A total of 68 students from 24 nationalities explored their ambitions of becoming doctors as Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) held its annual summer enrichment programmes.
Students in years 10, 11 and 12 from schools across Qatar, as well as their peers at schools in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Germany and the UK, spent two weeks at WCM-Q, participating in the Qatar Medical Explorer Programme (QMEP) or the Pre-College Enrichment Programme (PCEP).
The QMEP is aimed at students entering 10th and 11th grade, while the PCEP is for those entering 11th and 12th grade. Both give prospective students a taste of life as a medical student.
Syed Hasnain, student recruitment programmes manager at WCM-Q, said the programmes were designed to allow students to explore the college and the field of medicine so that they could make informed decisions about their future.
“Attending the summer enrichment programmes at WCM-Q is a great way for local, regional and international students to see the college first-hand, so that they can get a feel of what life as a student at WCM-Q would be like,” he said.
Ahmed al-Tamimi, who attends Omar Bin Khattab Independent School for Boys in Qatar, said the QMEP helped clarify his career route. “I have always dreamed of being a doctor, but felt that my path was not clear. Now, after this programme, I am dedicated to become a doctor and overcome all obstacles,” he added.
The programmes allowed students to explore the prospect of a career in medicine through a series of lectures, interactive clinical skills workshops, presentations and basic science lab sessions. The students also had the chance to discuss key issues in modern medicine with WCM-Q faculty.
Lisa Joan Schiefer attends the English International School in Dusseldorf and was on the PCEP. “Personally, I saw the programme as a lifetime experience, enabling me to receive an extensive and extraordinary insight in the medical profession, the study of medicine and the exceptional study conditions here at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar.”
Both the QMEP and PCEP ended on July 27 with a completion ceremony to which families were also invited.
Dr Mohamud Verjee, associate professor of family medicine at WCM-Q, gave the keynote speech, urging the students to strive for success. “Seize the moment, work hard and gain credit by merit. Surge forward with the focus on meritocracy,” he said.