History

The Pioneers of Dietetics in Türkiye
The education of dietetics in Türkiye began in 1962 under the leadership of Prof. Dr. İhsan Doğramacı within the "Hacettepe School of Health Sciences." This program became the pioneer of the profession in the country. In 1966, the department produced its first 10 graduates. To honor this milestone, June 6th (the date of the first graduation) has been celebrated as "Dietitians' Day" since 1986.

In 1968, the program was renamed "Nutrition and Dietetics" to reflect its dual mission of training clinical dietitians and conducting advanced scientific research. Following decades of being the sole provider of this education, Hacettepe University was joined by other institutions starting in the late 1990s. As of 2021, the number of programs in Türkiye and Northern Cyprus has reached 86.

The Establishment of the Department at Istanbul Medipol University (IMU)
Istanbul Medipol University was established in 2009 by the Türkiye Education, Health, and Research Foundation (TESA). Our department has been a core part of the university since its inception:

2010: The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics within the Faculty of Health Sciences admitted its first students.

2014: A second Department of Nutrition and Dietetics was established within the School of Health Sciences to provide 4-year undergraduate education.

Academic Leadership
The department has been shaped by distinguished academic leaders:

Prof. Dr. Muazzez Garipağaoğlu: Served as the Founding Head of the Department from the establishment until 2018.

Prof. Dr. Gülgün Ersoy: Has been serving as the Head of the Department since July 2018.