I Combined a European Vacation With a VIP Medical Checkup in Türkiye — and It Still Cost Less Than U.S. Healthcare.
My One-Day Essential Full Body Medical Checkup in Istanbul
(Everything You Need to Know About My Exact Experience)
If you’ve been thinking about doing a full-body health checkup abroad — or you’re just curious why so many people are flying to Türkiye for medical care — this post walks you through my exact one-day Essential medical screening at Memorial Hospital, one of Istanbul’s most trusted private hospital groups.
To put it in perspective: It was literally thousands of dollars cheaper to fly to Europe, take a Mediterranean cruise that ended in Istanbul, and complete this full Essential medical screening than it would cost to run the same tests alone in the United States. And unlike in the U.S., where this process would take months of appointments and referrals, everything here happened in one single day — bloodwork, imaging, specialists, pap smear, heart diagnostics, dental, eye exams, and a full doctor-led result review!
No waiting.
No insurance battles.
No multiple appointments.
Just answers.
This post covers my full experience, every department I visited, what my day looked like from start to finish, and what you can expect if you want to book the same thing.
Why I Chose Istanbul for a Full Body Health Screening
My Mediterranean cruise ended in Istanbul, which already made it an easy location — but Istanbul is also known for having some of the best-ranked private hospitals in Europe, along with significantly more affordable pricing compared to the U.S.
I chose Memorial Hospital’s brand-new Asia-side location, which had just opened and feels genuinely luxurious. Warm lighting, Scandinavian architecture, huge windows. Honestly, it looked more like a high-end wellness center than a traditional hospital.
And most importantly: They offer a complete Essential female checkup package that bundles 30+ tests, screenings, and specialist consultations into a single, seamless day.
Memorial Hastanesi Şantiye Alanı
Booking the Appointment
I booked directly through Memorial Hospital’s international patient team. They assigned me a coordinator — Fehime — who handled absolutely everything:
Appointment scheduling
Transportation via WhatsApp
Translating
Specialist timing
My full printed report at the end
Follow up documents + results (in english)
The entire process was straightforward and surprisingly simple.
How the Day Started:
VIP Transportation & Crossing Continents
Memorial sent a private luxury SUV and driver to pick us up from the Istanbul Galata Port. Since Istanbul is split between Europe and Asia, the drive itself was beautiful — bridges, mosques, the skyline glowing in the morning sun. Not something you ever picture when thinking about going to a hospital appointment. We arrived on the Asian side, where we checked into our Radisson Blu Hotel. We spent the day exploring Istanbul and went to bed early since the next day was our scheduled Essential Check-Up.
On the day of our appointments, we were met outside the hotel concierge by another beautiful luxury SUV, and it took us on less than a 10-minute drive to the Memorial Hospital location.
What My One-Day Medical Checkup Included (Step-by-Step)
The entire day moved smoothly with zero waiting rooms. Every department was expecting me, and every test began within minutes of arriving. Even our in-between moments were spent in a VIP lounge located in a special wing of the hospital catered just for check-up guests. In the U.S., this easily would have been two or three separate appointments before you even reached imaging.
1. Lab Work & Baseline Testing
We started with the largest batch of lab tests I’ve ever done at once:
Full bloodwork + hemogram
Hormone & thyroid panel
Infectious disease screening
Vitamin & mineral markers
Liver & kidney function
Cholesterol & lipid profile
Inflammation markers
Urinalysis
Fecal occult blood test
Plus baseline vitals:
Blood pressure
Height/weight
EKG
2. Radiology: All Major Scans Done Back-to-Back
Next, I moved into radiology for literally all the imaging you’d normally need weeks to schedule in the U.S. Every scan flowed directly into the next. Most of the time, I walked straight from one room into another, accompanied by Fahime.
Chest X-Ray
Whole Abdominal Ultrasound - Covers liver, gallbladder, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, uterus, ovaries — essentially a full internal scan.
Pelvic Ultrasound - Done seamlessly within the same exam.
Breast Ultrasound
Digital Mammography - High-quality imaging included in the package.
Thyroid Ultrasound
Bone Densitometry (DEXA Scan) - Measures bone density and long-term bone health.
3. VIP Lounge Break
Between radiology and internal medicine, they brought me to the VIP lounge, which felt like a private airport lounge. It was such a nice reset before meeting the doctors.
