Kopriva (right) recently completed a four-week rotation in orthopedic surgery at Stanford University Medical School under the direction of Dr. Frick (’87)
Raising Higher: John Kopriva & Dr. Steven L. Frick
8/21/2019 1:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
Back in 2015, Dr. John was a senior forward on a postseason-bound GW men's basketball squad with a blue-collar game, a contagious work ethic and a dream.
Four years later, he's well on his way to making that lofty goal a reality.
"I can't wait for it to no longer be a nickname," John Kopriva said with a chuckle.
Beginning his final year as a medical student at the University of Wisconsin, Kopriva recently wrapped up a yearlong series of clinical rotations spanning the field before settling on the track to become an orthopedic surgeon. The next step is securing a five-year hospital residency to complete his training.
For the former Colonial, it's taken an extreme amount of hard work and a strong support system to get here.
"I'll be honest: I don't know if anything could've truly prepared me for medical school," said Kopriva, who averaged a career-high 6.7 points per game as a senior before being named an Academic All-American. "It's quite the grind and quite the journey, but I think being a student-athlete definitely helped, and I honestly rely on not only what I learned at GW but also a lot of the teammates I had and connections I made who have been there for me and really supported me every step of the way."
Kopriva's past and future came together last month with a four-week rotation in orthopedic surgery at Stanford University Medical School under the direction of former Colonial Dr. Steven L. Frick (CCAS BS '87).
At GW, Frick set a shining example as a two-time captain and team MVP on the court and as a Rhodes Scholar nominee and two-time Academic All-American for his work in the classroom. In recognition of that all-around excellence, he was elected to the GW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
Frick has been just as successful in the field of medicine over the past two-plus decades, serving the past two and a half years as Chief of Pediatric Orthopedics at Stanford Children's Health and Vice Chair of the Stanford Medical School's Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
The opportunity to work alongside Frick was a thrill for Kopriva.
The pair first met during Kopriva's junior year in Foggy Bottom through longtime administrator and 2019 GW Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Ed McKee. They connected again in May 2018 when Frick was serving as president of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and Kopriva was presenting research at the group's annual meeting in Austin, Texas.
"He's one of the great teachers in the field and very respected by the residents," said Kopriva, who split his time at Stanford between the hospital's pediatric and trauma units. "It was awesome for me, as not even a resident yet, to start to get some of that training with tools and techniques that I'll take on to other rotations going into my residency, no matter where I end up."
The relationship has been just as special for Frick, who has long supported medical students at his various stops but never worked with a fellow GW student-athlete.
"He's an outstanding young man," Frick said. "He's got a bright future in medicine and as an orthopedic surgeon. He's really done a terrific job in medical school, and he has, for me, all the qualities that you would look for in an outstanding surgeon."
It's an understandably hectic work environment without much room for small talk, but Frick and Kopriva had the opportunity to share a few meals during Kopriva's stay at Stanford.
The pair compared notes on where they lived on campus, how they managed the balance between a demanding academic load and hoops and who they played with and against.
Memorably, they shared a laugh about their first summers in Foggy Bottom playing in the Kenner League: Frick was a skinny first-year who had to match up vs. two-time ACC Player of the Year Len Bias of Maryland, while Kopriva was similarly overmatched in his debut there facing off against pros trying to stay in shape during the 2011 NBA lockout.
"He lights up when you talk GW hoops," Kopriva said. "It was a lot of fun for he and I to remember a little bit and laugh about the teammates and stories that we had."
Logistically, it was a good match, as well.
The 6-foot-5 Frick is used to reaching down to an operating table adjusted to shorter assistants. That wasn't the case over the July 4 holiday for a surgery with the 6-foot-8 Kopriva and a 6-foot-7 resident aiding.
"It was nice," Frick said. "It's probably the first time in my life that of three surgical team members I was the shortest one!"
Kopriva is back in Wisconsin for a rotation close to home before heading to monthlong stints at the hospitals at Emory and Vanderbilt. He's putting the finishing touches on his residency applications as that selection process will play out through the fall.
As he prepares for the next step, Kopriva's connection to the GW men's basketball program remains strong.
While he avoided major injury during his time in Buff and Blue, Kopriva's interest in orthopedics took hold hanging around the Smith Center training room. He's stayed close with former teammates like Joe McDonald, Jabari Edwards and Jonathan Davis, and last year, he caught up with Tyler Cavanaugh when he was in town playing for the Utah Jazz against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In May, Kopriva had the chance to meet head coach Jamion Christian and a few of the current student-athletes when he was in D.C. for Nemanja Mikic's wedding. He's eager to do whatever he can to help the next generation of Colonials like Frick has done for him.
