‘It’s not enough to quietly fit in’

The first female neurosurgeon in Croatia, Nikolina Sesar brings her tenacity, advocacy, fascination with the brain to her fellowship at OHSU

By Erin Hoover Barnett January 03, 2022 Portland, Oregon

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20211210_Neurosurgery fellow Nikolina Sesar

Nikolina Sesar, a neurosurgery/emergency medicine fellow who is from Croatia, is the first female neurosurgeon in that country. She is learning under Kim Burchiel, M.D., professor of neurosurgery in the OHSU School of Medicine. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

20211210_Neurosurgery fellow Nikolina Sesar 2

Nikolina Sesar, left, a neurosurgery/emergency medicine fellow who is from Croatia, is the first female neurosurgeon in that country. She is learning under Kim Burchiel, M.D., professor of neurosurgery in the OHSU School of Medicine. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

20211210_Neurosurgery fellow Nikolina Sesar (3)

Nikolina Sesar, M.D., an OHSU neurosurgery fellow, and her mentor Kim Burchiel, M.D., professor of neurosurgery, in between cases on a recent Friday. As the first female neurosurgeon in Croatia, Sesar realized that part of her purpose is encouraging women and others who are under-represented in medical fields. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)