Prof. M.D. Serap Gençer

My 82-year-old father contracted a mysterious post-operative infection after his hip replacement that baffled two other specialists. We were terrified when his fever spiked to 40°C and he became delirious. Dr. Gençer was called in as a consultant at midnight. She didn't just look at lab results—she spent 45 minutes examining his surgical site, asking about his gardening habits (turns out he'd been potting plants bare-handed weeks before surgery), and reviewing every medication. She identified an extremely rare soil-based fungus that typical antibiotics missed. Her targeted antifungal protocol saved his life. What struck me was how she explained everything to my confused father using simple analogies about 'unwanted garden weeds in the body.' She visited him daily, even on weekends, adjusting treatment with meticulous care. We call her our medical detective.

Our 4-year-old daughter returned from a family trip to Southeast Asia with what we thought was a bad stomach bug. When she developed a strange circular rash that kept expanding, our pediatrician referred us to Dr. Gençer. My husband and I were anxious—everything online pointed to scary tropical diseases. Dr. Gençer knelt to our daughter's eye level, let her play with a stuffed microbe toy, and conducted the examination like a game of 'spot the bug.' She diagnosed cutaneous larva migrans from beach sand exposure. Instead of overwhelming us with medical jargon, she drew a simple picture of the parasite's journey. Her prescribed topical treatment worked within days. She followed up with a video call to check the rash's progress, putting our minds at ease. Her combination of world-class expertise and genuine warmth with children is extraordinary.

I'm a 34-year-old researcher who traveled extensively for work. I developed persistent fevers, night sweats, and crushing fatigue that lasted months. After seeing seven doctors across three countries and undergoing countless tests (all normal), I was labeled 'psychosomatic.' I found Dr. Gençer through a recommendation from a colleague. She spent our first 90-minute appointment reconstructing my travel timeline on a world map, correlating symptoms with locations. She ordered highly specific tests for pathogens endemic to the Amazon basin where I'd done fieldwork. The result: a chronic Bartonella infection, rarely seen in Istanbul. Her tailored antibiotic regimen—combined with her detailed explanation of how the bacteria evades standard testing—finally gave me answers. She treated me as a partner in my care, respecting my scientific background while guiding treatment. After six months under her care, I'm finally back to my normal life.

During a business trip to Istanbul, I (47-year-old executive) developed sudden high fever, severe headache, and sensitivity to light. I went to Acibadem Maslak's ER where Dr. Gençer was the on-call infectious disease specialist. Within minutes of examining me and hearing I'd recently been in a tick-prone rural area of Central Europe, she suspected meningoencephalitis. While the ER team stabilized me, she personally coordinated with the lab to fast-track PCR testing for tick-borne viruses. Her rapid decision to start empiric antiviral treatment before confirmation likely prevented neurological damage. What impressed me beyond her clinical urgency was her compassion—she called my panicked wife in Frankfurt to explain everything in clear terms, and checked on me three times daily despite her packed schedule. She even arranged a follow-up telemedicine plan with a German colleague for when I returned home. Her global approach to follow-up care is as remarkable as her diagnostic acuity.