Interview with the President of the Slovakian Society of Cardiology 

        Dear Dr. Murin, FESC,

• May I start to ask you why you were interested in becoming a doctor?
  At the Gymnasium, I got Physics and Maths. Two of my best friends and good students changed their view on their future profession (to Medicine), and so I decided to join them. I am not from a family of doctor’s. The basic part of Medical School was not as much interesting, but the clinical part I really enjoyed. I participated in several student scientific activities and competitions.
  
  
• Did you have any other influences which gave you the incentive to study medicine?
  No, but some novels, as for example from Cronin (UK) and Cechov (Russian), who both were doctors, influenced me too. I considered it a good profession.
  
  
• Where did you perform your medical studies? How long lasted your training after your medical studies?
  I studied for 6 years in Bratislava (Czechoslovakia) and it was difficult to travel at that time. I participated in some student activities, mostly from Internal Medicine (respirology, examination methods). After completing my education, I had my Military Service in the Czech part of the country for one year.
  The following three years, I practiced in Martin (small City with Medical School).
  Finally, I returned to Bratislava to the current Department. I had my Post gradual Exams (Internal Medicine I and II grade, later on Cardiology and my PhD from 1977 to 1986. I worked  shortly in the Nephrology Department with acute dialysis, later on, I moved to the Coronary Care Unit. This was very interesting work. I appreciated here many instruments, monitors, EKG, Holter…. I again found some Physics and Maths here.
  From my colleagues, I learned that I should concentrate more on the patients, and not just on finding nice pictures in the Echo lab or nice curves on monitors. Therefore, I learned how to use instruments to diagnose and treat heart diseases? Which was a great personal development!
  
  
• Why did you choose Cardiology as your specialty?
  Working in the Nephrology Unit of our Department, I started to help in CCU during the summer months (night shifts, EKG,..). Finally, I decided to change to Cardiology...
  
  
• If I understand you correctly, your main interest in the field of Cardiology is Heart Failure - why is that?
  Since 1992, I was Chief of Department. At that time, we had to serve the whole City Area (Old city of Bratislava). The mean age of our patients was 80. Simply to say - almost everybody suffered from heart failure. Sometimes the reason for hospitalisation was not heart failure, but  pneumonia, renal failure, oncologic disease, or liver cirrhosis. Therefore, we had several patients with heart failure who were hospitalised for clinical worsening or for one of their multiple comorbidities. I learned that if I was not able to diagnose heart failure, I would not be able to do a good clinical practice. My colleagues and I studied heart failure, improved our  knowledge and skills, by participating in many HF clinical studies, and hence I “fell in love” with Heart Failure.
  
  
• What is your present position in your country?
  I am now the President of the Slovak Society of Cardiology. My term is up to October 2009. During my presidency, I tried to contribute to the fight against Heart Failure, and to the prevention of Heart Failure. I was also involved in symposia and other professional activities for doctors and education/prevention intervention in media for general population.
  
  
• Recently you were appointed to be the chairman of the Heart Failure working group of your country. How long can you stay as a chairman according to your rules in your country?
  I was Chairman of Working Group of Heart Failure for three years prior to my presidency of the Slovak Society of Cardiology.
  
  
• Could you share some of your objectives for the period you served as a Chairperson?
  We decided to start an epidemiologic survey of Heart Failure in the country, but the real life forced us to first perform a Registry of Acute Coronary Syndrome patients. Hence, we are expecting now to implement a Registry of Heart Failure in Slovakia. We translated the ESC Heart Failure Guidelines (we will proceed quickly also with the new version), and distributed it throughout the country. We did few workshops on that subject for internists and general practitioners. We presented case reports and discussed the diagnosis and treatment of hear failure in some workshops/symposia. Last year, my colleagues of the Board (Prof. J Fabian, FESC, Assoc. Prof. E. Goncalvesova, FESC, et al) wrote a book (Heart failure, about 850 pages), covering the whole topic. The book is in Slovak, but of very high quality. In the last years heart transplantation in Slovakia increased in numbers (done by mentioned group of our experts).
  
  
• Finally I would be interested in hearing more about the structure in your Heart Failure organisation.
  Our Slovak Society has many Working Groups, and one is on Heart Failure. Our members can decide to be members of Heart Failure Working Group. Every other year, in High Tatras, usually in February or March, we have a special congress (Non-invasive Cardiology WG, Heart Failure WG and some other WG also participate) devoted mainly to heart failure (Best Poster, Best Presentation under 35, some pharma symposia, meetings of small groups participating in clinical studies). I think that our colleagues are becoming familiar with diagnostics and treatment of heart failure. We were not yet able to start with Heart Failure Units, but in many big cities there are Outpatient Departments for heart failure patients.
  
  
• Who provides financial support for your Heart Failure working group?
  There is no financial support. But the Slovak Society of Cardiology support registries and some other activities. We want to do registry on Heart Failure patients in the near future.
  
  
• How is your social life today? What are you doing in your free time?
  I changed recently my position in the Department. I am now a teacher and I am responsible for teaching medical students in Internal Medicine and in Cardiology (a lot of lectures, some PhD students, some medical students projects). Moreover, I frequently have to do the clinical rounds in the Department and to participate in some clinical studies. Thus, at this time, I have limited free time...
  

  Thank you so much for your time and willingness to answer my questions. If the HFA can be of any help to you and your group, please feel free to ask...
  

  Prof. Andrea Di Lenarda, FESC, Italy
  Member of the HFA Committee on National Heart Failure Societies.