Physicians In Turkey Research Articles

Evaluation of Malpractice Fear, Burnout, and Spiritual Well-Being among Physicians in Turkey: A Descriptive Study.

This descriptive study was conducted with 406 physicians to evaluate fear of malpractice, burnout and spiritual well-being among physicians in Turkey. In our study, 81.5%, 11.6% and 6.9% of physicians experienced high, medium and low levels of fear of malpractice, emotional burnout, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment, respectively. However, physicians reported high levels of spiritual well-being and harmony with nature, moderate levels of transcendence and anomie. As spiritual well-being and transcendence increased, emotional burnout and depersonalisation decreased and personal accomplishment increased. In addition, as harmony with nature increased, depersonalisation decreased and personal accomplishment increased, and as anomie increased, emotional burnout and depersonalisation increased.

Determinants of brain drain among physicians in Turkey: Findings from a national exploratory study.

The shortage of physicians in Turkey is a highly critical emergency. In fact, physicians' migration to developing or high-income countries, defined as brain drain, threatens the sustainability of the national healthcare system. This study explored the driving factors associated with Turkish Physicians' brain drain, including high-economic inflation, social-politics, poor-living, equity, violence, and the desire to practice medical activity abroad. A cross-sectional survey of 1,861 Turkish physicians aged 25 to 65 years old was conducted employing the Brain Drain questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS). Significant differences were observed among physicians staying in Turkey versus considering migration to Western countries, regarding their age, gender, marital status, educational level, occupational status, work years, hospital night shifts, income, and cigarette/nargileh smoking habits (all p ⩽ .018). The main reasons for brain drain included transport problems, harassment, low salary, malpractice, bad environment, job insecurity, workload, burnout, treating difficult patients, inadequate postgraduate systems, peer-pressure, health safety concerns, and favoritism in the workplace, as well as stress and depression caused by work overload. In fact, depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, and burnout varied significantly among the different groups of physicians (all p ⩽ .013). Additionally, key predictors of brain drain were better job opportunities, poor hospital management (in Turkey), job-related stress, dealing with difficult patients, research deficiencies, workload, burnout, transportation issues, short consultation time, low salary, and fatigue. Among the general factors contributing to the brain drain in the Turkish Health System, we identified significant issues related to research deficiencies, compulsory working duties, poor quality of postgraduate, inadequate medical-schools, poor hospital management, and shortage of consultants. Physicians' migration is a major global public health concern, leading to substantial risks for healthcare services, especially in Turkey. Many physicians decide to migrate to work in Western countries.

Validation of the Turkish Version of the Professional Fulfillment Index

Introduction: Clinician burnout represents a significant occupational hazard among physicians, with a notably high prevalence among emergency physicians. The Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI) was developed to comprehensively assess various aspects of doctors’ work experiences, including professional fulfillment. In this study we aimed to validate the Turkish version of the PFI (T-PFI), a 16-item instrument designed to measure physicians’ professional fulfillment and burnout. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we validated the T-PFI in two phases. The initial phase involved translating and culturally adapting the original PFI into Turkish. We evaluated the content validity of the translated version using item and scale content validity indices (I-CVI and S-CVI, respectively). The validated T-PFI was then distributed among a broad cohort of emergency physicians via an online survey to further assess its reliability and validity. The assessment tools included Cronbach α, confirmatory factor analysis, and content validity indices. Results: Of 1,434 physicians who were sent the survey, 425 fully completed it (29.6%). There was an almost equal distribution of 215 females and 210 males. Only 9.6% of the participants reported high levels of professional fulfillment, whereas a significant majority (79.1%) were susceptible to burnout. The Cronbach α values for the professional fulfillment and overall burnout scales were 0.87 and 0.90, respectively. The content validity was confirmed by I-CVI values exceeding 0.80 and an S-CVI/average relevance of 0.92. The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated an acceptable model fit after adjustments. Conclusion: The T-PFI is a reliable and valid tool for assessing professional fulfillment and burnout among emergency physicians in Turkey. Effective interventions to mitigate burnout are essential to improve physician well-being in Turkish healthcare settings.

