A different approach to anatomy education: "Sami Zan, professor of anatomy, MD"

Abstract

Sami ZAN was born in 1921 in İstanbul. After graduating from İstanbul Haydarpaşa High School in 1940, he enrolled, upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Health and Social Aid, in the İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul University. When he had completed his fifth year of education in this Faculty, again by instruction of the Ministry, he was transferred to the then newly-founded Faculty of Medicine at Ankara University. In 1946, he graduated from this Faculty, and after two years, in 1948, he started his first academic career as a research assistant in the Institute of Anatomy, affiliated with the İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, where he became an associate professor in 1955 and a full professor in 1966. He was appointed Chair of the Department of Anatomy of the same Faculty in 1978, and in 1982, he became the Head of the Departments of Morphology and Anatomy. He continued his successful services in this position until his death on the 24th February, 1984 (1). Sami ZAN was one of the prominent professors of İstanbul Faculty of Medicine, who gained legendary fame among physicians and scientists, not only because of his life-long services for and dedication to the Faculty, but also due to his extraordinary method of teaching as an anatomy professor (2).