The current literature on Ottoman medicine seems to suffer from an underlying assumption that there was a monolithic Islamic medical tradition that was adopted by the Ottomans starting from the early fifteenth century and perpetuated in the following centuries. Such an approach not only reduces the Ottoman medicine to a mere continuation of medical traditions of classical Islamic medicine, but also fails to grasp the nuances of Ottoman medical knowledge and practice. In contrast to the current literature, this paper will argue that the emergence and growth of the Ottoman medical establishment began to take shape in the late sixteenth century. By looking at the emergence and development of Ottoman medical practice and institutions during the sixteenth century, this paper aims to analyze the Ottoman medicine within the context of the redefinition of the idea of “state” and its capabilities in the sixteenth century Ottoman Empire. By using works on Ottoman medical literature, court records, and archival documents, this paper will argue that the early modern Ottoman state gradually began to emerge as the standard-setter and regulator of the newly emerging medical system in the second half of the sixteenth century. The paper will show that this process brought an increased prestige and respect to medical practitioners, who were now closely associated with the state. The paper will examine the changing perception of medical practitioners, within the context of increasing professionalization, standardization, and the introduction of state-sponsored medical education in the sixteenth century. As another manifestation of this change, the paper will also look at the presence of medical professionals consulted in court hearings, in cases where expert knowledge was required. Although the function of the kad? as expert and advisor to the central administration in health-related issues seem to have continued, starting from the second half of the sixteenth century the resort to expert knowledge of medical professionals in court cases will be analyzed within the context of growing prestige of the Ottoman medical establishment.