Former refugee becomes AdventHealth ER resident

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  • Tom Johnson
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To hear Dr. Tamara Djurin's story, in her own words, click the video player above.

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Dr. Tamara Djurin helps people every day as an emergency medicine resident at AdventHealth East Orlando where she extends the healing ministry of Christ with incredible empathy for her patients.

“To have someone care for you like a family member would, right at your bedside, is a huge deal when it comes to patient healing,” Djurin said.

Tamara Djurin with her mother and father
Tamara Djurin, as a child, with her mother and father

That empathy grew out of tough life circumstances. Djurin was born a refugee and homeless in Yugoslavia. Her parents and brother had been forced to leave their homeland to escape growing ethnic tension in 1991.

“She has a desire to give patients her best, regardless of what's going on in their personal life,” said Dr. Andy Little, an emergency medicine physician at AdventHealth East Orlando and program director of AdventHealth’s emergency medicine residency program.

Djurin says her parents knew war was coming, so they moved the family to Germany and lived in refugee camps. When the war ended, the family’s stay in Germany came to an unexpected close. Yugoslavia was split into six different countries, none of which allowed Djurin’s family to claim citizenship, so they were forced to leave Germany.

“We weren't citizens of any country. We didn't belong anywhere,” she said.

It was 1999 and help came from a joint refugee program run by the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

“My dad always wanted to live the American dream and open up a business. So, we decided America was our home,” said Djurin.

Tamara Djurin and her mother
Tamara Djurin, as a child, with her mother

The family’s new life in the U.S. began in Ames, Iowa. Tamara’s personal journey eventually led to an undergraduate degree from the University of Akron, medical school, and now a three-year residency in the AdventHealth East Orlando ER.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to give back to the community, the way the communities [where I’ve lived] have given to me. I wanted to give back through medicine,” said Djurin.

AdventHealth East Orlando’s ER often provides whole person care to Central Florida’s homeless population. According to Little, Tamara Djurin excels, in part, because of her unique background.

“We sometimes forget that our patients come from all walks of life,” Little said. “Some of the things that Tamara's had to overcome are things that patients deal with on a regular basis. Whether it's, where is my next meal coming from or where am I sleeping tonight.”

“AdventHealth loves to serve their community. And because of them, I saw an opportunity to give back to the community in that way,” Djurin said.

AdventHealth’s emergency rooms in Central Florida treat nearly 600,000 patients every year, or almost twice the population of the city of Orlando. With a network of hospital-based and freestanding ERs in the metro Orlando area, care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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