Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar holds White Coat ceremony for 49 students

The next generation of Qatar’s doctors have joined Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q), donning the white coat of the physician for the first time at a special event.A total of 49 students were presented with the coat and their first stethoscope at the White Coat ceremony at the Hilton Hotel. The ceremony is a symbolic event that marks the point when students begin the four-year medical curriculum that will lead to them graduating as doctors. Sumaya al-Maraghi was one of the students who participated, having spent the last two years on WCM-Q’s pre-medical programme. Sumaya said, “The White Coat ceremony has motivated everyone on the pre-medical programme. Everyone is a little nervous about the medical curriculum but it is what we have all wanted to do for a long time so it will make the next four years very enjoyable.”Of the new medical students, 16 are Qatari and of the total number 25 are men. Countries from which students have travelled include South Korea, Kuwait, Pakistan and Peru.Dr Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCM-Q, said, “The physician’s white coat and stethoscope are recognised throughout the world and are symbolic of being a doctor. Putting on the white coat for the first time is a memory that doctors carry with them throughout their lives. It is the moment when they truly begin to learn the knowledge that will allow them to heal the sick and make a difference to their community.”“These trainee doctors are Qatar’s future healers. They are part of the generation that will deliver a world-leading healthcare system for Qatar and the region,”  he added.Dr Ibrahim A Janahi, chair of medical education and division chief of paediatric pulmonology at Sidra Medicine, gave the keynote speech and shared some stories from his own life as a paediatrician that highlighted the importance of values that he advised the students to acquire. “Today marks the first step on your lifelong, exciting voyage that is a medical career. On this journey, you will learn how to be an exemplary leader. For that you must learn the principles of leadership, ethics, knowledge acquisition, human values, communication skills, how to care for sick people and many other critical skills that you will master before you become a wonderful competent doctor,” noted Dr Janahi.The ceremony also welcomed 60 students who are joining WCM-Q’s six-year medical programme, which integrates two years of pre-medical training and the four-year medical curriculum. A further 17 students have joined WCM-Q’s foundation class -- a pathway to entry to the pre-medical programme. Turki Almutairi, from Kuwait, one of those who have joined the pre-medical programme, said “Both my mother and my aunt are physicians and I was inspired to follow in their footsteps by their dedication to their patients. “I’m also very happy to be able to study in the Middle East without having to go a long way from home, but also being in a new and exciting country.”The White Coat ceremony is the finale of WCM-Q’s orientation programme, where all of the college’s new students are introduced to the faculty and staff, and learn more about the state-of-the-art facilities that are available to them. The Class of 2022 will now spend four years training in all aspects of medicine from faculty members based in Qatar and also from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.