Dear Sir or Madam:

With this letter, I would like to express my interest in participating in the 3rd MSJC Pro et Contra international congress at Bled (Slovenia) on April 18th and 19th 2015.

I am currently last year studying medicine in Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria. Being on Erasmus in Bordeaux, France, for the last six months, I have made a friend from Slovenia, Matija Satej, who showed me the opportunity to participate in your congress. After further investigation on your event, I have decided to apply because I am sure it will enrich my future studies and help me in my prospective career. Moreover I consider this programme as a great opportunity to get in touch with Slovenian culture, educational and health system.

I have chosen to apply for the Third MSJC Pro et Contra international congress because I really like idea of the discussions of the different pathways, different treatment options and different diagnostic approaches. I specially appreciate the wide range of offered topics. Moreover, the one that grabbed my attention is Aortic bulb aneurysm operation: aortic valve repair is a better choice. Plus, the chance to work with assist. Ju Kela MD, PhD is a remarkable opportunity.

During my studies in Varna, I have been volunteer in the Clinic of Cardiac Surgery at St Marina University Hospital Varna for two years. That gave me the possibility to expand my knowledge on cardiac surgery, to work on a studies and to participate in international conferences as an author, as well as a co-author. I want to note two of them, closely related to the topic you offered: AORTIC ROOT RECONSTRUCTION BY AORTIC VALVE-SPARING OPERATION (DAVID REIMPLANTATION) IN MARFAN SYNDROME PATIENT WITH ACUTE TYPE-A AORTIC DISSECTION, presented at XII International Congress of Medical Sciences for students & young doctors, Sofia, 09-12 May, 2013, and SURGICAL TREATMENT OF A RUPTURED SINUS OF VALSALVA ANEURYSM INTO RIGHT VENTRICLE: CASE REPORT, presented at Second Black Sea Symposium for Young Scientists in Biomedicine, Varna, 27-30 March, 2014.

I really enjoyed working on my projects and I am keen to continue my development in that direction. Over the past two decades, there has been a significant paradigm shift towards aortic valve repair operation, over the more traditional of prosthetic replacement for aortic bulb aneurysms. By preserving the patients native aortic valvular anatomy, this operation carry numerous benefits as the obviation of life-long anticoagulation therapy and reduced need for reoperation when compared to mechanical and biosynthetic valves. I would really like to deepen my knowledge in that subject, by participating in your congress.

The two other topics, that I have chosen are Hybrid radiofrequency ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation is a wiser option and Patients with asthma and ischemic heart disease: should we give them beta-blockers?. Atrial fibrillation can increase the risk of strokes up to seven-fold and there is still no consensus which is the better way to treat it. Comorbidity of the patients is always a challenge, and in patients with asthma, even the slightest change in FEV1, that can be caused by the the beta-blockers, makes a difference.

I am confident that my experience in Slovenia would be extremely exciting, fun, and valuable for both my studies and overall general development.

Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your positive response.

Yours faithfully,

Ventsislav Boshnakov