Scientific Productivity of Pain Physicians in Turkey: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Citation and H-Index Statistics

Scientific Productivity of Pain Physicians in Turkey: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Citation and H-Index Statistics

Assessing the Awareness of EVTM Practices Among Emergency Medicine Physicians in Turkey

Background: Trauma is the leading cause of death in those aged 1–44 years; nearly half of these fatalities are due to bleeding. As resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) and other endovascular resuscitation and trauma management (EVTM) methods became known in Turkey, they started to arouse interest. The main objective of this study is to reveal the impressions of emergency medicine (EM) doctors about EVTM and REBOA application possibilities, and the secondary objective is to determine the issues that are limiting their spread. Methods: We conducted a 22-question cross-sectional survey via e-mail between 1 January and 1 April 2020. The questions were formulated to be closed-ended, semi-closed-ended, and open-ended. The evaluation questions utilized 3- and 5-point Likert scales and Yes/No questions. EM specialists, residents, consultants, and physicians working as emergency department (ED) directors in Turkey were included. EM specialists working in units other than EDs and specialists from other branches were excluded. Results: Among the 512 people contacted for this study, 132 agreed to participate. The numbers of participants that were aware of REBOA and EVTM were 114 and 99, respectively. Participants thought that femoral vascular access, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and REBOA were more applicable in EDs (median 4, 4, and 4.5, respectively; interquartile range 1–5). Participants considered lack of knowledge and skills and lack of equipment as barriers to REBOA (median 5 and 5, respectively). Conclusions: To disseminate EVTM practices in Turkey, projects should be conducted primarily to address lack of knowledge, skills, and equipment.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Its Effects on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Assistant Physicians in Turkey - Survey Study

COVID-19 Pandemic: Its Effects on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Assistant Physicians in Turkey - Survey Study

Birinci Basamak Hekimlerde Porfriya Hastalık Farkındalığı Düzeyinin Araştırılması

This study aimed to assess awareness of Porphyria Disease among primary care physicians and investigate its diagnosis and management. This study is a cross-sectional online survey conducted with the participation of 390 primary care physicians in Turkey. Participants were recruited through online platforms, including WhatsApp and email groups. Participants who provided consent were administered an online electronic survey created using Google Forms. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0. Ethical approval was granted by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee.
 With an average of 14.13±9.56 years of medical experience, participants included 47.4% family medicine specialists, 38.5% family physicians, and 14.4% emergency medicine specialists. Only 10.5% of the total physicians reported evaluating patients with suspected Porphyria. Severe abdominal pain was the predominant symptom, cited by 78% of participants, while just 5.4% had previously been diagnosed with Porphyria. Notably, family medicine specialists exhibited a significantly higher inclination for both preliminary (p

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Medicine Clinical Practices During the Second Wave

Background/Aims: It is seen that there are various changes brought by the process within the legislation and in various practices in primary health care services in extraordinary health situations such as pandemics. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on some clinical practices of family physicians in Turkey.
 Methods: The descriptive study was applied to family physicians working actively in family health centers between February 15, 2021 and April 1, 2021. Family physicians working actively in family health centers formed the universe. Physicians were asked through online-survey questions regarding specific follow-ups and changes they made in some clinical practices, the changes in the number of applications, and the arrangements they made in this regard.
 Results: 912 people participated in the study. 59.9% were male, 60.2% had been practicing family medicine for more than 10 years. 63.9% had PCR test and 26.8% had antibody test. 16.1% were diagnosed with COVID-19. 84% of them went to Family Health Center (FHC) every day during the pandemic. While 48.2% of them were doing triage, 53.6% of the participants stated that the number of applications decreased. 65.2% of them did their pregnant-baby-child follow-ups during the COVID-19 pandemic as before the pandemic, 24.7% carried out by appointment. 54.3% made a change in the FHC layout and terms. 50.2% stated that they did not follow up on chronic diseases during the COVID-19 period, 59.2% stated that there was a decrease in the number. 66.7% of them made their childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic as before the pandemic, 24.7% carried out by appointment, and the number of applications for 73.6% did not change. 63.6% of them made adult vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic as before the pandemic, the number of applications increased by 58.2%, and 73% were encouraging individuals. The number of those who came for general health status reports (driver's license, mental ability, job security, etc.) did not change by 53%, but increased by 23.6%.
 Conclusion: The pandemic period has caused serious changes in family medicine clinical practices; family physicians have made various arrangements to carry out their current work in this period and have made an effort to convey this situation to the public.

