About
A doctor between two places that need him.
An emergency room on Chicago's South Side, and the emergency rooms of places the world would rather forget. Dr. Thaer Ahmad has spent his career moving between them.
In brief
Dr. Thaer Ahmad, MD is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, global health expert, educator, and humanitarian who has provided medical relief and healthcare capacity-building in some of the world's most devastated conflict zones for over fifteen years.
A Palestinian-American raised on Chicago's South Side, Dr. Ahmad first traveled to Gaza in 2009 on a medical mission and has returned multiple times since. After borders reopened in late 2023, he was deployed by the World Health Organization as part of an Emergency Medical Team to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in 2024, where he worked in the emergency department's resuscitation room.
His humanitarian medical work has also taken him to Lebanon (missions in October 2024 and May 2026) and to the West Bank (four medical missions, most recently July 2026), with capacity-building across Syria, Türkiye, Jordan, and Kenya, and refugee-health work across Europe and the Middle East.
Since October 2024, Dr. Ahmad has been denied entry into Gaza by Israeli authorities on five separate occasions, most recently on July 29, 2026, despite planned humanitarian medical missions.
At home, he is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Global Emergency Medicine Academy at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) and on the advisory board of The Borgen Project. He is a board member of the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and a past board member of MedGlobal.
A three-time recipient of the Humanitarian Award from his medical staff and the 2025 SAEM Global Emergency Medicine Academy Humanitarian Service Award honoree, he has become a leading public voice — testifying before the United Nations, speaking with Refugees International, and now appearing in the documentary American Doctor (dir. Poh Si Teng), which premiered at Sundance and opens in select theaters August 14, 2026.
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A life in medicine & witness
The arc, so far.
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2009
First mission to Gaza
The first in his family to return. The beginning of a recurring commitment.
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2009 — 2023
A decade-plus of return trips
Five additional medical missions to Gaza before the escalation of October 2023, alongside capacity-building work across the region.
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2024
WHO mission to Nasser Hospital
Recruited by the World Health Organization after borders reopened. Served on an Emergency Medical Team at Nasser Hospital, Khan Younis.
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2024
Testimony at the United Nations
"Gaza Through a Doctor's Eyes" — testimony before the UN Palestinian Rights Committee.
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2025
SAEM Humanitarian Service Award
The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine's Global Emergency Medicine Academy recognized his service.
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2026
American Doctor, in theaters
Dir. Poh Si Teng's documentary premieres at Sundance and opens in select theaters August 14.
Honors
Recognition
- SAEM Global Emergency Medicine Academy · 2025 Humanitarian Service Award
- Richard C. Holbrooke Award · Refugees International
- Three-time Humanitarian Award from his medical staff
Affiliations
Academic & advisory
- Assistant Clinical Professor · University of Illinois Chicago
- Adjunct Assistant Professor · Wake Forest University School of Medicine
- Executive Committee · SAEM Global Emergency Medicine Academy
- Advisory Board · The Borgen Project
- Board member · Palestinian American Medical Association
- Past board member · MedGlobal
Training
Prepared to serve
- Harvard Humanitarian Initiative · Humanitarian Response Intensive Course
- ICRC · Health Emergencies in Large Populations (HELP)
- WHO · Basic Emergency Care (instructor)
- Society of Critical Care Medicine · FCCS (instructor)