My career in diabetology started in late 1988 when I started working at the Clinic for Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases as a resident in internal medicine and a young researcher in the field of diabetes. I also started working in the out-patient department of this Clinic, what I found very challenging. In 1993, I completed my master's degree, in 1997 I became a specialist in internal medicine and in 1998 I completed and defended my doctor's thesis on nocturnal hypoglycaemia and the use of insulin pumps.

In 1994 and 1995 I conducted research work in Amsterdam. This was the basis of both my doctor's thesis and a paper, which I published as first author in Diabetologia – the most prestigious journal in my field of research.

After that I took up a position in NovoNordisk, a Danish/Global pharmaceutical company, where I was in charge of  clinical trials. I spent the last four years working at the company's headquarters in Copenhagen, where I was, as medical director, responsible for developing new insulins worldwide. At the same time, I also worked at an out-patient clinic for vascular diseases in Slovenia. Many of my patients had diabetes with problems of arterial blood circulation in their legs, which is one of the characteristic of the diabetic foot.

Throughout the years, I had gained ample international experience and I wanted to use it in practice – in Slovenia!  What I wanted to do was give my undivided attention to the patient – it happens only too often that patients are treated like numbers. What is more, I genuinely missed being in direct contact with people. Therefore, I managed to establish my own practice, with reimboursed care as well as private patient care.

My approach to treating patients involves a lot of humour – I think we don't laugh often enough!