Ana Mitrovic Jovanovic, the head of daily hopsital GAK Narodni front - The joy of new life

(Ana Mitrovic Jovanovic)

She knew since her childhood she will be a doctor-gynecologist. The second options was not possible. She enrolled the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade as the eight-ranked and she was the youngest PhD in medical sciences, professor at the faculty, department head. Professor Dr. Ana Mitrovic Jovanovic stepped into her forties and she already has success for two careers.

Dynamic, diligent and energetic, she runs the daily hospital Narodni front in Belgrade. Her colleagues say they can hardly follow that kind of energy. She is thought to be a great expert in taking care about women’s reproductive health.

While we are sitting in her office, constantly interrupted by her associates, patients, phone ringimg, she stays cheerful and with a smile is talking about her childhood in Budva, education family, child raising, husband’s support.

She is married to Tomislav Jovanovic, professor at the Faculty of Medicine and they have a son Stevan.

Budva

The warmth of Budva can be felt in her voice. She remembers her carefree childhood, unconditioned parents’ love, her grandmother, aunt, uncle, etc.

And, while she is summing up the memories, she remembers the anecdote:

- My mum drove me and my neighbor to Kotor to the concert and the car stopped when she was moving uphill. Luck came with the man from the opposite direction who went out of the car and stopped the car moving backwards with a stone, thus preventing the accident. We got to the concert on time.

She is proud to have friends from Kotor where she entered the grammar school which she later ended in Belgrade.

Construction or medicine

Most of her family members are professors and economists and her father wanted his daughter to be a construction engineer.

- I am proud of all my results so far. When I was 28, I had an introductory session at the Academy of sciences. I run symposiums abroad, participated at the European and world congresses. Last September. I organized a big international meeting at the Hyatt hotel with more than 20 foreign lecturers, clinics, professors.

Every well-done surgery and birth are the biggest success as of that moment, she adds.

- A life depends on your decision at the moment. You have to think fast, to have strength, to stick to your decision, to have a line which guides you. When you see a patient, you must have a clear plan and move one.

Family support

When asked who her favorite philosophers are and whose quotes she cites most often, she replies without thinking:

- I quote most my mother and my husband. They are my greatest philosophers!

She admits the support of her parents and husband made her way to results easier.

- I have never lacked anything. I did not have to manage as my colleagues, to think about material things. I only had to study and work. I think my husband is better and more successful expert than me so he helped me a lot in professional sense.

When asked what her parents advised her what she is now transferring to her son, she replies:

- My parents continued teaching my son what they did with me.

She explains her parents are a part of her son’s growing up and that, among other things, she attends French school.

Still, she concludes, that the most important is that he is diligent and a good man, honest with himself and others.

Music is not her art

After a hard day, she likes her bed in the living room. She relaxed by playing the piano but surprisingly, music is not her art.

- I enjoy most in paintings, it is what fascinates me most.

She previously researched Hesse and Dostoyevsky and today she has time only expert literature.

- You must be informed because medicine constantly changes.

Since she was born at the seaside, she likes water most although she likes skiing as well. It is a mutual love of all family members. She travelled the world and she thinks Buenos Aires and Katmandu are the most attractive locations.

At the end, trying to explain in the simplest way what makes her happy, the answer came with the knocking on the door.

- I saved this gentleman a wife and a son’s life.

Marija Kambic