"I think that's one of the coolest things when you can continue to feel part of a family and in that world with shared experiences that you can only understand if you've been through it," Kopriva said. "I think it's so neat when you're able to take care of each other and look out for each other. I look forward to the day when another student-athlete comes through and wants to go into medicine and I can work with him or her."
Four years later, he's well on his way to making that lofty goal a reality.
"I can't wait for it to no longer be a nickname," John Kopriva said with a chuckle.
Beginning his final year as a medical student at the University of Wisconsin, Kopriva recently wrapped up a yearlong series of clinical rotations spanning the field before settling on the track to become an orthopedic surgeon. The next step is securing a five-year hospital residency to complete his training.
For the former Colonial, it's taken an extreme amount of hard work and a strong support system to get here.
"I'll be honest: I don't know if anything could've truly prepared me for medical school," said Kopriva, who averaged a career-high 6.7 points per game as a senior before being named an Academic All-American. "It's quite the grind and quite the journey, but I think being a student-athlete definitely helped, and I honestly rely on not only what I learned at GW but also a lot of the teammates I had and connections I made who have been there for me and really supported me every step of the way."
Kopriva's past and future came together last month with a four-week rotation in orthopedic surgery at Stanford University Medical School under the direction of former Colonial Dr. Steven L. Frick (CCAS BS '87).
At GW, Frick set a shining example as a two-time captain and team MVP on the court and as a Rhodes Scholar nominee and two-time Academic All-American for his work in the classroom. In recognition of that all-around excellence, he was elected to the GW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
Frick has been just as successful in the field of medicine over the past two-plus decades, serving the past two and a half years as Chief of Pediatric Orthopedics at Stanford Children's Health and Vice Chair of the Stanford Medical School's Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
The opportunity to work alongside Frick was a thrill for Kopriva.
The pair first met during Kopriva's junior year in Foggy Bottom through longtime administrator and 2019 GW Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Ed McKee. They connected again in May 2018 when Frick was serving as president of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and Kopriva was presenting research at the group's annual meeting in Austin, Texas.
"He's one of the great teachers in the field and very respected by the residents," said Kopriva, who split his time at Stanford between the hospital's pediatric and trauma units. "It was awesome for me, as not even a resident yet, to start to get some of that training with tools and techniques that I'll take on to other rotations going into my residency, no matter where I end up."
The relationship has been just as special for Frick, who has long supported medical students at his various stops but never worked with a fellow GW student-athlete.
"He's an outstanding young man," Frick said. "He's got a bright future in medicine and as an orthopedic surgeon. He's really done a terrific job in medical school, and he has, for me, all the qualities that you would look for in an outstanding surgeon."
It's an understandably hectic work environment without much room for small talk, but Frick and Kopriva had the opportunity to share a few meals during Kopriva's stay at Stanford.
The pair compared notes on where they lived on campus, how they managed the balance between a demanding academic load and hoops and who they played with and against.
Memorably, they shared a laugh about their first summers in Foggy Bottom playing in the Kenner League: Frick was a skinny first-year who had to match up vs. two-time ACC Player of the Year Len Bias of Maryland, while Kopriva was similarly overmatched in his debut there facing off against pros trying to stay in shape during the 2011 NBA lockout.
"He lights up when you talk GW hoops," Kopriva said. "It was a lot of fun for he and I to remember a little bit and laugh about the teammates and stories that we had."
Logistically, it was a good match, as well.
The 6-foot-5 Frick is used to reaching down to an operating table adjusted to shorter assistants. That wasn't the case over the July 4 holiday for a surgery with the 6-foot-8 Kopriva and a 6-foot-7 resident aiding.
"It was nice," Frick said. "It's probably the first time in my life that of three surgical team members I was the shortest one!"
Kopriva is back in Wisconsin for a rotation close to home before heading to monthlong stints at the hospitals at Emory and Vanderbilt. He's putting the finishing touches on his residency applications as that selection process will play out through the fall.
As he prepares for the next step, Kopriva's connection to the GW men's basketball program remains strong.
While he avoided major injury during his time in Buff and Blue, Kopriva's interest in orthopedics took hold hanging around the Smith Center training room. He's stayed close with former teammates like Joe McDonald, Jabari Edwards and Jonathan Davis, and last year, he caught up with Tyler Cavanaugh when he was in town playing for the Utah Jazz against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In May, Kopriva had the chance to meet head coach Jamion Christian and a few of the current student-athletes when he was in D.C. for Nemanja Mikic's wedding. He's eager to do whatever he can to help the next generation of Colonials like Frick has done for him.
"I think that's one of the coolest things when you can continue to feel part of a family and in that world with shared experiences that you can only understand if you've been through it," Kopriva said. "I think it's so neat when you're able to take care of each other and look out for each other. I look forward to the day when another student-athlete comes through and wants to go into medicine and I can work with him or her."
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