Prof. M.D. Gülcihan Özkan

My 82-year-old father, a retired shipyard welder with a 50-year smoking history, was struggling with persistent coughing and frightening weight loss. Other doctors had been dismissive, suggesting it was 'just old age.' Dr. Özkan was different. She spent an hour with him, not just listening to his lungs but to his stories about the ships he'd built. She ordered a specific type of bronchoscopy at Acibadem Maslak that others hadn't considered, which revealed a rare, treatable interstitial lung disease linked to his occupational history. Her treatment plan didn't just involve medication; she coordinated with a physiotherapist to create breathing exercises based on the rhythmic hammering motions he remembered from his work. His cough has eased, he's regained 5 kilos, and he says talking to her feels like having a guardian who understands his entire life, not just his lungs.

Our 7-year-old daughter, Elif, developed a terrifying, barking cough after what seemed like a mild cold. We rushed to Acibadem Maslak in the middle of the night, thinking it was croup. Dr. Özkan met us in the ER, calm as morning. She knelt down to Elif's level, showed her how the pulse oximeter worked by calling it a 'sleeping fairy light for your finger,' and diagnosed her not with croup, but with an atypical presentation of bacterial tracheitis—much more serious. She explained the need for immediate admission and IV antibiotics with such clarity and compassion that our panic turned to trust. She visited Elif three times a day, each time with a new sticker for her hospital gown. She turned a scary emergency into a story of bravery for our daughter, who now wants to be a 'lung doctor' too.

As a 45-year-old marathon runner, I was baffled when I started experiencing acute shortness of breath during my training, followed by sharp chest pain. A routine checkup elsewhere showed 'nothing concerning.' I sought a second opinion with Dr. Özkan. She didn't just listen to my breathing; she asked me to describe the exact mile marker where the pain began. She suspected exercise-induced bronchoconstriction combined with something else. She ordered a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), a complex assessment I'd never heard of. The results revealed a subtle vocal cord dysfunction that mimicked asthma. Her solution wasn't just an inhaler; she referred me to a speech therapist specialized in breathing patterns for athletes. My running is now pain-free, and my performance has improved. She treated me like a complex puzzle, not a standard case.

Following a complex lung biopsy surgery for a suspicious nodule, my follow-up visits with Dr. Özkan were a masterclass in compassionate care. The pathology was ambiguous—not clearly benign nor malignant. Where others might have pushed for immediate, aggressive intervention, Dr. Özkan proposed a 'watchful waiting' strategy with a twist. She set up a personalized, 6-month monitoring protocol using low-dose CT scans at precise intervals and taught me how to use a home spirometry app to track subtle changes. She gave me her direct clinic line for 'worry attacks.' At each visit, she compared the scans pixel-by-pixel, explaining the stability with a relief that felt shared. Last month, she confirmed the nodule was shrinking. She managed profound uncertainty with such steady expertise and emotional support that she didn't just follow up on my condition; she followed through on her promise to be with me every step of the way.