External Stakeholder Meeting Held for the Elderly Care Program of the Health Care Services Department

At the external stakeholder meeting held on March 3, 2026 at 13:30 by the Elderly Care Program of the Health Care Services Department, the program's curriculum development efforts, graduate competencies, and practical training processes were comprehensively evaluated. The meeting was attended by the Director of the Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Gülay Altun UĞRAŞ, the Assistant Director, PhD Serdar ULAK, the Head of Department, PhD Yasemin SALKIN, as well as department faculty members, institutional representatives, and alumni and student representatives.During the meeting, developments regarding the 3+1 education model proposed by the Higher Education Council for vocational schools and its possible effects on the program curriculum were evaluated together with the stakeholders. While there are uncertainties regarding the transition process to practice in health-related programs, suggestions to increase students' practical experience were discussed. In this context, the advantages and disadvantages of "Summer Internship," "Presidential Career Portal," and "On-the-Job Vocational Training" applications were discussed. As a result of the evaluations, it was agreed that the curriculum should be restructured to allow students to complete three semesters of theoretical training followed by five days of in-person practical training in institutions during the fourth semester, and that a "Clinical Practice" course should be added to the curriculum.

The meeting also evaluated institutional collaborations to ensure the effective use of practical training areas and to provide students with more experience in the field. It was emphasized that the 70-student quota determined by the Council of Higher Education should be distributed evenly across the practical training areas, and it was decided to update existing cooperation protocols and initiate new collaboration discussions with municipalities, nursing homes, and relevant institutions in Mersin. Suggestions for improving course content were also discussed. It was decided to update the relevant content within the "Ethics and Health Communication" course to strengthen students' teamwork skills. Furthermore, it was agreed to add interventions for emergency situations that may be encountered in the field to the content of the Elderly Care Practices course.

The meeting also evaluated the practical training quotas to be provided by stakeholder institutions for the next semester and decided to continue inter-institutional cooperation.

 At the end of the meeting, all stakeholders were invited to the event to be held as part of the March 24th Respect for the Elderly Week. The Head of the Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Gülay Altun UĞRAŞ, thanked all participants for their contributions and concluded the meeting.