Public radio’s longest-running daily global news program.AboutContactDonateMeet the TeamPrivacyTerms of use©2026 The World from PRXPRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402.Three doctors’ harrowing journey through GazaSince the current war in Gaza began nearly three years ago, a small number of US medical professionals have been rotating in and out of posts in the Strip’s few functioning hospitals. In the new documentary “American Doctor,” director Poh Si Teng follows three of those American physicians, including one who is Jewish and another who is Muslim. The World’s Carolyn Beeler speaks with Teng and Dr. Thaer Ahmad. Health & MedicineAugust 21, 2026Updated: August 21, 202611:12Getting into Gaza is extremely difficult, even for medical professionals whose expertise is urgently needed.At any given time, Israeli authorities only allow a few dozen international doctors to work in Gaza’s remaining hospitals, and just a handful of them are from the United States.A new documentary, “American Doctor,” follows three US physicians who treated patients at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital in 2024 and 2025. The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler caught up with Poh Si Teng, the film’s director, and Dr. Thaer Ahmad, one of the doctors featured in the film, to learn more about their experiences.Poh Si Teng: You know, I knew from the get-go that it was not possible simply because of who controls the borders. So, if this film was going to happen, it would take the collaboration of a team spanning eight countries. And of course, one of the groups that was essential was our friends from Gaza. So, we had to rely on them, and we stayed in close communication. You know, it was a lot harder than I thought. I’m an experienced documentary commissioner. I’ve worked with cinematographers, directors, producers on the ground in conflict regions, but this was nothing like I had ever experienced before. So, everything in the film, as it regards what we see at Nasser Medical Complex, is a testament to the craft and courage of the team on the ground in Gaza.A still from the “American Doctor” film by Poh Si Teng, featuring Palestinian American Dr. Thaer Ahmad speaking on a doctor- and healthcare-filled panel.Courtesy of Watermelon PicturesPoh Si Teng:You know, you show too much, and it’s gratuitous, and it’s ineffective. People are going to turn away. You show too little, and it’s not real. And it’s a huge disrespect to those who have passed and those who have survived them. And it’s a huge disservice to the audience. So, at that moment, when I was confronted with the fact of, you know, “I need to show this. Do I not show this?” and the Jewish doctor, Mark Perlmutter, he’s very upset with me. And I’m upset with myself. And so, I decided I’m going to lean into it. Let’s film it. And that set the tone for what the film was going to be.A still from the “American Doctor” film by Poh Si Teng, featuring Dr. Mark Perlmutter.Courtesy of Watermelon PicturesA still from the “American Doctor” film by Poh Si Teng.Courtesy of Watermelon PicturesDr. Thaer Ahmad:I think when people are hearing about the stories of the people that we interacted and worked with in the hospitals, when they hear about the kids that we saw running around in the streets playing, when they hear that all of this was taking place as we were watching the bombs take place, dropped on homes and on tents and we saw the patients in these emergency departments, and they get to hear that level of detail without somebody trying to talk about some sort of political negotiation or some new development in terms of the governments and what they’re saying, I think people actually lean forward and they want to hear more. They ask thoughtful questions.Poh Si Teng:Yeah, and to add to that, you know, it’s not for lack of facts that people are confused sometimes. So, what was important for us in making the film was to make it very real. Everything is in scene. Everything is in vérité. You’re going on a journey with these three doctors as they enter a portal, and that portal is Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza. And the people you’re going to meet on that side are the Palestinian doctors who are trying everything. Prior to making this film, I was an executive for a studio, and as an executive, we watch a lot of things, and we learn about why people watch things the way we do. So, it was not lost on me that Americans love medical dramas. Every year you’re going to have two or three medical dramas on streaming platforms. I’m a big fan and consumer of “The Pitt.” I just loved it. So, it was one of those things; I was like, “All right, you know what? We’re going to make ‘The Pitt.'” The difference is it’s real. It’s set in Gaza. And this is how we’re going to bring the message from Gaza back into the American psyche, because we are fully responsible for what is happening over there. Let’s make it real.Dr. Thaer Ahmad:And there’s something, too, that I think most people will notice. There is a fraternity that exists amongst healthcare workers, first responders, I’m sure, journalists, any sort of profession. There’s this fraternity that exists that sort of transcends borders. And when you see these American doctors, all of whom are very different, they’re all working together; they’re collaborating. And then you see us collaborating with local doctors, Palestinian doctors, local nurses, Palestinian nurses. You’re absolutely just watching people with a shared goal, with shared values and shared humanity. I think that’s really the crux of our message at the end of the day: our shared values as healthcare workers, as people who claim that we want to heal people … it should not matter what ethnicity you are, what religion you follow, what nation you belong to. That goal is sacred. It should be protected. And it’s something we’re going to keep pushing for when others try to pretend it’s not.Poh Si Teng:When we filmed, I will say this was in Washington, DC, during the early months of 2025. It was such a lonely experience. So many doors were shut for the doctors. So, it’s almost like I wanted to capture that capsule, but I also wanted to show, like, look, at the end of the day, these are just regular people. They’re just doctors. They never wanted any of this, and they have to rise to the occasion to do this kind of work.A still from the “American Doctor” film by Poh Si Teng, featuring Palestinian American Dr. Thaer Ahmad. Courtesy of Watermelon PicturesDr. Thaer Ahmad:It’s a tremendous amount of survivor’s guilt. It’s heartbreaking. In fact, I know the people saying bye to Feroze very well. Dr. Khaled and many of these other healthcare workers that you see at Nasser Medical Complex. It doesn’t make any sense. You know, for us, we are sitting there, we’re there for a brief moment in time, whether it’s a few weeks or a few months, and we’re working alongside these incredible clinicians, these people who are emerging from their tents every morning and walking to the hospital, knowing that their community is seeing if they are still going to wake up and show up to work. And we know the bombardment that they’re facing. In fact, more than 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed. And, you know, for us, it just — none of it makes sense. The world is upside down. These people are incredible. We should hear their stories. The world should know who they are, and they should be lecturing medical students across the country. They should share the knowledge they have. Instead, every single day they pick up their stethoscopes, every day they put on their white coats, they’re being targeted. And there’s a real non-zero chance that we may not see them again, that we may hear the most terrifying news. And for us, it just doesn’t make sense. Why? Because I was born in Chicago, I’m able to leave this war zone, and the people who are there, they don’t get any sort of security, even though they’re inside a hospital, even though they’re inside a newborn nursery?Poh Si Teng: And to add to that, when we were talking to our cinematographer, Ibrahim Al Otla, and our co-producer, Mohammed Sawwaf, we told them, film everything, every doctor, every nurse, every medical student. We don’t know whether we’ll see them again. And so, when you were playing that clip of Feroze leaving Nasser Medical Complex and saying goodbye, I can’t help but honestly choke up when I think about that because we don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s still volatile in Gaza. And so, we wanted to keep this as a record for ourselves. Even if this film could not get out into the world the way we wanted it to, we would have something to keep and to remember our colleagues, be they filmmakers, camera people or the healthcare workers.A still from the “American Doctor” film by Poh Si Teng, featuring Dr. Feroze Sidhwa.Courtesy of Watermelon PicturesParts of this interview have been lightly edited for length and clarity.