “Regulation on Specialty Training in Medicine and Dentistry,” in the Departments of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chest Diseases, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, and Psychiatry. The total duration of these rotations is six months.

During the final two years of training, a six-month field practice is carried out at the Samsun Provincial Health Directorate Public Health Services Presidency, Atakum District Health Directorate, and Atakum Healthy Life Center.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Within the scope of residency theses and routine research activities, the department has produced scientific articles and presentations on the following topics:

 Epidemiological data collection studies on infectious and/or chronic diseases in urban and rural areas of Samsun  Research assessing community knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors on various health topics and identifying educational needs  Community nutrition field studies  Situation analyses and frequency assessments related to Family Planning Services  Studies on protecting and improving infant and child health, including early diagnosis  School health studies  Child and adolescent health research  Research identifying status and risk factors regarding various addiction types—especially smoking—among adolescents and young adults  Nutrition and status assessment studies in the elderly  Occupational health status evaluations and early diagnosis research to improve workplace conditions  Service studies on the status, effectiveness, and characteristics of Environmental Health services  Retrospective research on mortality statistics  Descriptive studies on forensic reports and the distribution and causes of traffic accidents  Research on violence against women and children  Research on violence against healthcare professionals  Studies on Health Management

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

In projects conducted jointly with the Samsun Provincial Health Directorate and Samsun Provincial Directorate of National Education, faculty members of our department take roles as administrators, coordinators, consultants, and researchers. The department also provides consultancy for various committees established by these institutions.

Additionally, our faculty members contribute to numerous public health education activities—both within and outside Samsun—organized by the provincial branches of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Ministry of National Education, and various non-governmental organizations. These activities include symposia, training seminars, radio and television programs, and other educational events focused on preventive medicine and public health.

CONTACT INFORMATION