Born in 1972, in Iraq, Professor Dr Munjed Al Muderis grew up under the Ba’ath regime of Saddam Hussein. With his father, a judge, his mother, a school principal, and his uncle, a descendant of the royal family, he enjoyed a comfortable upbringing, despite the political uncertainties of the country at large, and undertook to read medicine at Baghdad University. The Gulf War erupted during his second year of study.
In 1999, as a Junior Surgeon at Saddam Hussein Medical Centre, Baghdad, he was presented with a devastating choice by Saddam’s military commanders: amputate the ears of men attempting to escape the military draft, or risk execution. A young Munjed chose, instead, to run; fleeing to Australia, via Jordan and Kuala Lumpur.
He subsequently endured 10 months in a Western Australian immigration centre before being released to pursue a position at Mildura Base Public Hospital, Victoria. In the years that followed, he worked to develop the skills and experience that, today, position him as one of Australia’s most skilled orthopaedic surgeons.
In his professional career, Professor Dr Munjed Al Muderis has completed pioneering work in the field of osseointegration, developing both the single-stage (OGAAP-2) surgical protocol and the Osseointegrated Prosthetic Limb (OPL) titanium implant which offers a variety of benefits for people with limb loss previously forced to rely on traditional socket prosthetics. He is, today, considered one of the world’s most experienced osseointegration surgeons.
As discipline lead of the Limb Reconstruction Centre at Sydney’s MQ Health, and clinical lecturer at both Macquarie and Notre Dame universities, he is committed to the education and professional development of both his contemporaries and the next generation of leading orthopaedic surgeons.
In combination with his globe-spanning humanitarian work and his continued advocacy of those living with limb loss, his efforts have seen him recognised variously as Australian of the Year (NSW) 2020 and GQ Man of the Year 2019 (Social Force Award), and by royal audience with her highness Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry.
From joint replacement surgery, to limb lengthening and, of course, osseointegration, Professor Dr Al Muderis has been principal or contributing author of more than 80 scientific publications during his career.
In 1999, Munjed Al Muderis was a young surgical resident working in Baghdad when a squad of Military Police marched into the operating theatre and ordered the surgical team to mutilate three busloads of army deserters…
Walking Free is Munjed’s own, extraordinary, account of his journey from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq to a new life in Australia and a remarkable career as a pioneering orthopaedic surgeon.
“A chill ran down my spin as the Qatar Airways Boeing 737 descended and, through the darkness, the lights of Baghdad gradually came into sight in the distance. ‘Oh no, what have I done?’ I thought…”
More than two decades after he escaped death at the hands of Saddam Hussein’s military, Munjed Al Muderis returned to Iraq, to witness firsthand how far his country of birth had come since he fled it, and to offer his medical expertise to those most in need.
Professor Dr Munjed Al Muderis is a dedicated humanitarian committed to using his experience and expertise to help improve the lives of those who have fallen victim to war and human rights abuses.
"Munjed exemplifies the valuable and positive contribution that refugees can make – leading by example what it means to be Australian."
Winner of the Social Force award, "his story is a reminder, that a person can always start, and restart, again."
"For courage that led to his freedom — and then groundbreaking work to give patients new hope."
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Professor Dr Munjed Al Muderis is an orthopaedic surgeon specialising in osseointegration, hip, knee and trauma surgery. He is a clinical professor at Macquarie University and The Australian School Of Advanced Medicine, a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Chairman of the Osseointegration Group.