Dr. Jasmina Kevric
As a young girl, she escaped the conflict in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Triumphing over tremendous odds, she transcended to the highest level of the medical profession. Today, she performs surgeries several times a week, dedicating her life to healing others while giving back to the community that welcomed her.
Fleeing the frontlines of one of Europe’s last wars, in the mid-1990s Jasmina and her family sought refuge from their native Bosnia. They first found sanctuary in Germany, where they lived for four years. On arrival in Australia in 1999, they were granted a humanitarian visa. This change marked the beginning of a long and difficult road for Jasmina. She fought a huge deficit in her education early on due to the war.
Despite the many challenges Dr. Kevric encountered, he graduated from medical school in 2010. After a three-year fellowship in breast surgery at some of the nation’s top cancer centers, he became a general surgeon by 2021. Her commitment to advocacy won her the coveted Junior Doctor of the Year award at the Australian Medical Association Victoria awards in 2022. The significance of this award acknowledges her extraordinary achievements and commitment to the highest standards of medical care.
These formative experiences in Jasmina’s childhood had a profound impact on the trajectory of her career. Yet she remembers the brutalities of her youth in searingly clear detail.
“I was standing in the middle of our yard when I heard a missile fall. I waited for it to land, to run in the opposite direction,” – Dr. Jasmina Kevric.
This traumatic experience would go on to deeply influence her understanding of human suffering and the necessity of compassion in healthcare.
“The next moment, I heard a huge bang and splinters flew towards me. Inside our damaged home, most of my family was lying on the floor and not moving,” – Dr. Jasmina Kevric.
Her parents offered what little homeschooling they could provide, but there was little hope for a bright future amidst the turmoil.
“During the war, we did not have a great deal to eat. Food was scarce, and I did not attend school,” – Dr. Jasmina Kevric.
Eyal’s refugee experience coming to Australia as a teenager was compounded by additional challenges. Jasmina’s educational gap was very large and she faced language barriers. She fought with blood, sweat, and tears to assimilate into her newly adopted culture. Battling these barriers proved to be 20 years of blood, sweat and tears.
As a surgeon, she appreciates firsthand the obstacles refugees face each day. Yet they find it next to impossible to rebuild their lives in a new country.
Though these obstacles weigh heavy on her, Jasmina draws resilience from the shadows of what she has seen and faced. Today, she is a successful surgeon. In her spare time, she volunteers at the Cabrini Asylum Seeker and Refugee Health Hub in Melbourne’s Northcote. Through this initiative, she’s able to help people who end up in similar circumstances that she was once in.
“Being a refugee is incredibly difficult. Nobody wants to be a refugee, nobody wants to be sent to another country away from their home, their loved ones, their work, their passions,” – Dr. Jasmina Kevric.
She shines a much-needed spotlight on the net benefits that refugees bring to their new communities. They may be the future doctors, lawyers or politicians of our great nation.
“I feel incredibly proud and privileged to be able to reach this point in my life where I can provide the support that refugee patients need,” – Dr. Jasmina Kevric.
Jasmina’s dedication doesn’t stop at the operating table, and she uses her platform to continue raising awareness for refugee rights. Her story tells the story of what refugees are facing in Australia. It underscores the timely importance of policies that foster greater integration and increase employment opportunities for humanitarian migrants.
“I want to remind people about the potential that refugees bring to this country,” – Dr. Jasmina Kevric.
As migration studies expert John van Kooy points out, this is a terrible problem that many refugees experience. Though many come from years spent working in Australia, they frequently face “occupational downgrading.” People who previously occupied professional spaces can no longer find solutions to return them to similar areas, even if they are fully qualified for and experienced in those roles.
These challenges resonate with Jasmina’s journey. She knows that too many refugees in our city encounter obstacles that sour their potential to contribute to our community as full participants and leaders.
“Occupational downgrading basically means for those that were working in professional and managerial roles prior to coming to Australia — in sectors like business, human resources and IT — many of those individuals, even after 10 years of permanent residency in Australia, were not able to find the same level of employment or occupational status,” – John van Kooy.
Now married with a four-year-old daughter Sophia, Jasmina manages her hectic international career while raising a young child. Her path to success can be a model not just for future doctors but for anyone who has to overcome the cards dealt by life.
“And I know that anyone going through a life-changing event, whether that be a war or cancer diagnosis or loss of a loved one, becomes aware of how precious life is and that it should never be taken for granted,” – Dr. Jasmina Kevric.
Now married with a four-year-old daughter named Sophia, Jasmina balances her demanding career with family life. Her journey serves as inspiration not only for aspiring medical professionals but also for anyone facing adversity.
