Samar Khirallah, MD, PhD

Bio

Dr. Samar Khirallah is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology at the Indiana University School of Medicine – West Lafayette.

Dr. Khirallah earned her MD from Damascus University in 1992 and, after relocating to the United States, completed a PhD in Anatomical Sciences Education at Purdue University in 2012.

She has been a faculty member at IUSM-WL since 2012. She is currently serving as Course Director for Human Structure and teaches extensively in the Neuroscience and Behavior course. She is passionate about innovative medical education and actively incorporates Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) into anatomy teaching.

Her teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2024 Trustees’ Teaching Award and the 2025 Outstanding Phase 1 Educator Award. She is also involved in educational research, focusing on the integration of AI-based feedback systems and novel teaching methodologies in medical education.

Dr. Khirallah is known for her deep commitment to her students’ success, creating a supportive and engaging learning environment where students feel seen, challenged, and encouraged. She invests immense care and effort into her teaching, always striving to help every student grow into a compassionate and competent physician.

Here’s a fun story she shares about how her teaching journey began:

“My teaching journey began back in elementary school in the city of Damascus, Syria. Whenever I wanted to learn something for class, I would pretend to be the teacher, presenting the topic to my imaginary students. My parents didn’t know what to do with me, especially when they’d find the walls of our home covered in chalk writing. I didn’t mind their objections—after all, having chalk at home was their fault. They were both teachers!”

That early love for teaching never faded.