After graduating from the F. X. Šalda Gymnasium in Liberec in 1968, he continued his studies at the Faculty of General Medicine, Charles University, where he graduated in 1974 (MUDr.). During his studies, he collaborated with Professor Jan Štěpán, one of the founders of Czech osteology, at the Institute of Biochemistry. Initially, he intended to devote himself to internal medicine and pharmacology. He chose psychiatry as his professional field mainly because the preferred medical specializations in Prague's medical centers and clinics were fully staffed.
