Asst. Prof. MD. Didem Yesilirmak

I brought my 4-year-old son in with what I thought was just a stubborn fever. Dr. Yesilirmak didn't just glance at him, she spent 20 minutes playing with him while asking me questions, making him comfortable. She noticed subtle skin changes I'd missed and diagnosed Kawasaki disease. Her calm explanation while drawing pictures for my son about 'heart superheroes' kept us from panicking. The coordinated transfer to pediatric cardiology was seamless. She called us daily during his hospital stay. We caught it early because of her extraordinary attention.

As a 78-year-old with diabetes, hypertension, and now unexplained weight loss, I'd seen three doctors who gave me conflicting advice. Dr. Yesilirmak spent our entire 45-minute consultation mapping my medications on a timeline, identifying dangerous interactions others missed. She didn't just adjust prescriptions; she created a color-coded schedule my granddaughter could help me follow. Her 'geriatric detective work' found an early pancreatic issue through tests others dismissed as unnecessary. She treats me like a whole person, not a collection of diseases.

I walked into the emergency department with what felt like severe indigestion. Dr. Yesilirmak was the internal medicine consultant who saw me. While others focused on my stomach, she asked about my recent hiking trip and noticed a faint rash. Against initial skepticism, she ordered specific tests for tick-borne illness. It turned out to be anaplasmosis affecting multiple organs. Her insistence saved me from escalating organ failure. She visited me twice daily, explaining each lab result like a puzzle piece. Most doctors would have sent me home with antacids.

What started as a routine physical for my work visa turned into a life-saving intervention. Dr. Yesilirmak found subtle neurological signs during my reflex check, slight asymmetry others would ignore. She ordered an MRI 'just to be thorough' and discovered an asymptomatic brain aneurysm. Her referral to a neurosurgeon was accompanied by handwritten notes about my case. She even coordinated with the surgeon to develop a monitoring plan when surgery wasn't immediately indicated. A routine checkup became a carefully managed, potentially life-saving pathway because she looks beyond the obvious.