Many great global biographies have shown that successful people—those whom history remembers for something good they did—either know "from the start" what their path will be, or after some wandering, they find their "cup of tea." Dr. Jasmina Kozarev is one of the former – she became aware very early on that medicine would be her path.
"I enrolled in medicine because, from an early age, I was taught that helping others was the most important thing in life. This is something I learned in my family. From the very beginning, I was taught that every person must have a mirror for their soul, their desires, possibilities, and aspirations. And the best answers to all of these questions are found when you talk to yourself in front of the mirror. I wanted to help people, so I decided to become a doctor. On my first day at the university, I knew I wouldn't become a surgeon or an internist; I wanted to focus on a type of plastic surgery, reconstructive work, genetic engineering, or dermatology..."
Since her student days, Dr. Kozarev has wanted and believed that it was possible to achieve "better and more." She took the initiative to "help herself" with foreign literature. In addition to the lack of modern textbooks, many diagnoses at that time were still written in German or French. Since contemporary literature was mostly in English, foreign textbooks naturally found their way into her student life. With a little help from her uncle in America, who sent her important dermatology textbooks by Rook, Andrews, and other great names in the field, instead of jeans and sneakers...
Dr. Jasmina Kozarev first held a laser in her hands in 1989, also in America. It was love at first sight, which still lasts today. This fateful encounter took place in Phoenix, Arizona, where she went for advanced training. She spent three months working with patients in the clinic and with bedridden patients at the famous "Mayo Clinic." That experience confirmed for her that laser medicine was definitely her professional choice.
She graduated in 1988 with an average of 9.52, making her one of the best students at the Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad. She completed her five-year studies ahead of schedule and became a doctor at the age of just under 23. She immediately began her internship and, after a little over a year, started working at the Health Center in Sremska Mitrovica. Her master's thesis, "Correlation between clinical presentation, skin tests, and in vitro tests in children with respiratory diseases of allergic origin," was a hint of the path Dr. Kozarev would take in her professional future. She defended her doctoral thesis on the topic "Laser treatments of vascular lesions in the orofacial region and body" in 2011.
In the midst of the complicated 1990s, she resigned from her government position. The reasons were not the mandatory trips to the battlefield, working in war clinics, or the fact that surgery, as in any war, was the only important field at the time, but the decisive moment came when she realized that in that environment, she would not be able to follow her professional interests.
Dr. Kozarev's private practice and office in Sremska Mitrovica started well and successfully established itself. In addition to working with her patients, she also worked as a professional consultant in several private practices and specialized hospitals. Furthermore, she was the first dermatologist in Serbia to introduce aesthetic laser procedures, radio-wave surgical procedures, and non-surgical rejuvenation.
"Ten years ago, I conducted research and, consequently, created a protocol that was requested by a laser manufacturer for treating fungal nail infections. Based on my research and observation of over 400 different cases, analysis of fungal samples, and cultivations... I developed the protocol. These were basic studies that created a boom in the global laser market. This protocol was verified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the USA as a medical method that can lead to the final result. Based on my protocol, the technique and method were registered in the USA and, consequently, accepted in all countries that recognize the FDA."
With FOTONOM, a renowned global manufacturer of laser equipment, Dr. Jasmina Kozarev has developed a collaboration in the fields of doctor education, new client acquisition, and the improvement of laser systems through design enhancements. Alongside this engagement, Dr. Kozarev also works as an educator at numerous global dermatology clinics, training local medical staff at institutions such as Life Care International and Sultrak University in the UAE, LAHA Center in Slovenia, Ahmadi Hospital in Kuwait, and The Touch in India. She actively participates in and presents her research at global congresses and clinical studies.
At the beginning of the new millennium, Dr. Kozarev realized that her practice had reached its limits in terms of scope and form. An upgrade was required, one that involved more modern equipment. This coincided with her marriage. Together with her husband, an economist, they set out to elevate the clinic to the next level: they invested in equipment, research, started their own laboratory for producing unique products, and consistently focused on professional development.
Last year, Dr. Kozarev's clinic opened in Belgrade, marking the city on the "laser map of the world" in bold letters. With a strong dedication to her patients, educational engagement, and research work, Dr. Kozarev looks forward to the future of dermatology and laser applications with great optimism. She describes the laser as a "divine, omnipotent ray":
"If we look at the laser beam as part of the electromagnetic spectrum, we can say that electromagnetic rays are omnipotent. The future of medicine will lie in this – in electromagnetic rays. We can say that laser application was the first step towards something we are heading toward. That’s why I believe that lasers will change the entire way we experience health and illness. There’s a beautiful quote by Tesla about lasers, light, and energy. He said that the laser is 'light, and light is love and hope.' This gives an entirely different dimension to the profession I’m in... The charm and hope of laser light lie in its selectivity. In other words, if you want to destroy a visible blood vessel, you will use a complementary wavelength of 1064... for red blood cells, it’s 532 nanometers... for pigment, it’s 630 or 410... So, the laser is a never-ending story... Do you understand why Tesla said 'hope'?"
