COM Outlook Winter 2020

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 21 away once I started playing again. That didn’t happen, so I had to find another way.” Because he spent several years working on healing both his body and mind, Nikolic’s decision to pursue a medical career developed organically. “Being a patient and suffering from a chronic illness developed a sense of compassion within me for all people who are suffering,” he explained. “I started to understand what feeling con- fused and helpless about your own condition felt like. When this experience was married with my newly developed love for philosophy, my new purpose in life became clear.” Armed with a new outlook, Nikolic attended Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, earning a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and behavior before matriculating into NSU’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteo- pathic Medicine (KPCOM), which was his first choice for several reasons. “I like the osteopathic philosophy, which I always knew was a better fit for me since I embraced the holistic approach in my own healing journey,” he said. “Although I never received osteo- pathic manipulative treatment until I got here, I see how effective it is and wish I had been exposed to it while I was trying to recover from my injury.” The fact that the KPCOM had a dual D.O./M.P.H. program, which most osteopathic programs do not, was another deciding factor. “Aside from starting my own practice down the road, I plan to implement my love for philosophy in the public health realm as well. I also knew that medical school was going to be stressful, so I decided to stay close to my sisters and good friends from FAU, who live in Boca Raton.” Focusing on the Future Although Nikolic won’t graduate from the KPCOM until 2022, he already has a clear vision of what he wants his professional future to look like. “Even before I started medical school, I knew I wanted to become a mind doctor. Consciousness is all we have, as everything we experience must flow through he stream of our awareness,” he explained. “I also plan to use my public health training to work on major mental health issues from a population perspective.” Nikolic has dealt with a significant amount of misfortune in his young life. Instead of allowing himself to slide into an ever-deepening depression, however, he searched within himself and sought the help needed to overcome his physical ailments and emotional anguish. “The emotion of pride rarely arises in my everyday life, but I do feel fortunate that I was able to overcome so much adversity. The reason I’m sharing my story is to help and inspire others. Every- thing I have been through devel- oped my emotional intelligence, healthy coping mechanisms, and a certain type of wisdom with which I navigate through life today,” he said. “Now, I perceive every experi- ence as a ‘school’ for life. To me, these are just lessons that allow me to learn how to live more authentically, fully, and conscious- ly,” he added. “Learning from and finding meaning in suffering, and from every other experience, is the ultimate road to living up to one’s own full potential.” o Nikolic studies for an exam in the Martin and Gail Press Health Professions Division Library. Nikolic (in mask) poses with classmates (from left) Morsal Osmani, Shay Ovshayev, Nicolette Natale, and Jackie Nguyen in the NSU Cadaver Lab.