Women in Neurosurgery: Turkey's Yıldız Yalçınlar

Severalreports have been published on the history of pioneering women pursuing neurosurgery. Women in Turkey started receiving neurosurgery specialty training later than men, as was the case in other parts of the world. However, compared to other countries, Turkey saw the admission of women in neurosurgery sooner, with Aysima Altınok who obtained her specialization in 1959. Nevertheless, Yıldız Yalçınlar, one of the pioneers, remains relatively unknown.

In this paper, we witness Yıldız Yalçınlar's journey, from her graduation from Ankara Medical Faculty in 1954 and her subsequent specialization in general surgery to her arrival in Iğdır as a young surgeon in the early 1960s, where she faced cultural challenges. We explored her transition into neurosurgery, becoming the second neurosurgeon in Turkey in 1965. We examine her complex career progression from receiving her specialization in neurosurgery to her academic journey toward becoming a department chief and her role as one of the founding members of the Turkish Neurosurgery Association.

In Turkey, the number of women practicing as neurosurgeons has increased consistently. Despite this upward trend, the representation of women in the field of neurosurgery remains disproportionately low. We hope that Yıldız Yalçınlar's achievements, which began in the early 60s, will encourage women today and contribute to the continuing growth of neurosurgery.