Assoc. Prof. M.D. Gül Dabak

As a 72-year-old with chronic COPD, I'd seen many pulmonologists, but Dr. Dabak was different. During my routine checkup at Acibadem Atakent, she didn't just adjust my inhalers—she noticed my subtle weight loss and persistent fatigue that others had dismissed. She ordered specific tests that revealed an early-stage lung complication unrelated to my COPD. Her proactive approach, taking a full hour to explain the new treatment plan in Turkish with hand-drawn diagrams, gave me confidence. She even coordinated with the nutritionist downstairs. It wasn't just lung care; it was whole-person medicine.

Our 8-year-old son developed a mysterious cough that lingered for months after a cold. Pediatricians called it 'post-viral.' Dr. Gül Dabak at Acibadem Atakent approached it like a detective. She had him blow into a peak flow meter decorated with cartoon animals and listened to his lungs while he played a game on her tablet. She diagnosed exercise-induced bronchoconstriction masked by his active lifestyle. Her gentle manner—she knelt to his eye level—made him comfortable. The personalized asthma action plan she created with colorful stickers has kept him symptom-free for soccer season. She treats children like small adults, with complete respect.

I arrived at the emergency department at 3 AM with sudden pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath. Dr. Dabak was the on-call pulmonologist. While others might have jumped to common conclusions, she performed a meticulous ultrasound at my bedside, ruling out pulmonary embolism but identifying a rare diaphragmatic irritation from a recent gym injury. Her calm demeanor during the crisis—speaking softly, explaining each step—turned panic into trust. She followed up personally the next morning, not through a resident. In an emergency, her clinical precision and human touch were extraordinary.

Following a complex lung biopsy surgery for a suspicious nodule, my follow-up visits with Dr. Dabak were masterclasses in compassionate communication. She didn't just read the pathology report (benign, thankfully); she created a 'lung health timeline' mapping my recovery, future monitoring, and lifestyle adjustments. When I expressed anxiety about recurrence, she shared recent research articles in layman's terms and taught me breathing exercises to manage stress. At Acibadem Atakent, she transformed a frightening post-surgical process into an empowering journey, remembering small personal details from previous conversations that made me feel uniquely cared for.