“I was best in the most difficult subjects – pathophysiology, anatomy, surgery. I had an average score of approximately 9 grade, without intervention” says the academician, who tomorrow marks 18 years from his first surgery in Skopje.

As a child he was afraid of doctors and white uniforms, and by the end of high school he was already sure that he would study medicine. Already in the second year at the Medical Faculty in Skopje he knew that he would dedicate himself to cardio surgery. Dr. Zan Mitrev for 18 years is the picture of the cardio surgery in our country. Fakulteti.mk and Pivara Skopje persuaded him to share with us his student story. We were persistent and stole half an hour from his busy working day.

He was born in Shtip in 1961. Suddenly or accidentally, he spent his childhood in the yard of the Shtip hospital.

– We hurt ourselves, we cut our legs, hands, we were foolish children, such were the  child games at that time. It turned out that several times in the season we would end up in hospital. We walked a lot and barefoot. As a child, I never thought that I would be a doctor, because I had a fear of syringe and white uniforms. In secondary school, I did not know until the second year, but for the third year it was already clear to me that I would certainly go to medicine. Subjects like mathematics did not interest me, the natural sciences were more appealing to me. In the fourth year, the mathematics teacher was thinking about giving me grade 5, but I told her: “Professor, do not contemplate, I will not go to the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics anyway” – says academician Mitrev.

He explains that in the 70’s of the last century it was not easy and simple to become a medical student in Skopje, to be more precisely a medical student in general.

– At that time, many students were enrolling into the medicine faculty, the first year we were about 400-500 students. The first major selection was made after the first year, almost half of the students did not continue. At that time, there was no entrance exam, there was a graduation exam. But in order someone could enroll in medicine, they should have had a perfect score. I did not have a dilemma at all about whether to choose medicine. I had no dilemma after the second year of medicine that I would certainly specialize in surgery. I was not in the clinical part yet, but we had exercises and looking at things like that, I already knew that I love that – Mitrev explains.

Asked if he had acquired solid knowledge at the Medical Faculty, Dr. Mitrev says that he experienced studying as an individual work.

– I had subjects that were boring. I could get good insights about most of the subjects. At that time, there were regular books for studying, mainly translated from American literature, for the major subjects, in which practically everything was possible.

Practically, it was up to the student how much it will learn. I was best in the most difficult subjects. 9 & 10 on pathophysiology, anatomy, surgery, those subjects that are, the most medical. I had an average score of approximately 9, without interventions. At that time the score 10 was kept for the children of wellknown parents, because they were supposed to stay at the clinic. And for me, it was absolutely irrelevant, because I was with one leg over the Atlantic – says Mitrev.

He also got two 6 – on the subjects Marxism and Defense & protection. He could not think of the two subjects.

When he reached the fifth year at the faculty, he already knew that he would not stay in Macedonia. He was determined to continue education in the USA.

– I took the exams for verification of the Macedonian diploma for America in fifth year of studying. I planned after serving the military duty to go to America. However, it does not always come out as we plan. I was employed in the hospital in Shtip immediately after graduation and soon I went to the army. We were the last generation that was serving military duty after college. Later the law was changed so going to an army was after the high school, not after the college. While serving a military service in Djakovica, specialization for surgery and other areas were announced. For the majority of specializations there was a fight, while for surgery – no one. I got the specialization. It happened to me somehow quickly and unexpectedly, and I delayed America – says Mitrev.

A reward in the army because he saved two dogs

Mitrev reminds himself on the military days, when, thanks to two major surgeries, he received a reward and served the army  for only ten months instead of a year.

– We, the doctors spent half of the military service in the officer school in Belgrade, while the other six in the garrisons, ambulances. I was in Djakovica, I had 13-14 watchtowers at the border of Albania. Two major medical treatments took place. On the borders, dogs were trained. They brought a dog bitten by a snake. He was already choking. I was young and “green”, but I knew that when the patient is a human in such cases, it should be given an antivenom serum. Suddenly there were five or six soldiers who were in principle emotionally connected with the dogs. I injected all the serums we had at our disposal, and, miraculously, it survived. We were all happy. The information reached the commander of the garrison, I received a note in front of everyone – remembers Dr. Mitrev with joy.

After only a few months, Mitrev got a new challenge. A dog hit by a horse with a huge hematoma on the head and swelling.

