His father was a Serbian physician who at that time was doing his post-graduate training in surgery at University of Strasbourg School of Medicine.
He completed his a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University in 1962 under Charles Philippe Leblond on autoradiography, later influencing his methodologies on determining skeletal growth.
He also served as a visiting professor at Department of Orthodontics at Louisiana State University School of Dentistry where he taught craniofacial biology and research methodology.
He was the founder and long time director of Research Laboratory for Craniofacial Cartilage and Bone Growth Center.
Dr. Petrovic was first introduced to American Orthodontic community at Moyer's Growth Symposium at University of Michigan School of Dentistry.