Young doctor Nino Fejzibegović currently replaced his Sarajevo address with the one in New York.
Namely, the 25-year-old man from Sarajevo is an intern at the Department for Internal medicine in the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital – University Clinical center of the prestigious Columbia University.
After a demanding application process, Fejzibegović was accepted as one of four students from Germany who got an opportunity to complete their internship in that clinical center, known as the best clinic in New York. However, young Nino does not like to call himself an expert.
“Complexity of medical sciences demands years of experience and a lot more work, effort and significant scientific results before it offers you one such compliment. While studying medicine, I was trying to gain different experiences in different countries, health systems and at universities which I have always been interested in. As an intern at the Columbia University Clinic, every day I have the opportunity to learn from world famous doctors and scientists whose achievements are changing and writing pages of modern medicine for years. Moreover, education of young doctors in clinical everyday life in the USA, I think, plays a much more important role than in Europe or Asia, thus significantly facilitating the joining of health protection system. However, being an intern at Columbia does not only bring advantages of the amazing ‘Ivy League’ community, but it also includes the fact that your alarm rings at 5 a.m. every morning and that you spend more than 90 hours in the clinic every week,” Nino started his story.
Radiosarajevo.ba: You say you always knew you will be a doctor. Have you always eagerly learnt about it and selected courses you want to study as of primary school?
Nino: Yes, I never had any doubts in my choice. Already in primary school I was fascinated with natural sciences, the complexity of human body and some simple pathology. Competitions in first aid introduced me with the basics of medical care and confirmed my choice.
Radiosarajevo.ba: Which moments you feared the most – when you put on the white doctor’s coat and realize that someone’s life is in your hands?
Nino: As in any other profession, the fear appears in moments when you have to assume great responsibility. I think that in medicine it is more about great respect for a person who needs your advice. Fear is not a component of quality professional relation with the patient, because it often arises from insecurity or lack of experience. It is important to take that feeling away from students already during education, primarily through good practical work with patients, which is highly appreciated in all modern medicine curriculums, but also through ethical principles of work and potential errors in treatment.
Radiosarajevo.ba: Although you are very committed to studying, charity work has an important role in your life.
Nino: Volunteering in the Red Cross of the Centar Municipality Sarajevo played an important role in my life during primary school and gymnasium. There I learnt how to appreciate the feeling of gratitude of a person who needs your help in different ways. I am currently a member of the European Red Cross and, prior to leaving to the USA, I was involved in medical projects for the care of refugees in Germany and Austria. Moreover, sicne the beginning of studies I am acting as a mediator between famous medical institutions in Europe and severe patients from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Succeesing in that area fulfills me the most and that cooperation is one of the greatest projects for my future.
Radiosarajevo.ba: What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
Nino: After I complete internship in USA, I intend to go back to Europe and specialize in internal medicine – hematooncology. That will most probably be somewhere in German-speaking area or in one of the Scandinavian countries. It is difficult to say where I see myself in five years, but I am currently impressed with medicine and scientific work in the USA – at Columbia University, but also with the fantastic New York, so I would not exclude the possibility of coming back here sometime in the future. I am highly motivated to establish cooperation with experts from our region as well and, in the future, I want to use my experience and knowledge to contribute to the development of our health system and provide support to severe patients from BiH.
(Source: radiosarajevo.ba)
