It is one of the leading educational institutions in the country with its Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. The university, where the first face transplant was performed, created a revolution in the history of medicine.[citation needed] It is the 7th best public university in Turkey. Based on its academic studies, it is the 5th university with the most academic articles. Its success in the Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS) is above Turkey's average.
It continues its education and research activities in 24 faculties, 7 institutes, 3 colleges, 1 conservatory, 12 vocational colleges and 57 research and application centers. It is also a member of the European University Association and the Caucasus University Association.
In the 2021-22 academic year, a total of 64,335 students were studying, as 21,513 associate degree, 37,389 undergraduate, 3,893 master's and 1,540 doctorate students. As of 2022, a total of 2,829 academic personnel, 540 professors, 314 associate professors, 491 doctors, 674 lecturers and 810 research assistants, were working within the scope of the university.
On January 21, 2011, Turkish surgeon Ömer Özkan and his team successfully performed the country’s first-ever full face transplant at the university's hospital in Antalya. The 19-year-old patient, Uğur Acar's face was badly burnt in a house fire when he was a baby. The donor was 39-year-old Ahmet Kaya, who died on January 20. The surgery team accomplished at the same time another transplant, a double-arm and one-leg limb transplant, on Atilla Kavdı using the organs of the same donor.[2]
Surgeon Dr. Ömer Özkan performed on May 16, 2012 with his team country's fourth face and their second full face transplant. The face and ears of the 27-year-old patient Turan Çolak from İzmir was burnt as he fell into an oven when he was three and half years old. The donor was Tevfik Yılmaz, a 19-year young man from Uşak, who had attempted suicide on May 8. He was declared brain dead in the evening hours of May 15 after having been in intensive care station for seven days.[3]
Mustafa Kalemli (born 1943), Turkish physician and politician, who served as the Speaker of the parliament
Ömer Özkan (born 1971), Associate Prof. Dr. at Institute of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, who performed the country's first full face transplant