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Physicians in Turkey Towards Informed Consent

Background: The study aimed to figure out whether, how, and why the COVID-19 pandemic has changed physicians’ attitudes toward informed consent in Turkey. Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to physicians through the snowball sampling method and 528 physicians treating COVID-19 patients turned in the questionnaire. Findings: Most of the physicians (n= 317) indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced their attitudes on informed consent, while 39.96% of them (n= 211) stated that the pandemic did not change their behaviors on informing patients and/or families. An overwhelming majority of the physicians (n= 259) emphasized the impact of the higher mortality rate of the disease, the lack of standard treatment for the disease, and the higher demand from patients and families for information on providing patients and/or families with more information. On the other hand, 18.30% (n= 58) of the physicians admitted that the pandemic has caused them to disclose less information because of the lack of time to provide information, the need for urgent treatment, and the lack of information regarding the risks, benefits, and outcomes of applied treatments. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic affected the majority of the physicians attitudes and behaviors toward informed consent.

Evaluation of Long-Term Adverse Effects after the Covid-19 Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional and an Online Survey Study Based on Physicians in Turkey

Evaluation of Long-Term Adverse Effects after the Covid-19 Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional and an Online Survey Study Based on Physicians in Turkey

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of family physicians about childhood vaccinations that are not in the routine vaccination schedule: a cross-sectional study.

In our country, there are childhood vaccinations that are not included in the routine vaccination schedule and that families have to buy and have for a fee. In addition to income level, family physicians' recommendations also play a major role in getting these vaccines.Our study was planned to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of family physicians about rotavirus, HPV and meningococcal vaccines, which are not included in the routine vaccination scheme of the Ministry of Health. Our cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out between May and July 2019. The population of our study consists of approximately 30000 family physicians working as Family Physicians in Turkey. When the sample size is calculated with 5% margin of error and 95% confidence interval, it turns out to be 381. A 15-question questionnaire prepared by scanning the literature and including socio-demographic characteristics was presented to the participants. The Likert scale, which includes 12 questions about rotavirus, meningococcus, HPV and vaccines developed for these microorganisms, was administered to physicians either face-to-face or via the internet. In our study, the statistical significance level was accepted as P < 0.05, and the SPSS statistical package program was used in the calculations. 81 Research Assistants, 62 Family Medicine Specialists and 234 Family Physicians participated in our study, and the participants were determined by simple random sampling method. The mean age of the participating physicians was 37.96 ± 9.3 (min: 25 and max: 68). 50.9% of the physicians were women, 79.8% were married, 85.1% were in the city center, and 62.1% were practicing family medicine as general practitioners. 74.82% of the participating physicians recommend rotavirus and 56.2% HPV vaccines to their patients. 10.6% (40 people) of the physicians participating in our study did not recommend any of the rotavirus, HPV, meningococcal, influenza and adult pertussis vaccines to their patients. In the evaluation of the reason for this, 58.7% (27 people) of physicians who did not recommend special vaccines state that they did not recommend vaccines because they are not included in the routine vaccination schedule of the Ministry of Health. Another important reason was that the vaccines are paid (30.4%, 14 people). To the question of having sufficient information about special vaccines that are not included in the routine vaccination schedule, 26% of the participants stated that they have sufficient knowledge, and 56.5% stated that they have partial knowledge. The Likert knowledge questions total score of those who recommended at least one vaccine to their patients was significantly higher than those who did not recommend it at all. Likert knowledge questions total score of those who had at least one vaccination was significantly higher than those who never had it (P = 0.001). In general, as the level of knowledge about private vaccines decreases, the rates of self-vaccination, recommending it to their patients, and asking it to be included in the national vaccine schedule decrease. For this reason, increasing the knowledge of physicians about vaccines not included in the national vaccination schedule will contribute to the dissemination of vaccines, thus increasing immunity and reducing mortality and morbidity.

