I did my internship at the Department of Internal Medicine, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, 34320 Avcilar Campus, Avcilar, Istanbul, Turkey under the direction of Professor Mehmet Erman Or.

During the internship, we exchanged experiences on infectious diseases in domestic animals and became familiar with the epizootic situation in the Istanbul area. We collected clinical material from dogs which was subjected to PCR testing for: Hepatozoon canis, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma, Haemotropic mycoplasma, Babesia canis, Rickettsia, Bartonella, Leishmenia The samples taken from cats included: Mycoplasma feline, Bordetella bronichseptica, Feline herpesvirus, Chlamydia felis, Feline calivirus.

Unfortunately, the university’s clinic infrastructure was severely damaged by the earthquakes. Currently, patients are admitted in temporary buildings. For this reason, surgical procedures cannot be performed, and livestock admissions are limited. Only internal medicine patients are admitted. Additional examinations are performed, i.e., blood tests, ultrasound, cardiac ECHO and sometimes endoscopic diagnosis.

We had the opportunity to get to know the decidedly different culture of the Middle East. During our stay, we were able to see what ordinary life is like in Turkey. This is a country where around 50% of people are Muslim. I highly recommend the local cuisine, tea, coffee and sweets, they are unique, and I am glad I had the opportunity to try them.

Thanks to the trip, we were able to practice our English and gain valuable contacts that can also lead to cooperation at a later date.  We also expanded our own medical knowledge of diseases rarely seen in Poland. Given the increasing popularity of tourism with pets, this is a valuable experience.