Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
100th Anniversary of Women's Entry to School of Medicine in Turkey 14 March 2023, (Kadinlarin Tip Fakultesi'ne Girisinin 100. Yili) , Yesim Isil Ulman, Editör, Acibadem University, İstanbul, ss.40-42, 2023
THE SYMBOL OF THE
LEADING FEMALE PHYSICIANS IN TURKEY
DR. SAFIYE ALI
KREKELLER (1894-1952)
Prepared and Translated
by Esra Doğan (Medical Faculty Year IV Student) and Yeşim Işıl Ülman
Talented student at the İstanbul
American College for Girls
Safiye Ali is one of our first
generation pioneer women who are struggling to become a physician in Turkey. She
was preceded by Dr. Zaruhi Kavalciyan (1877-1969) who had göne to USA to study
medicine and returned back to Turkey to practise medicine. Succeeding Dr.
Zaruhi Kavalcıyan, Safiye Ali received a medical degree in Germany, and dedicated
all her life to medicine.
Safiye Ali was born on February
2, 1894 in Istanbul, as one of the four daughters of an educated, wealthy
family. She attended the American College for Girls. She was encouraged by Ms.
Mary Mills Patrick, the Headmistress, and a women's rights activist, to become
a physician. After graduating from the College with honours in 1916, she was
sent to the Julius Maximilians-Universitat Würzburg Medical Faculty with a
state scholarship, since women were not admitted to the Medical School at the
time. After a while, Istanbul American College for Girls would open a School of
Medicine (1919).
Medical Education and Dual
Specialization in Germany
During her studies at the
Würzburg Medical Faculty (1916-1921), Safiye Ali attracted attention as a
hardworking and successful student, volunteered as an assistant, and also took
philosophy and history courses. She graduated with the thesis titled "On
the Pachymeningitis bleeding of the newborns" in 1921, after which she
received specialization training in gynecology and pediatrics at the same
faculty. At that time, she married the ophthalmologist Dr. Ferdinand Krekeller
(1895-1970).
“Milk Drop, means Dr. Safiye Ali”
Coming to Istanbul with her
husband Dr. Krekeler, Dr. Safiye Ali got a license to practice medicine in
Turkey in 1923, opened a practice in Istanbul and started to care for women and
children. With the support of prof. Dr.Besim Ömer Pasha (1861-1940), she worked
actively in Süt Damlası, which was a brand new maternal and child health
institution for that period. Pregnant and postpartum newborn follow-ups are
carried out in these units, which operate like a primary care center; mothers
are given training on child care, breastfeeding, nutrition and development
monitoring; food such as milk, food, rice flour is provided for the needy;
children were vaccinated at that health institution. Newborn and maternal
health follow-ups were carried out with home visits.
Dr. Safiye Ali had published her
experiences in this center in her book The Little Children's Clinic and Milk
Drop (Ahmed İhsan Press, Istanbul, 1925). In a short time, she was
well-known and loved among patients, and her practice began to fill up.
Benevolent Doctor of Mother & Child Health, Advocate of Women's Rights
In those years, when war and
poverty highly broke low-income families and children, she supported the
opening of the Young Children's Clinic (1923) under the Ottoman Red Crescent (Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti) Ladies Center,
and served as a physician to mother and child health with her team. In 1925,
she worked as the founder and member of the Mothers' Union affiliated to the
Istanbul Center of the Himaye-i Himaye-i Etfal Society (Çocuk Esirgeme Cemiyeti).
She took part in the executive
committee of the Turkish Women's Union established in 1924. She worked together
with female intellectuals of the period, such as Halide Edib (Adıvar), Sabiha
Zekeriya (Sertel), Nakiye Hanım and Nezihe Muhiddin to ensure that women get
the right to receive education, work and vote. On the other hand, she gave
lectures on gynecology and pediatrics at the American College of Girls' School
of Medicine. She presented papers made speeches on child health, representing
Turkey and female physicians, at professional congresses in England, Austria
and Italy.
War Stricken
Germany, "Diamond Physician" Working till Her Death
She was odd with the
gender-based discrimination and fierce campaign by male physicians at the time.
After a while, she was diagnosed with cancer and returned to Germany. Together
with her husband Dr. Krekeller, Dr. Safiye Ali continued to practice medicine without
hesitation under the harsh conditions of World War II in Germany at that time. He
died in Dortmund, Germany in 1952 due to his progressively worsening illness.
Hundreds of colleagues, patients, friends and students attended her funeral. By
his speech at the funeral ceremony, his German Clinical Chief colleague bid her
farewell by stating that "she was a diamond physician, ever". A
street has been named after her name in Dortmund Germany, and a medical award
will be given in her name in Germany starting from 2024.
As for the Milk Drop units, which she worked hard
to organize, they increased and continued for a while after her departure.
Sources:
Didem Konya, "Türkiye'nin
İlk Türk Kadın Doktoru: Safiye Ali ve Çalışmaları", Sosyal ve Beşeri
Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi 2018;19: 35-54
İnci Hot, Süt Damlası. Tıp
Tarihi Araştırmaları, 2001;10:195-200.
Name of Turkey's first female doctor in Germany
given to a street in Dortmund, Bianet, 18.08.2023 https://bianet.org/5/27/282897-name-of-turkey-s-first-female-doctor-given-to-a-street-in-germany Access: 8 September 2023.
Nuran Yıldırım, “Tarih Boyunca Kadın Hekimler”,
Doktor, Şubat-Mart 2004;4(19):34-36.
Nuran Yıldırım, “Dünyada ve Türkiye’de İlk Kadın Hekimler
ve Kadınların Hekim Olma Mücadelesi”, Toplumsal Tarih, 2006;147:50-57
Nuran Yıldırım, Safiye Ali, Tarih Vakfı
Yurt Yayınları, İstanbul, 2011
Yeşim Işıl Ülman, “Hekimlik Mesleğinde Kadınlar:
Cam Tavanı Zorlayanlar”, 14 Mart Tıp Bayramı Etkinlikleri, Acıbadem
Üniversitesi, Atakent Hastanesi, 11 Mart 2020.
Yeşim Işıl Ülman, “Osmanlı’dan Cumhuriyet’e Geçiş
Sürecinde Bir Aydının Portresi Dr. Besim Ömer Akalın”, Yeni Tıp Tarihi
Araştırmaları, Editör: Nil Sarı, İstanbul, 2005:1-26