Technical Efficiency of Physicians on a Provincial Basis in Turkey: An Application in Ministry of Health Hospitals

This study aims to analyze the technical efficiency of the physicians working in the hospitals of the Turkish Ministry of Health of Turkey on a provincial basis. The other aim is to determine the idle inputs and under-produced outputs of the inefficient provinces. CCR and BCC models of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique were used as a method to determine the technical efficiency level of physicians. The Super-efficiency model was also used to rank the efficiency of the efficient provinces. The total number of surgical specialists, the total number of internal medicine specialists, and the total number of general practitioners were used as input variables, the total weighted number of surgeries, the total number of hospital admissions, and the total number of inpatients as output variables in this study. As a result of the analysis, 19 (23.5%) provinces were technically efficient according to the CCR model, while 28 (34.6%) provinces achieved to be technically efficient in the BCC model. The efficiency average of 81 provinces was calculated as 0.8647 in the CCR model and 0.9149 in the BCC model. As a consequence of the super-efficiency ranking of the 19 provinces that are efficient in the input-oriented CCR model, the three provinces with the highest efficiency scores were Istanbul, Ankara, and Kırıkkale, respectively. The super-efficiency score of the Istanbul Province was higher than the others, having a value above 1.7. It is a known fact that the number of physicians in Turkey is quite insufficient compared to developed countries. Therefore, instead of reducing the number of healthcare personnel in inefficient provinces, the number of healthcare personnel in efficient provinces should be increased.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Turkish Physicians towards Human Monkeypox Disease and Related Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In May 2022, the monkeypox virus outbreak in multiple countries on various continents marked a potential resurgence of the disease as a global health issue. Considering the crucial role of physicians in mitigating the monkeypox outbreak, we sought to evaluate physicians’ knowledge, attitude, concerns, and vaccine acceptance for monkeypox, in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A large-scale, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 283 physicians between 20 August−2 September 2022, in Turkey. The participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, concerns, and vaccine acceptance toward monkeypox infection were collected via a questionnaire. Results: Our study revealed that 32.5% of physicians achieved a good level of knowledge; similarly, 31.4% of the physicians planned to have the monkeypox vaccine. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that female physicians (p = 0.031) and older people (≥30 vs. <30) were more likely to be knowledgeable about monkeypox (p = 0.007). We found that participants from divisions of internal medicine (p = 0.033) who knew about the monkeypox disease during medical school or residency (p = 0.005) and were previously exposed to COVID-19 disease (p = 0.005) were more likely to have a good knowledge score of monkeypox. We also found that physicians with a good knowledge score were more worried about monkeypox compared to COVID-19 (AOR: 2.22; 95% CI:1.13−4.33; p = 0.019). Additionally, those who had information on monkeypox during medical education (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.10−4.21; p = 0.024) were more likely to receive the smallpox vaccine to prevent monkeypox viral infection when available. Conclusions: The present study pointed out that physicians in Turkey have unsatisfactory levels of knowledge about the emerging monkeypox. This study results can impede attempts to detect and manage cases of monkeypox and should be addressed through appropriate and timely awareness and educational programs, alerts, and seminars. These might serve as the basis for policymakers’ decisions about promoting national monkeypox vaccination strategies and addressing potential vaccine hesitancy and misinformation when needed.

Development of the Inclination Toward Conscientious Objection Scale for Physicians.

