Betül Oktay

Biography

Betül Oktay is the founder of USEB Academy and an experienced educator with a professional background in biology teaching, educational content development, and national education projects.

Her career has been shaped by years of working directly with students, creating educational resources, and contributing to nationwide education initiatives in Turkey.

Today, while studying General Medicine in English at Semmelweis University in Budapest, she brings together her experience as an educator with her continuing journey in medicine.

Her journey in education began in high school, when she won a bronze medal in Turkey’s National Biology Olympiad, a nationwide academic competition for high-achieving students in biology. This achievement earned her a scholarship from TÜBİTAK, Turkey’s national scientific research and funding institution, giving her the opportunity to receive advanced biology education from university professors while she was still in high school. Her role in education soon extended beyond being a student herself; while still at high school, she was exceptionally invited to teach Biology Olympiad students at science high schools, where she began forming and mentoring her own student teams. These early experiences shaped what would become her first and enduring professional passion: education.

In 2011, she was admitted to Ege University’s Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, with the highest entrance ranking in her department, and later completed her Pedagogical Formation Certificate to formally pursue a career in education. After graduation, she achieved another strong national result in Turkey’s competitive teacher recruitment examination, ranking 15th among approximately 30,000 Biology candidates.

Throughout her professional career, she worked primarily in Science High Schools, teaching academically ambitious students and actively contributing to numerous educational and student-led projects. Building on her own background as a Biology Olympiad medalist, she also trained and mentored students preparing for Biology Olympiads, forming teams and guiding them through advanced-level biology beyond the standard school curriculum.

Project-based learning, teamwork and academic mentorship became central elements of her teaching philosophy. Over the years, her approach increasingly moved beyond simply delivering academic content; she became deeply interested in how students understand, process and internalise knowledge, and in creating learning environments where students could develop not only academically, but also as individuals.

Her commitment to education eventually led her from classroom teaching to the central organisation of Turkey’s Ministry of National Education, where she contributed to major national education projects reaching students and teachers across the country. Her work expanded from classroom teaching into educational content development, digital learning initiatives and projects designed for nationwide implementation.

During the pandemic, she played an active role in the development of large-scale digital educational resources and became an educator for EBA TV, Turkey’s national educational broadcasting platform, where her Biology lessons were broadcast to students nationwide. Her lessons remain available through the national education platform today, allowing her educational work to continue reaching students beyond the classroom.

She also contributed Biology summaries and questions to the educational section of Hürriyet, one of Turkey’s major newspapers, and received a commemorative plaque from Hürriyet in recognition of her contribution to education. Her contributions to education were also recognised with a certificate presented by the then Minister of National Education, Ziya Selçuk.

Her involvement in national education continues today: she currently serves as an editor of an official state Biology textbook for TÜBİTAK Science High School, developed through a collaboration between Turkey’s Ministry of National Education and TÜBİTAK, bringing her experience in biology education, academic mentorship and educational content development to a resource designed for academically advanced science students.

Her students ultimately became the inspiration behind her decision to pursue medicine. Years of observing how people learn, respond to challenges and develop through supportive educational relationships deepened her interest in the human mind and behaviour, gradually leading her towards psychiatry.

Education remained her first professional passion, while medicine became a second field through which she wanted to understand and support people more deeply. Her previous academic and professional achievements were also recognised during her transition into medicine: she was among the small number of students admitted to the English-language General Medicine program at Semmelweis University without taking the standard entrance examination, based on her previous academic achievements and educational background.

She is now continuing her medical education at Semmelweis University in Budapest, with the long-term goal of specialising in psychiatry.

Beginning medical school also gave her the opportunity to experience education from a new perspective. After many years as an educator, she returned to the classroom as a student and experienced firsthand the intensity and complexity of medical education.

