From Faisalabad to Ankara: My Türkiye Burslari Scholarship Journey

This account is shared by a Gohata Global student currently in the second year of a medical degree at Hacettepe University in Ankara on a full Türkiye Burslari scholarship. He asked us to include the part where he failed the first time, because he felt that was the most important part.

Application One: What Went Wrong

I applied for Türkiye Burslari in January 2022, straight after completing my FSc Pre-Medical with 89%. I thought my grades were my qualification. My application letter was three paragraphs long. I wrote about wanting to serve Pakistan as a doctor and about Turkey's modern hospitals. I did not get an interview. When I later read what a strong application looks like, after finding Gohata Global, I understood immediately why. I had told them nothing specific about why Turkey, why medicine in Turkey, or why I specifically. I had told them what every applicant tells them.

Application Two: What Changed

In 2023, I spent four months preparing my application before the portal opened. I read about Hacettepe University specifically, its medical faculty, its research programmes, its standing among Turkish institutions. I watched interviews with current Türkiye Burslari scholarship holders. I wrote about Pakistan's doctor-to-patient ratio in rural Punjab, referenced a specific gap that a Turkish-trained physician with both Turkish and English could help address, and explained why the five-year exposure to a different healthcare system would make me a more effective practitioner. My application letter was 800 words. It was about something real. I got an interview.

The Embassy Interview

The interview at the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad lasted approximately 25 minutes. There were two interviewers, one Turkish, one Pakistani. The Turkish interviewer asked about my knowledge of Turkey. I had prepared, I could speak about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the current university system, the major cities, and the food. The Pakistani interviewer asked about my career plans. I spoke honestly about wanting to return to Pakistan. This seemed to matter to them. I was told I would hear within six weeks. I heard in four.

The Turkish Language Year

All new Türkiye Burslari scholars spend one year at TÖMER, the Turkish Language Teaching Centre, before beginning their degree programme. The year is intensive, free, and extraordinary. You arrive speaking no Turkish and leave able to hold a medical consultation in Turkish. Living in Ankara for a year before university also means you understand the city, you have friends from across the world, and you are no longer starting from zero when your degree begins.

Medical Education in Turkey

Turkish medical degrees are six years. The education is rigorous and significantly hospital-based from the third year. My cohort at Hacettepe includes students from 40 countries. Teaching is in Turkish, which means that year at TÖMER was not a bureaucratic formality, it was genuinely essential. The scholarship covers everything: my stipend of 1,000 Lira per month covers my personal expenses on top of the covered accommodation and meals.