This study aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to assess whether a physician is inclined to take conscientious objection when asked to perform medical services that clash with his/her personal beliefs. The scale, named the Inclination toward Conscientious Objection Scale, was developed for physicians in Turkey. Face validity, content validity, criterion-related validity, and construct validity of the scale were evaluated in the development process. While measuring criterion-related validity, Student's t-test was used to identify the groups that did and did not show inclination toward conscientious objection. There were 126 items in the initial item pool, which reduced to 42 after content validity evaluation by five experts. After necessary adjustments, the scale was administered to 224 participants. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to investigate factor structure. The split-half method was employed to assess scale reliability, and the Spearman-Brown coefficient was calculated. Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was used to estimate the internal consistency of the scale items. The distinctiveness of the items was evaluated using Student's t-test. The lower and upper 27% groups were compared to assess the distinctiveness of the scale. The items were loaded on four factors that explained 85.46% of the variance: "Conscientious Objection - Medical Profession Relationship," "Conscientious Objection in Medical Education and Medical Practice," "Conscientious Objection with regard to the Concept of Rights" and "Conscientious Objection - Physician's Professional Identity and Role." The final scale has 40 items, and was found to be valid and reliable with high internal consistency.

Evaluation of Telemedicine awareness, knowledge, attitude, skill levels of physicians and students

Abstract Background The increase in the use of information and communication technologies around the world brings about developments and changes in the provision of health services. It is accepted that telemedicine applications will facilitate health services for patients and health personnel. This study aimed to evaluate the telemedicine awareness, knowledge, attitude and skill levels of physicians and medical school students. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between July and August 2021. A questionnaire form was prepared using the relevant literature then filled online by the participants. Telemedicine Awareness, Knowledge, Attitudes and Skills Questionnaire was used in the research. The universe of the research consisted of medical faculty students and physicians across Turkey. In the study, 933 people were reached by using the purposeful snowball sampling method, one of the non-probability sampling methods. Mann Whitney-U test, Kruskal Wallis test, Spearman correlation analysis and Multiple Linear Regression analysis were used. Results Of the participants, 442 (47.4%) were female, 497 (53.3%) were medical students, and 436 (46.7%) were physicians. Their ages ranged from 18 to 59, with a mean of 28.0±8.8 years. The median (min-max) scores obtained from the Telemedicine Awareness (TA) sub-section were 18(0-24), 51.3% of them had scores above the median score. TA sub-section had a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.559, p &amp;lt; 0.001) with knowledge sub-section and a weak positive correlation (r = 0.208, p &amp;lt; 0.001) with skill level sub-section. TA scores were higher among men, physicians and those who want to participate in a telemedicine training program. TA increased as the level of computer and internet knowledge increased (F = 29.171, R2=0.197, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusions It can be said that TA is at a moderate level among medical students and physicians in Turkey. TA increased as the level of computer and internet knowledge, telemedicine knowledge and skills increased. Key messages

How has the COVID-19 Pandemic revised the daily practices of Orthopedics and Traumatology physicians in Turkey?

Aim&#x0D; The rapid spread of COVID-19 infection around the world has integrated some precautions and restrictions. In this new period, disruptions and re-prioritizations were experienced in medical practices. The aim of this study is to reveal the changes in the outpatient clinics and surgical services in the practice of Orthopedics and Traumatology in Turkey from the perspective of both residents and specialist physicians with a survey study. &#x0D; Materials and Methods&#x0D; In order to evaluate the changes, a survey was prepared which had consisted 42 and 45 questions for residents and specialist working in Turkey, respectively. The survey was published online between December 6, 2020 and January 31, 2021. Data analysis were performed by dividing into 4 subgroups: 1) Demographic information, 2) Changes in internal tasking and working conditions, 3) Variety of services provided and changes in patient applications, 4) Changes in the health care delivery process.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; From all over Turkey 62 residents and 230 specialists participated in the survey. 80.4% (185) of the specialists participating in the study and 96.8% (60) of the residents were working in the pandemic hospital. During the pandemic, it was determined that the working hours of physicians were reduced by almost half, and also there was a decrease in the variety and quantity of elective cases. Furthermore, it was observed that the number of applications to emergency services and outpatients clinics decreased during this period. In addition to increased neglected trauma cases, increment of treatment rejection rates are among the observed results.&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; During the pandemic period, it is observed that there are significant disruptions in orthopedics and traumatology health care delivery and training processes. In the light of experiences, it is crucial to prepare health service action plans for other possible pandemic situations or new waves of COVID-19 due to mutations.