At Semmelweis University, surrounded by students from different countries, cultures and educational backgrounds, she observed that academic difficulties were not always caused by a lack of ability or effort. Students often needed different ways of understanding complex information, opportunities to connect concepts, appropriate study resources and an environment where they could ask questions freely and learn collaboratively.

These observations became particularly meaningful because they reflected the same principles she had developed throughout her years as a teacher. Once again, she saw that education was most effective when the educator understood how the individual student learns, rather than relying on a single approach for everyone.

Her previous experience in teaching, mentoring Olympiad students, developing educational resources and contributing to national education projects allowed her to approach the challenges of medical education from both sides — as an educator and as a medical student.

The Story and Development of USEB Academy

USEB Academy began with supplementary study materials. While studying medicine at Semmelweis University, she started creating her own notes and learning resources to make complex subjects clearer and easier to work with. These materials quickly began circulating among students, and some of her notes became widely shared within the university community.

What started as resources created for her own learning soon revealed something larger: students were actively looking for materials that could help them understand, organise and connect academic knowledge more effectively.

Rather than keeping this process individual, she decided to turn it into a collaborative educational project. She brought students together through academic writing initiatives, where they could learn how educational materials are developed — from organising scientific content and building a logical chapter structure to writing, reviewing and refining a complete study resource.

She shared the professional methods she had gained through years of educational content development and national education projects, while students brought their own perspectives and academic experiences into the process. The result was a growing collection of USEB Academy’s own supplementary study materials and books, created through a culture of learning, contribution and collaboration.

This became one of the earliest expressions of what would later define the culture of USEB Academy: students were not simply receiving something; they were learning how to create, contribute and work as part of a team.

As the community around these resources grew, students began asking for tutoring as well. Tutoring therefore became the next natural step in the development of USEB Academy. What had started with written resources expanded into direct academic support, where concepts could be discussed, questions could be explored and students could learn together.

Pre-Med, medical school and language tutoring gradually became part of the academy as different academic needs emerged.

With more students, tutors and collaborators becoming involved, new collaborations and projects began to develop organically around the academy. Students from different backgrounds brought different ideas, experiences and needs, gradually transforming USEB Academy from an academic initiative into a broader educational community.

Through working closely with international students, another need became increasingly visible. Academic success was only one part of studying abroad. Many students were also trying to navigate university applications and the practical challenges of beginning an academic life in another country.

Recognising this need led to the development of educational consultancy and study abroad support as another area of USEB Academy.

International collaborations and Erasmus+ opportunities later became part of this growing environment, further extending the academy beyond tutoring and study resources and creating opportunities for students to participate in international experiences and projects.

In this way, USEB Academy did not begin with a predetermined list of services. It grew by listening to students. Study materials came first because students needed better resources. Books developed through collaborative academic writing. Tutoring followed because students wanted to learn together. Projects and partnerships grew from the relationships created within the community. Educational consultancy emerged when it became clear that international students needed support beyond the classroom.

Perhaps the most meaningful result of this journey is the culture that has developed alongside it. Teamwork is no longer simply a value written into the philosophy of USEB Academy; it can be seen in the way its students, tutors and collaborators work with one another.

Watching people become more collaborative, take responsibility, share their knowledge and grow as part of a team has become one of the most rewarding aspects of the academy’s development.

USEB Academy Today

Today, the collaborative environment at USEB Academy has become an important part of its identity. Students, tutors and collaborators contribute to this environment by sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas and working together.

As USEB Academy has grown, we have also seen increasing interest from students and tutors who would like to become involved in our activities. Parents have supported the academy in different ways as well, contributing to the welcoming and supportive environment we aim to maintain.

Our relationships with different institutions and organisations have also created opportunities to participate in seminars, educational events and collaborative projects, allowing our students and team to engage with a wider academic and international community.

For us, this development reflects something simple but important: USEB Academy grows through collaboration. We value the contribution of our students, tutors, families and partners, while continuing to build an educational environment based on professionalism, communication and teamwork.