Dr Samir Nicolas Ibrahim has been awarded a Medal of the Order, better known as “OAM”, for his service in psychiatry and what he has done for the community. He has said that The OAM is an award given by the Order of Australia and it is a way for Australians to recognise the service of their fellow citizens, those whose service is worthy of particular recognition. Nominations for the Order of Australia awards are given by the community, they are then considered by the Order the Australia Council and then given to the Governor General to make a decision. Dr Ibrahim has been a psychiatrist for 39 years, and he practices in Sydenham and Bundoora. He arrived in Australia from Egypt 25 years ago, and he has always loved helping people who have mental health problems find their voice. He has said that “People with mental illnesses … they are not well appreciated in society”. In 2017, he was elected president of the Australian Egyptian Federation to which he has said “It was an honour to be elected because I was elected by the Muslims before the Christians”. Dr Ibrahim is also a member of the American Psychiatric Association and he is a secretary for the family research and interventions section of the World Psychiatric Association.