The prevalence of mental distress changes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a study on physicians in Turkey

Background The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic may adversely affect the physicians’ mental health differently.Aims This study aimed to investigate the degree of changes in mental distress in physicians through two cross-sectional studies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore factors associated with the change of mental distress status of participants between two-time periods.Methods This cross-sectional, web-based survey collected demographic data and mental health measurements with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire from 416 and 522 physicians before and during COVID-19, respectively. Mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with the change of mental distress status.Results During the outbreak, a total of 319 of the 522 participants reported a clinically significant level of mental distress compared with 123 of 416 participants before COVID-19. Higher levels of mental distress were observed in all socio-demographic groups during COVID-19 compared with before, with more than two-fold higher prevalence of mental health deterioration in general.ConclusionsThis study suggests a significant deterioration in mental health status after the occurrence of COVID-19 compared with before. The mental health of physicians working in all medical specialty groups, especially those in internal and surgical specialties, may require special attention.

Awareness Concerning Primary Immunodeficiencies Among Physicians in Turkey

Awareness Concerning Primary Immunodeficiencies Among Physicians in Turkey

Factors Influencing Brain Drain Among Resident Physicians in Turkey

Background: Brain drain affects health systems rather negatively. Difficulties in the education and working conditions of resident physicians may lead to brain drain. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the brain drain and its causes in resident physicians and to examine its likely relationship with job satisfaction. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Method: A total of 161 resident physicians working in university and state hospitals in Ankara city center were included in the study. The research data were collected using the questionnaire about the views of resident physicians' on brain drain and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale. Results: More than half of the resident physicians participating in the study desired to attend to medical specialty programs abroad (83/161, 51.6%) and to work abroad (89/161, 55.3%). Germany, United States of America, England and Canada were the countries that the participants desired to visit for education and employment opportunities the most. The desire to work abroad was higher in residents, who are female, young, have children and have a lower socioeconomic level. While one of the main reasons for attending a medical specialty program abroad is the thought that the education conditions abroad are better, the main reason for the desire to work abroad is the better working and living conditions. Conclusion: More than half of resident physicians in Turkey, want to attend a medical specialty program abroad and work abroad for better education, employment, and living conditions.

Problems in Postmortem Pathology Training.

In Turkey, autopsy performers, namely forensic medicine practitioners, are neither pathologists nor have properly received pathology training during residency in contrast to the Anglo-Saxon model of forensic medicine practices, since the current curriculum of forensic medicine residency lacks adequate training in post-mortem histopathology. Likewise, pathologists lack a specific post-mortem pathology clerkship. In this study, we intended to determine whether forensic physicians in Turkey find themselves competent in post-mortem histopathology or were adequately trained during their residencies. Turkish forensic medicine practitioners were administered an online questionnaire whereby self-evaluations of their histopathology knowledge and their views on histopathology training during forensic medicine residency were assessed. The 151 physicians who completed the questionnaire made up the study group. It was found out that the majority of Turkish forensic medicine practitioners (85.4%) did not find the histopathology training during their residency adequate. Similarly, 85.4% of the participants indicated their incompetence in histopathological examination of post-mortem tissue of any kind, and showed their willingness for further training in pathology. 66.9% strongly agreed that post-mortem histopathology requires training that is distinct from surgical pathology. In case of providing post-mortem histopathology training within the scope of forensic medicine residency, topics such as microscopic morphology of post-mortem changes, histological changes related to injuries, and estimation of wound age are expected to be beneficial to 88.7% 83.4%, and 83.4% of the participants respectively. The current curriculum should be revised in a way that the surgical pathology clerkship meets forensic physicians' needs, so that they can then refer more difficult, non-routine histopathological consultations to pathologists who are also well-trained in postmortem histopathology. Consideration should also be given to establishing a subspecialty training - a master's or doctoral degree programs in forensic pathology.