Participation in the 2025 KSES – TSSES Exchange Travelling Fellowship program

I am Dr. Emre Bilgin, currently working in the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic at Izmir City Hospital. For the past eight years, I have been specializing particularly in shoulder and elbow surgery. Together with Dr. Alper Şükrü Kendirci from Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, I had the privilege of participating in the 2025 Korea Traveling Fellowship Program, jointly organized by the Korean Shoulder and Elbow Society (KSES) and the Turkish Shoulder and Elbow Society (TSSES).

Between March 10 and March 27, 2025, we visited a total of 14 centers in Seoul and surrounding regions, where we had the unique opportunity to observe world-renowned Korean mentors performing shoulder and elbow surgeries using their distinct techniques. The program allowed us to discuss cases in detail and share our own clinical experiences and research with our Korean colleagues.

■ The centers we visited in sequence were:
■ Korea University Anam Hospital with Dr. Woong-Kyo Jeong
■ Ulsan University Asan Medical Center with Dr. In-Ho Jeon
■ Catholic University Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital with Dr. Hyun-Seok Song
■ Eulji University Nowon Eulji Medical Center with Dr. Tae-Kang Lim
■ Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong with Dr. Myung-Seo Kim
■ Neon Orthopaedic Clinic with Dr. Jin-Young Park
■ Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Medical Center with Dr. Jae-Chul Yoo
■ Catholic University Seoul St. Mary's Hospital with Dr. Yang-Soo Kim
■ Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital with Dr. Kyu-Cheol Noh
■ Camp 9 Orthopedic Clinic with Dr. Yon-Sik Yoo
■ Catholic University Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital with Dr. Hyungsuk Kim
■ Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital with Dr. Sang-Jin Shin
■ Seoul National University Hospital with Dr. Sae-Hoon Kim
■ Myongji Hospital with Dr. Yong-Girl Rhee

Throughout this program, we gained valuable hands-on experience, particularly in arthroscopic shoulder surgery, and greatly broadened our professional horizons. In addition to our clinical exposure, the social activities organized during the fellowship allowed us to explore Seoul, foster closer relationships with our Korean peers, and discover the cultural similarities between our two countries. These exchanges significantly contributed to the strengthening of international friendships and mutual understanding.

At the end of the fellowship, we had the honor of attending the 2025 KSES Congress, where Türkiye was the guest nation — an occasion that filled us with pride. Along with 55 participants from Türkiye, we represented TSSES to the best of our ability. On the final day of the congress, Dr. Alper Şükrü Kendirci and I had the opportunity to present and reflect on our experiences from the three-week fellowship journey in Korea.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the presidents and executive boards of both KSES and TSSES for offering us this incredible opportunity. Our heartfelt thanks also go to the esteemed Korean mentors who warmly welcomed us into their clinics and generously shared their expertise. We are especially grateful to Dr. Hyungsuk Kim, coordinator of the KSES-TSSES Traveling Fellowship Program, for his outstanding support and flawless organization.

We leave Korea with not only invaluable clinical experience but also lifelong friendships that we will continue to cherish. We look forward to meeting again soon.

Sincerely,

Emre Bilgin, MD
Izmir City Hospital, Türkiye