Amarah Shakoor, MBBS

What made you want to be a physician?
My high school biology teacher was the first person who told me I have the traits of a good physician. I come from a family of non-physicians, and with my teacher’s encouragement, I volunteered at a pediatric hospital. Within a few days, I realized no other career offered such a perfect blend of intellectually exciting material, critical thinking and compassion, all while making a real difference in many lives.

What is your approach to treating patients?
I focus on patient-centric care by thoroughly investigating all complaints while respecting the patient’s perspective. I practice evidence-based medicine and avoid excessive testing whenever possible. The patient and their caregivers are always involved in making the final decisions regarding their treatment, which ultimately ensures better patient outcomes.

How do you build trust with patients and their families?
I am an advocate of active listening. I use mindful non-verbal communication (such as directly facing the patient and not the computer screen during clinical encounters). I also routinely use reflection to summarize all their concerns and how our plan as a team will address them all. I want to ensure my patients and families are encouraged by the course of action after the visit.

What would you like your patients and their families to know about you?
Someone once said a child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, always be curious and fight tirelessly for what one desires. I continue to learn from my patients and all the other children in my life, as they help me keep the zest for life alive.

How has being a parent shaped you as a pediatrician?
Motherhood has made me a significantly better pediatrician. After having my son, I have learned that doing everything by the book may not always be the best approach. My clinical advice to patients and parents is empathetic and practical and comes from personal experience while being grounded in evidence. This allows me to better connect with families to ensure their children receive the best care.

What are special areas of clinical interest?
Before moving to Nebraska, I worked in clinically underserved areas in Maryland for several years, where I had limited opportunity to refer patients to specialists and often had to rely on my own clinical acumen. I became comfortable managing children with complex chronic care needs, weight-management issues, mental health challenges and learning difficulties. It is with these patients and their families that one can sometimes make the biggest impact, which is very gratifying and humbling at the same time.