– Me, the potential surgeon, I made a cut and extract the whole pus. And again, I was a hero, they read me again. I was joking that at least I would be a veterinarian. Interestingly, when I left for Germany, fatalities linked me to the animals, I worked on pig testing. I got a specialization, I went to Zagreb, where I passed the general surgery. In 1990, I went to Germany as part of a project at the University Hospital in Frankfurt. After a month, the war broke out in the former Yugoslavia, and a very complicated time came. I received a scholarship from the University of Frankfurt, I was there for a half a year, so I received another scholarship from Deutsche Hertz Stiftung, where I stayed for two years. This scholarship was for young talented doctors who showed special interest in the field of cardiovascular surgery – says Mitrev.

He was dedicated to experimental medicine for about two years. He worked with animals, from small mice to pigs.

– I was terribly interested in that. On the last year I operated on more than 80 pigs. There was a special protocol. It was in the farm concern with special operating rooms and the animals had excellent treatment. In those circumstances, I could learn very quickly. I started to in tube pigs, we made measurements, the same thing is done with humans. The pig and the human differs in a different position of the genes and the laboratory analyzes terribly helped me in the surgical part and still helps me a lot.

After these two years, I can already say that I was affirmed. All these experiments were together with that science club that at the University Hospital in Frankfurt, and led by Prof. Baezdov, my colleague. We had publications, we went to congresses, after few years he became a boss in another city. He offered me to go with him, but I knew that they would again want to direct me to science, and I wanted to go to the clinic. I registered elsewhere and got the place as an employment. I had a great theoretical experience, but I did not have the clinical one that I needed to be a good surgeon. Meanwhile, my friend and colleague became president of the Association of Cardiac Surgeries of Germany – says Mitrev.

From Germany he took the road to Switzerland, from where he returned again to Frankfurt, where he started. There he made his first heart transplant in 1997.

– Then people in Macedonia heard that I exist. My continued desire to return back to Macedonia was accomplished. On March 1, 2000, the first operation was in “Filip Vtori”. This year we celebrate adulthood. I’ve been through many things over the years. I felt like a child who met my stepmother or stepfather, with many slaps. If I analyze all these 18 years, I did not have a very happy childhood – says Mitrev.

Fun and companionship was not lacking at all in his student life

– We were a real company. We went to Shtip for weekends. I was disciplined as a student. I learned a lot at night. At that time in Shtip there was a parade, from 12 to 13.30 in front of the high school, and at night we went out in two cafes at that time in the city. At 23 o’clock, everything was closed. When all the “festivals” ended, at midnight I was drinking coffee, studying from midnight to 5 am intensely and very effectively. I slept until 11 am and the next day, ready for a new parade with friends, says Mitrev.

With his friends, they listened to reggae music, wore long hairs and beards. He remembers when he passed the final exam, everyone was waiting for him to honor.

– The last exam was my judicial medicine. Everyone waited for me at Victoria’s cafe. They began to gather girls around us and one of them asked me what I was doing, if it was not my birthday. “No, I graduated from college! Which faculty? Medicine. “She was confused, and said to me:” I thought you were as your friends. When I graduated, I cut my long hair – says Mitrev.

He acknowledges that he never tried to learn to speak the Macedonian literary language.

– In the secondary school we all spoke on a dialect, even in Macedonian language classes, and the teacher mixed and we laughed when she was trying to talk to us literally. And when we arrived in Skopje, I tried to speak literally when I was on exams.

Asked if he ever wanted to be a professor and to transfer knowledge to students.

– I am not an official professor, but it seems I will not be, somehow my time has passed. I do not have time with the way of my work. In Germany, being a teacher is different from here, you do not have many obligations, you have lectures, exercises and the rest is practical work. And in Macedonia, being a professor means to have it as a profession and the sense for practical work is lost. For me that is not a provocation.

I have lectures all over the world. It’s different when it’s presented to people of a particular profession, although it is interesting with students as well. At our clinic we conduct continuous education of young doctors, because they come with limited knowledge, especially in the cardiovascular area. I have my university – jokes Dr. Zan Mitrev.

Young people who are studying medicine are advised that if they want to deal with this profession, they should really love it, have it as an obsession.

– I am obsessed with medicine to this day. It fills me – Mitrev concludes.