Doha – April 11, 2023: Twenty-nine high school students had the chance to experience on-campus life as medical students during Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar’s (WCM-Q) weeklong Qatar Medical Explorer Program (QMEP).

The program comes as part of WCM-Q’s enrichment programs and is offered by WCM-Q’s Office of Student Outreach & Educational Development. Entry to the program is through nomination by high school counselor and teachers, who put forward students who have demonstrated academic excellence, particularly in the sciences and mathematics. 

As part of the program, students are exposed to a series of sessions that accurately reproduce the experiences of current WCM-Q students, with classes in biology, chemistry, anatomy, neurology, disease investigation, and research. There are also sessions on study skills, time management, writing personal statements, interview techniques, applying to medical school, and careers in medicine. 

Students also have the opportunity to participate in an oral presentation exercise, in which they research a medical topic and then present their findings to their peers and WCM-Q faculty members.

Noha Saleh, director of premedical administration, student outreach and educational development, said: “Our enrichment programs continue to offer valuable opportunities for high-caliber students to gain a well-rounded and accurate view of what it is really like to study at WCM-Q and to pursue a career in science. We are absolutely delighted by the level of enthusiasm, intellect, and commitment demonstrated by this year’s participating students and hope that many of them go on to consider a rewarding career in medicine.” 

According to Dr. Syed Ahmed Hasnain, the program manager, students from 11 schools took part in this year’s QMEP winter session. Participating schools included Al Arqam Academy for Girls, Al Bayan Independent School for Girls, Amna Bint Wahab Independent School for Girls, DeBakey High School for Health Professionals at Qatar, Doha British School, Qatar Academy Al Wakra, Qatar Academy Doha, Qatar Academy for Science and Technology (QAST), Tariq Bin Ziyad Independent School for Boys, The Gulf English School, and Academic Bridge Program.

Commenting on his experience, one of the participating students, Fahad Faisal Al-Dosari, from Qatar Academy – Al Wakra, said: “The program gives insight into medical careers and offers realistic information on pre-medicine and medicine, where you start understanding if you are really a great fit for medicine or not. I enjoyed the program because it helped me develop my skills and gave me insight into the knowledge and aspects I need to be aware of, to hopefully join WCM-Q.” 

Dr. Rachid Bendriss, professor of English as a second language, assistant professor of education in medicine, and associate dean for foundation, student outreach and educational development programs, said: “By inviting prospective students to spend a week within our reputable medical college setting and gain hands-on experience of what a medical education entails, we are offering a truly unique opportunity for students to make well-informed decisions about the possibility of pursuing a career as a physician-scientist. We look forward to welcoming many of our visiting students as future medical program applicants.”