On Wednesday 20 May 2015, we said farewell to Janko Kersnik who died at the age of 55 years. After an acute heart attack, he had fought for his life for more than two weeks, surrounded by his family. On a rainy afternoon, we stood in the village of Dovje (Slovenia), where he was born in 1960. We could see the mountains he loved. A large crowd of family, community members, hunting friends, national and international colleagues and friends could still not believe that he had passed away, and his voice would never be heard again.
Janko finished high school in Jesenice in 1979 and entered the Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana as the first selected candidate in that generation. After graduation in 1985, he returned to his home town and started working as a general practitioner there. He then started specialization in general practice, which he completed in 1995. During that period, he became interested in research. Since the possibilities of a master's degree in Slovenia were limited, he completed it in Zagreb (Croatia) in 1997. In 2001, he obtained his Ph.D. in Ljubljana (Slovenia).
He had already joined the Medical Faculty in Ljubljana in 1996 as an assistant in the Department of Family Medicine. In 2007, he became a professor of family medicine. When the Medical Faculty in Maribor was established, he became their first chair of the Department of Family Medicine. Janko had a great interest in education. He was involved in inter-faculty master’s programmes at the Faculty of Economics, and master's programmes of the Faculty of Organizational Sciences and the Faculty of Health Sciences. In 2012, he was awarded the best teacher at the Medical Faculty. He attained the position of full professor at both Medical Faculties in Slovenia: in Maribor in 2012 and Ljubljana in 2013.
Janko Kersnik was the president of the Slovenian Family Medicine Society from 1997 to 2013, and a member of the Medical Chamber of Slovenia.
Janko started his international career in 1992, when he attended the first annual international course for teachers of family medicine, later known as ‘the Bled course.’ Since 2004, he was its course director. He also organized numerous local courses and congresses in Slovenia. He was president of the organizing committee of the 2003 Wonca Europe Conference in Ljubljana.
He joined EQuiP, our network for quality to become the first Slovenian representative in the group and later a member of the executive board. He also became a member of EURACT, the European Academy of Teachers in General Practice/Family Medicine, of which he became President in 2010. As a rural GP himself, it was only natural that he would serve on the board of EURIPA, the European association of rural doctors. In 2013, he was elected as Honorary Secretary of Wonca Europe, the European organization of family doctors.
Janko published many national and international articles on medical and educational topics, in many scientific journals, including the European Journal of General Practice. He was a regular and valued reviewer for this journal.
Janko Kersnik was highly regarded as an esteemed colleague, a creative, productive, smiling, and energetic person. He also was a wise person, thoughtful, respectful. He has stimulated and inspired many during personal interactions and official meetings. He was a true leader and a role model.
Despite his many academic and international activities, he continued his work as a family doctor. He was the professional head of the health centre of Gorenjska, which is one of the largest health centres in Slovenia. The presence of his patients at the ceremony was a clear sign of how highly the local community valued him. Standing in the rain, we heard the stories of his life and realized that the legacy he left behind cannot be described in words. We know that his unfinished plans remain for us to carry out.
Our thoughts go to his family, especially his wife Zdenka and his daughters Ana and Eva, his colleagues and the GP community in Slovenia. We wish them strength in these difficult days.
Notes
* A similar text was published in WONCA News, June 2015.