Fresh pastries
Fruit + Yogurt
Coffee
Turkish tea
Dedicated attendant
Comfortable seating
Quiet, private environment
4. Internal Medicine: Reviewing Every Result
This was one of my favorite parts of the day. I sat with an Internal Medicine specialist who reviewed every single scan, lab result, marker, and imaging photo with me. This included all cancer markers in the package:
AFP
CA-125
CA 15-3
CA 19-9
CEA
We talked through trends, preventative health, lifestyle recommendations — the works.
It was the most thorough medical review I’ve ever had.
5. Gynecology Appointment & Pap Smear
Next was Gynecology, where I had a full exam and a pap smear and an Ultrasound. It’s important to note that each room has it’s own changing room and garments to change into. The Gynecology wing was even designed differntly with rosy pink walls and predominently female staffing. Quick, comfortable, professional.
6. Ophthalmology Exam
Because I had LASIK earlier this year, this was especially valuable. They checked:
Vision stability
Cornea condition
Tear film
Overall eye health
A very thorough follow-up I hadn’t had since my surgery.
7. Dental Check (Optional but Included)
I opted into Dentistry since it was part of the Essential program. Not to mention the dentist chair in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows showing panoramic views of Istanbul was a sight to behold. They completed:
Oral exam
Cleaning (which I opted out of since I had just had a whitening the day before)
X-rays
Health recommendations
Loved being able to do this here instead of booking a separate appointment.
8. Cardiology: Seeing My Heart in Real Time
The last department of the day was Cardiology. Tests included:
ECG
Transthoracic echocardiogram (live heart ultrasound)
Cardiac stress test
Seeing my heart beating live on an ultrasound monitor was genuinely surreal.
9. Finished!
After this, my coordinator handed me:
A printed result book (English)
A digital results file (English)
Follow-up recommendations
Contact info for any additional care, like prescriptions + vitamins
And that was it — a full medical workup completed in one single day. 🤯
How Much This Would Cost in the United States (Preview)
If I had done just the medical testing in the U.S., I’d be looking at around $6,000 in conservative cash prices (and often over $10,000+ at big hospital systems) — versus about $1,100 for the exact same stack of tests bundled into a one-day VIP checkup in Türkiye.
What really blows my mind is that even after adding flights (if you get a deal), a Mediterranean cruise ($1500 or less), hotels in Istanbul, transfers, and the full VIP checkup, my entire trip came out to roughly $4,000 total — meaning for less than the price of U.S. diagnostics alone, you could literally get every test done and take a bucket-list European vacation instead of just paying medical bills!
- Multiple appointments over several months, with separate bills for each clinic.
- Referrals, waitlists, and a lot of time spent chasing results.
- No cruise, no city exploring — just waiting rooms and parking garages.
- 30+ tests and scans finished in a single structured day.
- Back-to-back visits with internal medicine, gynecology, cardiology, ophthalmology, and more.
- A full European vacation and Istanbul city experience wrapped around your health check.
| Category | What’s Included | U.S. Self-Pay Cost (No Insurance) |
Typical U.S. Wait Time* | Memorial VIP Checkup (Istanbul, Türkiye) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Medicine Exam | Full internal medicine visit + review of 30+ lab markers | ≈ $300 | ≈ 3–4 weeks for a new-patient appointment | Included same day |
| Comprehensive Lab Panel | CBC, metabolic panel, liver & kidney markers, fasting glucose, thyroid (TSH), cholesterol panel, inflammatory markers, hepatitis & HIV screens, urinalysis, fecal occult blood test, multiple tumor markers | ≈ $500 | Drawn after you’ve seen a doctor and gotten orders | Included same day |
| Gynecology + Pap Smear | OB/GYN visit, pelvic exam, Pap smear with pathology | ≈ $450 | Often 4–8 weeks to see an OB/GYN | Included same day |
| Ophthalmology Exam | Comprehensive eye exam + post-LASIK check | ≈ $200 | ≈ 3–6 weeks for an eye specialist | Included same day |
| Dental Exam | General dental exam & basic cleaning (optional in my package) | ≈ $180 | ≈ 2–4 weeks for a dental appointment | Included in package |
| Radiology & Imaging Bundle | Abdominal, pelvic, breast & thyroid ultrasounds, digital mammogram, chest X-ray, bone density (DEXA) scan | ≈ $2,400 | Imaging often staggered over multiple weeks | All done back-to-back in one morning |
| Cardiology Bundle | Cardiology consult, ECG, echocardiogram, treadmill stress test | ≈ $2,000 | ≈ 4–8+ weeks to see a cardiologist and get testing | All completed in one afternoon |
| Total U.S. Medical Estimate | All of the above, booked separately in the U.S. | ≈ $6,000 | Spread over multiple months | Bundled into a one-day VIP checkup |
Would I Recommend Memorial Hospital in Istanbul?
