Turkey's contribution to medicine: Main institutions, fields and publications

To identify and disclose publications from Turkey with the greatest "genuine" contributons to medicine in the past 50 years.

Based on the data of Web of Science, publications originating from Turkey's institutions that were received by May, 2013, ≥72 citations were identified, after excluding papers having more than a minor share by international authors.

Primary authors numbering 223 generated 271 medical papers, each receiving ≥72 (95% CI 72; 263) citations. The articles cited herein were of a level of top global 8-10% papers. Half of the articles were published in 1997-2004. Compared with about 25-28 papers annually 10 years previously, it is estimated that currently only 20 papers are generated in Turkey annually, representing a global share of only 1.5 per thousand. The rate of rise registered in the period 1995-2004 may be anticipated to attenuate. Internal medicine, led by rheumatology, cardiology and hematology, and neurosciences were represented at 1.8-fold odds higher than the overall average. Led by Behçet's disease, health issues encountered more widely than in other populations, formed frequent topics of contribution. Led by the Medical Faculties of Istanbul, Hacettepe, Ankara Universities and the Military Medical Academy, only 33 medical faculties and 14 public and private hospitals constituted sources.

Since the elicited results are unsatisfactory, compared with Turkey's potential, much more concerted efforts should be directed to rebuild a milieu favorable to promote research likely to contribute to medicine.