GMMA is a unique military institution with scientific autonomy and trains military physicians and other health personnel for Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). It carries out scientific research and publications, gives vocational, undergraduate, and postgraduate training and education, and whose training hospitals serve as the tertiary reference centres for the 43 military hospitals of TAF. GMMA is the first medical institution of Turkey and it served as the foundation of some schools of medicine. It was the only health institution in Turkey to celebrate its centennial in 1998.

GMMA also has residency and fellowship programs in all medical branches for physicians of the TAF and foreign countries in the training hospitals located in Ankara and Istanbul, which have 1200 and 1000-bed capacities respectively. The primary duty of the GMMA is to serve the needs of the TAF. GMMA pursues excellence in all its activities and also operates as an integral part of the national health care system.

GMMA has 531 Academic staffs and about 2000 students in three schools. Academic staffs, particularly the juniors, are sent for one or two years of study in their areas of expertise to European countries or to the USA. The majority of the current academic personnel have had this international experience. A majority of academic personnel are members of international societies according to their expertise and some of them are part of international research projects. European Bone Marrow Transplantation Registry, International Bone Marrow Transplantation Registry, European Network of Trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mediterranean Burn Centres Project (funded by EU), and European Association of Palliative Care organisations are a few examples in which GMMA participates. GMMA is a member of Balkan Military Medical Committee since 1996. We have vast experience about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and detailed knowledge on Nuclear Biologic Chemical Weapons. In addition, we have some yearly scheduled courses, seminars, and scientific meetings regarding these two topics for both military/civilian medical and security staffs. The GMMA is also the institution providing inservice training to all levels of the health related personnel of the TAF. Continuous quality improvement and quality assurance, which is also a long time policy of the TAF, have always been a major concern for the GMMA. The GMMA was awarded the ISO 9001 Quality Certificate in 1998.

The GMMA Library provides full-text access to a wide range of databases including Medline, OCLC, Ovid, Science Direct, Springer, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Staff and registered students can use all library services. Free and full-time access to Internet is available at almost 1000 computer terminals in the campus.

Gülhane Military School of Medicine (GMSM) was founded in 1980 and has trained 1755 army physicians to date. The School provides a 6-year medical education in Turkish. The laboratories, especially computer facilities are highly developed and compatible with current standards. Admittance of foreign students is arranged by bilateral international agreements through the Ministry of Defence. The School of Medicine is a boarding school and, both male and female students are admitted. A nationally approved curriculum is followed in our School of Medicine. Social activities cover most of the extra-curricular work done at the school. Students may join various social activities including drama, music, arts, photography, literature, folklore, sports, environmental activities, aviation and scientific research.

School of Nursing (SON) is a four-year, bachelor’s degree school, established in 1985. Only female students are admitted to the school. The GMMA School of Nursing is the main nurse resource for Military Health Services in Turkey. SON has seven masters and doctorate programs in nursing subspecialties, which are joined with other state universities (University of Hacettepe, University of Ankara). Each year, about 120 students are accepted into the undergraduate programme by the general university entrance examination of Institution of Higher Education. They progress through a four-year bachelor’s degree programme. This 4- year undergraduate programme covers the courses of basic medical science, theoretical knowledge and practices of nursing sciences. The duration and content of the undergraduate programme has been complied with EU Criteria for nursing education. Almost one third of the faculty members have international experience. The School of Nursing has one teaching and applications computer lab, and a pre-clinic nursing practice and skills lab. Clinical facilities of GMMA teaching hospital and the other health care facilities in Ankara are available for students’ clinical education and training. School of Nursing is a boarding school for undergraduate students but postgraduate students are not boarding students, they can commute and accommodate out of the campus and they can participate and get experience in many different academic and research activities in the SON. Erasmus programme seems very appropriate for postgraduate students in the beginning of exchange process.

Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Health College (a vocational school) was founded in 1977 as a part of GMMA under the name of NCO Health Preparatory School and the first NCOs graduated in 1981. In 1995, the school was transferred to its new building in the GMMA campus. NCO Health Preparatory School was closed and NCO Health College was founded to train and graduate Health NCO, as Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic in military hospitals in 2002. The students have Associate of Science degree in Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic (EMT/Paramedic). NCO Health College prepares students to apply biophysical and psychosocial principles to the complex practice of the paramedic. The college is located in GMMA campus with new and modern buildings having highly developed and 2 fully equipped laboratories for pre-clinical experience, computer laboratories and language class. Only male students are admitted to the College, which is a boarding school. NCO Health College can establish fruitful collaboration with European EMT/Paramedic School joining to Erasmus Programme. Because the mobility of students and academic staff is a valuable opportunity to strengthen the European perspective in a student’s professional development, all the students and academic staff at the NCO Health College are eager to contribute to the student and teaching staff mobility of Socrates.

Institution of Health Sciences provides doctoral and master degree education and is composed of 5 units including Research Centre, Centre of Military Health Service, Centre of Dental Medicine, Centre of Pharmacy and Centre of Aerospace Medicine. GMMA Research Centre has the ability to do a great variety of experimental research. In year 2003, 82 scientific research projects were supported. Almost all types of conventional research animals can be produced and used for scientific research depending on ethical committee approval. Microsurgery and some other courses have been given to national and some international medical personnel.

The current status as to the international cooperation of GMMA, in the context of current national and international development is a result of long-standing and diverse international relations of the Academy with many other countries. According to bilateral agreements; students from a wide range of countries are being admitted to GMMA for a long time. These countries are Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Pakistan, Israel, Tunisia, Jordan, and Macedonia. More than 100 international students currently enrolled to GMMA are from Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Macedonia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Jordan. Moreover several foreign students from Albania, and Azerbaijan graduated from SON as well. GMMA also gives fellowship education to postgraduate students from these countries. GMMA has a Turkish linguistics department in which international students have been enrolled a one-year full-time education programme and they learn Turkish language. This curriculum assures that they can participate in all classes without Turkish language problem.

Since progress in science and development of human relations arise from close cooperation of all humanity, GMMA actively creates international relationships. We encourage and support all co-operation programmes in research and teaching with other universities and institutions. Since our essential aim is to ensure high quality education, GMMA gives a high importance in increasing academic and scientific relations with the institutions of the EU countries.

GMMA recognises that there are problems inherent in developing the European dimension within teaching and learning provision that is specifically related to the healthcare professions. GMMA has also begun the process of detailed review of the Bologna Declaration with a view to its local application. GMMA recognises that it has much to offer and much to learn in its interactions with European partners and believes that this is best achieved through the careful selection and management of partnership. Our policy is to encourage participation in the Socrates programme, whenever appropriate and within the resources available.