Kerim Çıkım, MD

Kerim Çıkım, MD is an Internal Medicine specialist at Acibadem International Hospital in İstanbul, where he works within the Internal Medicine unit. His subspecialty is Thyroid Diseases and Treatment, and his clinical work covers a broad range of general internal medicine conditions, including prediabetes, hypertension, metabolic diseases, obesity, fatty liver disease, anaemia and gastroenteritis. He has more than 28 years in medicine.

Dr. Çıkım graduated from İstanbul University İstanbul Faculty of Medicine in 1998 and completed his Internal Medicine training at İnönü University Faculty of Medicine in 2005, having joined the İnönü University Department of Internal Medicine in 2001. From 2001 to 2007 he was affiliated with Trakya University Faculty of Medicine as Assistant Associate Professor, and in 2007 he served in the Department of Internal Medicine there as the faculty member responsible for the Internal Intensive Care Unit. His career has also included positions at Tekirdağ Şarköy State Hospital (2005–2007), the Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine Internal Intensive Care Unit (2007), Samsun Field Medical School-GATA Gülhane Military Medical Academy (2007), GATA Gülhane Military Medical Academy (2008), Afganistan Kabil Asker Hospital (2008), Kızılay Medical Center Bakırköy Branch (2008–2009), Medicana International İstanbul Hospital (2009) and Private Meltem Hospital (2009). He joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2010. He is a member of the Turkish Medical Association and the İstanbul Faculty of Medicine Foundation for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetics, and he has co-authored peer-reviewed publications on topics including endothelial function in subclinical thyroid dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, hepatic steatosis and obesity, Helicobacter pylori treatment regimens and hypopituitarism in older adults.

Clinical focus

Thyroid disorders form a central part of Dr. Çıkım’s practice. He evaluates and manages patients with thyroid disease and related metabolic conditions, and his published work includes studies on subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism. Alongside thyroid care, he diagnoses and treats metabolic disease, prediabetes and obesity, and he assesses patients with fatty liver disease, a condition frequently seen together with metabolic disorders.

His general internal medicine work also covers hypertension, anaemia, gastroenteritis and upper respiratory tract diseases, as well as the evaluation of poisoning symptoms. In each case, the aim of the consultation is to establish a diagnosis, review any existing test results and agree on a treatment plan appropriate to the individual patient.

How Dr. Çıkım works with international patients

Dr. Çıkım consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. Before a visit, the international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, arranges appointments and organizes the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing laboratory results, imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the available options. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to discuss their case with Dr. Çıkım before traveling or as part of follow-up.