Absolutely — especially if you:
Want a complete preventative screening
Haven’t had a full-body workup in years
Feel like you’re always “guessing” if something is wrong
Are tired of waitlists and referrals
Want answers quickly
Value a more holistic, wellness-oriented approach
Travel often or already have a Europe/Türkiye trip planned
Every staff member was professional, kind, and extremely thorough. The hospital was spotless. The experience was smooth from start to finish.
Final Thoughts
As I hit my 30th birthday, Im so happy that I had this experience and I walked out feeling informed, reassured, and amazed by how efficient the entire day was. It made me realize how inaccessible comprehensive preventive care is in the U.S.—not because we don’t want it, but because our system isn’t designed for it. Türkiye is.
(Source 1) – GoodRx: Average cost of a chest X-ray in the U.S.
https://www.goodrx.com/healthcare-access/diagnostics/x-ray-cost
(Source 2) – MDsave: National average cash prices for diagnostic imaging (multiple ultrasound modalities)
https://www.mdsave.com/
(Source 3) – Healthcare Bluebook: Breast ultrasound pricing
https://healthcarebluebook.com/page_ProcedureDetails.aspx?id=47
(Source 4) – MDsave: Digital screening mammogram cash price
https://www.mdsave.com/procedures/screening-mammogram/d353421b
(Source 5) – MDsave: Bone density / DEXA scan average cash price
https://www.mdsave.com/procedures/bone-density-dexa-scan/d784ee54
(Source 6) – GoodRx: Average price of echocardiograms in the U.S. (cash-pay ranges)
https://www.goodrx.com/healthcare-access/diagnostics/echocardiogram-cost
(Source 7) – MDsave: Cardiac stress test (treadmill) national average
https://www.mdsave.com/procedures/treadmill-stress-test/d646b4b5
(Source 8) – Healthcare Bluebook: ECG/EKG pricing
https://healthcarebluebook.com/page_ProcedureDetails.aspx?id=95
(Source 9) – University of Pennsylvania (Penn Medicine): Average self-pay pricing for comprehensive blood panels
https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/billing-and-financial-services/self-pay
(Source 10) – Walk-In Lab (cash lab marketplace): Comprehensive women’s panel pricing
https://www.walkinlab.com/
(Source 11) – Quest Diagnostics: Individual test cash prices (CBC, CMP, lipid panels)
https://www.questdiagnostics.com/
(Source 12) – Labcorp: Cash pricing for infectious disease panels (HIV, hepatitis)
https://www.labcorp.com/
(Source 13) – American Dental Association (ADA): National dental fee survey (exam + cleaning averages)
https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dental-fee-survey
(Source 14) – VSP Vision: National average cost of a comprehensive eye exam
https://www.vsp.com/eye-health/ask-eye-doctor/eye-exam-cost
(Source 15) – AAPA Wait Times Study: Average time to see primary care
https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2023/11/new-patient-wait-times/
(Source 16) – Merritt Hawkins Physician Appointment Wait Time Study (specialists)
https://www.merritthawkins.com/news-and-insights/thought-leadership/survey/physician-wait-times-and-appointment-availability-survey/
(Source 17) – NCL 10-Day Greek Isles Cruise (sample October 2025 pricing)
https://www.ncl.com
(Source 18) – Kayak Flight Data: Average round-trip airfare U.S. → Istanbul
https://www.kayak.com/flights
(Source 19) – Google Flights Insights: Price tracking + historical trends for IST
https://www.google.com/flights/
(Source 20) – Istanbul Memorial Hospital: VIP Female Check-Up Package (pricing + inclusions)
https://www.memorial.com.tr/en
