COM Outlook Winter 2020

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 47 BY SCOTT COLTON, B.A., APR The life philosophy 2004 alumna Joanna Drowos, D.O., M.P.H., M.B.A., FACOFP, espouses is one that has served her well both personally and professionally. As a child growing up in in a suburb of Toronto, Canada, Drowos was intuitively drawn to a medical career. “I always knew I would become a physician, because I have always had a love of learning, science, and taking care of others,” said Drowos, who is the associate dean for faculty affairs at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton, Florida. Because her father was an attorney and her mother was an occupational therapist who took her young daughter on home visits when she cared for her patients, Drowos was surrounded by hard-working professionals who were dedicated to helping others and making a difference. “While I was always internally motivated, my parents encouraged me to work hard in school,” she said. “They also gave me the freedom and confi- dence to pursue any career I wanted.” Another major influence was her dad’s younger sister, Ellen, who is a renowned physician in Canada. “She has always been a role model to me,” Drowos said. “I remember staying with her as a teenager when she was doing her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology. I watched her gracefully handle patients dealing with very personal and emotional medical issues, which was very inspiring.” Osteopathic Option Proves Appealing When the time came for Drowos to launch her college career, her family had long since relocated to South Florida, which offered a number of attractive educational opportunities. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry/English in 1999 from the University of Miami, Drowos turned her attention to medical school. Her decision to study at NSU-KPCOM was based on several important factors. “Once I learned about osteopathic medicine and its philosophy, I knew that this was the kind of physician I wanted to become. NSU was appealing, because it allowed me to stay lose to home,” she explained. “In fact, I was able to live at home during medical school, so I had the benefits of home-cooked meals and fewer student loans. NSU also taught me that additional effort leads to additional opportunity,” she added. “I was a predoctoral osteopathic principles and practice (OPP) fellow, so I had the opportunity to teach, conduct research, and improve my skills in osteopathic manipulation.” Benchmarking Achievements In addition to spending an extra year at the college doing the predoctoral fellowship, Drowos engaged in numerous academic and extracurricular activities that endeared her to her fellow students, as well as to the Bliss Finding Your Joanna Drowos Finds Fulfillment in Personal, Professional Pursuits