M.D. Kenan Çekem

My 88-year-old mother was admitted to Acibadem Atakent with severe dehydration and confusion. Dr. Çekem was the attending internist. What struck me wasn't just his medical knowledge—it was how he spoke to her. He knelt by her bed, held her hand, and explained everything in simple Turkish, calling her 'Anne' respectfully. He discovered her new blood pressure medication was interacting poorly with her heart condition, something three previous doctors had missed. He coordinated with cardiology and adjusted everything. Within two days, she was lucid again. He didn't just treat a patient; he treated my mother with dignity. We're forever grateful.

As a 32-year-old expat with no family here, I went to Dr. Çekem for what I thought was just lingering fatigue after a trip. He listened to my vague symptoms for 20 minutes, asked incredibly detailed questions about my travel to Southeast Asia, and ordered very specific tests. He called me personally two days later—I had a rare parasitic infection that was beginning to affect my liver. He calmly explained the treatment plan, set up all the specialist referrals himself, and even messaged me on the hospital portal over the weekend to check on my symptoms. He turned a potentially serious, overlooked condition into a managed treatment. He's more than a doctor; he's a guardian.

Our 6-year-old son, Ali, developed a mysterious high fever that wouldn't break, and our pediatrician was stumped. As a last resort, we were referred to Dr. Kenan Çekem in Internal Medicine. He spent an hour with Ali, not just examining him, but talking to him about his toys, making him laugh. He suspected something autoimmune and ordered a very nuanced panel of tests. He was right—it was a rare childhood-onset inflammatory syndrome. Dr. Çekem managed the initial stabilization, seamlessly transferred care to a pediatric rheumatologist, and still checks in with us monthly. He approached our child with a detective's mind and a grandfather's heart. We trust him implicitly.

I'm a 45-year-old chef with diabetes, and I've been notoriously bad at managing it. Dr. Çekem took me on as a patient for a routine checkup and saw my terrible HbA1c. Instead of scolding me, he asked about my work, my hours, and my relationship with food. He created a 'chef-friendly' management plan with practical swaps I could make in a busy kitchen, scheduled brief but frequent follow-ups via video to hold me accountable, and connected me with a nutritionist who understood culinary arts. For the first time in a decade, my diabetes is under control without feeling like I'm in a prison. He doesn't just prescribe medicine; he prescribes sustainable life solutions.