Education, degrees, specialisation so far in your career: 

Medical oncologist, ESMO exam and Croatian board exam certified, PhD in breast cancer

Current activity:

Running Breast Cancer Unit at the Medical Oncology Department in the University Hospital for Tumors, Zagreb, Croatia

Future plans in terms of training/evolvement:  

I am engaged with several ESMO, ESO and ASCO educational programs, through which I have so far earned precious knowledge and experience, and trained my professional, clinical and organisational/managerial skills. I have every intention in continuing so, learning from the best experts in the field around the globe, and utilizing that progress in my professional environment at home.

Why did you choose to become a medical oncologist?  

Even in the early years, evolving through medical school, I felt as if the oncology and cancer is something I should do. The burden of disease and the impact it has on the society in global terms, with evolving numbers each day, made me trust there is deep rationale and a mission in treating people with cancer, trying to help them get their life back in track, after malignant diagnosis creates distortion in one’s integrity.

What does your involvement with ESMO and the Young Oncologists Committee mean to you?

A lot. It is a special pleasure and honour for me, in many ways. First of all, being selected and admitted to this small group of great people from around the World is for me a significant recognition that all my work so far was worth it, and it gives me therefore pleasure to enjoy it even more, and motivates me further to continue with what I do. Moreover, this is a special acknowledgement, from the world level, for a small country like Croatia, to be seen and recognized, and accepted in the society of great, hardworking and quality people worldwide. I see myself as an ambassador of my country to ESMO, and as an ambassador of ESMO to my country, and being elected to ESMO Young Oncologist Committee is the best way that I could imagine doing it. 

Do you have some good advice you would like to share with your international colleagues? 

World is a better place, if you believe. Let’s trust our instincts and feelings of doing good, when working hard and getting our forces together in developing progress, in the fight against cancer, as one of the worst enemies of modern humanity. I believe each one of us has his/her own reasons why decided to get involved with oncology. Support provided by ESMO is probably the best possible way of structured, strong and continuous help, we could ever have, in our personal and professional development. Therefore, I would always advise everyone to look for start things that interest them and to get involved into at least one of many great programs and opportunities for education, development and networking globally.