Nour Akhras, MD
KEYNOTE SPEAKER . PHYSICIAN . HUMANITARIAN . AUTHOR
Courage, belonging and the human side of medicine
Dr. Nour Akhras is a pediatric infectious diseases physician who has cared for children displaced by war from the Syrian-Turkish border to Greece and Yemen. She brings what those families taught her, about bias, dignity, and the cost of staying silent to conference stages, grand rounds, and leadership teams.
Dr. Nour Akhras |
Pediatric Infectious Diseases . Author of Just One: A Journey of Perseverance and Conviction
20
years as a board-certified physician
3
countries traveled to service pediatric victims of war: Turkey, Greece and Yemen
2
maiden medical missions with internationally recognized NGOs: SAMS and MedGlobal
1
memoir, Just One, praised by Kirkus Reviews and Gold Winner of the Nautilus book award Heroic Journeys category, 2024
SIGNATURE TALKS
Four talks, each built from a true story.
Every talk can run as a keynote, a fireside chat or a grand rounds lecture, and each is tailored to the audience in the room.
Moral Courage
Not Taking a Stance is Taking a Stance
Physicians are trained to stay neutral. Drawing on the Syrian crisis and her own path to advocacy, Dr. Akhras shows when silence becomes a decision, and how clinicians and leaders can speak up without losing trust.
BEST FOR Health systems, medical schools, leadership retreats
LEAVE WITH A practical way to decide
when, and how to speak up
HEALTH EQUITY
Listening Is Clinical Care
Told she was "just anxious" while going into anaphylaxis, she learned firsthand how bias shapes care. A talk on dismissed symptoms, the patients who pay for it and the one-minute habit that changes a visit.
BEST FOR Grand rounds, nursing
and residency programs ,
patient-safety teams
LEAVE WITH Concrete habits that keep
patients from being dismissed
HUMANITARIAN LESSONS
Just One: Lessons from the Frontlines of Humanitarian Aid
She went to the Syrian-Turkis border with eight days' notice and two toddlers at home. Stories from refugee camps in Turkey, Greece and Yemen and why one person showing up still matters.
BEST FOR Conferences, universities
global health and non-
profit events.
LEAVE WITH A humanized picture of
displacement and a reason to act
IDENTITY AND LEADERSHIP
Belonging Without Blending In
On being asked to change who you are to fit in, and the risk-benefit analysis she ran when she chose not to. For anyone who has been told to code-switch, tone it down or stay small.
BEST FOR Women's leadership events,
employee resource groups,
student audiences
LEAVE WITH Permission, and a framework, to lead as themselves
FORMATS
Keynote, fireside chat, panel, grand rounds, workshop
LENGTH
20 to 90 minutes, with Q & A
DELIVERY
In person or virtual
BASED IN
Chicago, traveling nationally and internationally
IN HER WORDS
On why physicians can't always stay neutral
Not taking a stance is actually taking a stance
On her first medical mission to the Syrian-Turkish border
You cannot come back from that the same person. You just can't.
On refugees and what they bring to a society
Until we give them safety, security and education, we don't know what they can contribute.
About
A pediatrician who keeps showing up
Dr. Nour Akhras is a board-certified pediatric infectious diseases physician and pediatric hospitalist with 20 years in medicine. She trained in pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and infectious diseases at the University of Michigan.
She traveled on the maiden medical missions of the Syrian American Medical Society and MedGlobal, and has cared for refugees and children displaced by war in Turkey, Greece and Yemen. She has written op-ed for local and national newspapers and spoken at the National Press Club in Washington D. C. on the effects of war on women and children.
Her memoir, Just One: A Journey of Perseverance and Conviction, follows her from medical school through post-9/11 America to the refugee camps that changed her. She lives in Chicago and is a mother of of four.
THE BOOK
The stories behind the talks
Just One
A Journey of Perseverance and Conviction
From medical school to the frontlines of humanitarian aid, a memoir that challenges how we see refugees. A portion of the proceeds supports MedGlobal's emergency response and health programs.
Top reviews from the United States
Shevawn O. Tyrrell
I started reading this today and could not put it down. This book expanded my world view and my awareness of how each faith and culture touches all of us and makes us better. As a nurse and coworker, I am so grateful Dr Akhras shared her life, work, and dedication with us. Thank you, Dr Akhras, for the sacrifices you have made and for the journey you forge every day advocating for humanity.
Haaris Ahmad
Beautiful real and raw stories that make you cry and smile as well. I highly recommend this book. It makes you realize all the blessings you have and think about ways to give back.
Nabila
This was such an insightful, relatable and authentic book. I really appreciated the refugee stories that were shared and the perspective from not only a physician but mothers point of view. Highly recommend this read!
Amenah I.
It's so easy for us to read and watch the news and move on with our day to day. Nour shows us that you can make a difference in the lives of others for the better and the ripple effect this causes. A much needed book to remind us all of what's possible.
BOOK DR. AKHRAS
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MedGlobal
A portion of the proceeds from book sales will support MedGlobal
MedGlobal is an internationally recognized non-governmental organization that provides emergency response and health programs to build resilience among vulnerable communities worldwide.
Dr. Akhras firmly believes that every child should be allowed to maximize their potential, starting with access to healthcare, especially in emergency situations.
