Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) recently hosted the spring edition of its Medical Career Seminar series, during which medical professionals shared their career experiences with foundation and pre-medical students.
The series featured presentations by Dr Nayef Mazloum, associate professor of microbiology and immunology and associate dean for student research at WCM-Q, along with four distinguished WCM-Q alumni. Each seminar offered insights into the speaker’s career path and specialty, followed by a Q&A session.
The series opened with WCM-Q alumna Dr Ameneh Amini, a paediatric emergency physician at Sidra Medicine, who shared details of her training and medical career. Dr Amini is the first female physician from Qatar to complete paediatric emergency medicine training in North America and the first WCM-Q alumna to specialise in this field.
The next seminar featured Dr Mazloum, who reflected on his personal and professional journey, having joined WCM-Q in January 2011 from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.
During his session, he highlighted his research on molecular pathways in metabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes and age-related diseases. His lab employs a combination of in vitro cellular models, mouse models and human data to uncover novel mechanisms that modulate metabolism.
Alumna guest speaker Dr Noor al-Nassr (Class of 2024), a recent WCM-Q graduate and current dermatology resident at Hamad Medical Corporation, shared insights into her transition from medical school to residency. In her session, she also discussed her involvement in clinical research focusing on inflammatory skin diseases and severe cutaneous adverse reactions.
Alumnus Dr Mohammed al-Hijji (Class of 2011), a senior consultant in interventional and structural cardiology at the Heart Hospital, part of Hamad Medical Corporation, and an assistant professor at WCM-Q, reflected on his training and career in cardiology. In his session, he discussed his clinical work and research interests in developing advanced valvular solutions to improve longevity and performance. Fellow alumnus, Dr Abdulrahman al-Abdulmalek (Class of 2018), a hematology fellow at McGill University in Montreal, spoke about his clinical training and focus on hematologic malignancies, bone marrow transplantation and cellular therapies. Dr al-Abdulmalek is especially interested in bridging translational research with clinical care to improve outcomes in high-risk and relapsed hematologic cancers.
Dr Marco Ameduri, associate professor of physics and senior associate dean for pre-medical education and Education City collaborative curricular affairs, said: "I sincerely thank all our expert speakers for taking the time to share their experiences and professional journeys with our students. Hearing firsthand from our alumni about the wide range of training and specialization opportunities available both in Qatar and abroad is truly invaluable.”
Dr Rachid Bendriss, associate dean for foundation, student outreach and educational development programs, added: "Our Medical Career Seminar series reflects our commitment to giving students early exposure to the wide variety of career possibilities in medicine. By engaging directly with practicing medical professionals, students can hear diverse experiences, ask questions, and gain valuable insights into potential training and career paths.”