A total of 46 teams of high school students from Qatar, the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Bahrain took part in the latest instalment of Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (QCM-Q)’s annual High School Research Competition.
The event brought 165 high school students from 26 high schools in Qatar to the college to present research posters to an audience of their peers and a panel of WCM-Q judges.
A further 12 teams from the international schools presented their research posters to the judging panel via an Internet link.
The contest, organised by the WCM-Q’s Office of Student Outreach and Educational Development, is designed to give high school students opportunities to employ scientific research methods and enhance their presentation skills, while simultaneously inspiring them to explore careers in medicine and research.
Each team comprised up to five students from grades 10-12, with each school represented by up to four teams.
Led by a science and math teacher from their school, the teams chose topics, conducted research, and created posters to present to the panel.
The competition is part of the WCM-Q’s Doctors of the Future Conference, a gathering of educational leaders and future medical professionals scheduled for April 10-11.
The top teams will have the opportunity to present their projects at the conference, and one of the top three finalist teams will receive the Doctors of the Future Conference award.
Dr Rachid Bendriss, the associate dean for foundation, student outreach and educational development programmes, said: "The High School Research Competition gives students excellent opportunities to engage with the scientific method while also discovering the many career paths that can be accessed by studying medicine at an elite medical college.”
"We were very impressed by the quality of the posters, the confidence with which the students presented their work, and the level of interest in medicine, healthcare and research demonstrated by the students,” he said.
Noha Saleh, director of pre-medical administration, student outreach and educational development, said: "We are very pleased that so many students took part and showed such aptitude for conducting their own research projects.”
"We are confident that the event has provided great encouragement for students who wish to pursue studies and careers in the sciences, and we hope many of those who took part will one day apply to study medicine at the WCM-Q,” Saleh added.