Doha – May 6, 2024: Thirty-nine high school students from 24 schools successfully completed the Qatar Aspiring Doctors Program (QADP) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q).

Organized by the Office of Student Outreach & Educational Development at WCM-Q, the QADP is a yearlong program that prepares high school students for the pre-medical curriculum through advanced tuition in the physical sciences, biology, research skills, introduction to college writing, and college reading skills. The course instruction follows a hybrid model, with monthly face-to-face sessions and hands-on activities blended with online self-paced modules.

To participate in the program, students must be in grades 10, 11, or 12 and interested in pursuing a career in medicine. They must demonstrate excellence in the sciences and mathematics and be nominated by their high school counselor, with priority given to national students. 

Dr. James Roach, associate dean for pre-medical education and professor of chemistry, who delivers the physical sciences modules of the QADP, said: 'The QADP is an enriching and extremely rewarding program that offers students the unique opportunity to strengthen their knowledge and skills. I would like to sincerely congratulate all the students who completed this year's program for their unwavering commitment to academic excellence and personal growth.'

Participating schools included ACS International School Doha; Al Arqam Academy for Girls; Al-Bayan Secondary School for Girls; Al Jazeera Academy; Al Maha Academy for Girls; Amna Bint Wahab Secondary School for Girls; Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions-Qatar; Doha British School; Durham School for Girls; Global Academy International; Hayat Universal Bilingual School; Newton International School; Park House English School; Qatar Academy Al Wakra; Qatar Academy Doha; Qatar Academy for Science and Technology; Qatar International School; Qatar Science & Technology Secondary School for Boys; Rabaa Al Adawiya Secondary School for Girls; Ramla Bint Abi Sufyan Secondary School for Girls; SEK International School Qatar; Sherborne Qatar; The Gulf English School; and The International School of Choueifat-Doha.

The students who successfully completed the program celebrated their achievements during a ceremony held at WCM-Q and received certificates of completion, as well as personal congratulations from the WCM-Q faculty in attendance.

Speaking during the program's closing ceremony, one of the participating students who completed the program with honors, Essa Mubarak Al-Buainain, from Qatar Academy Al Wakra, said: 'This program has been a profound journey over two academic semesters, one that has not only demanded academic dedication but also instilled in us the capacity for self-directed learning. Its unique structure of asynchronous modules allowed us to tailor our educational experiences to our responsibilities. This freedom to manage our learning pace fostered a sense of ownership and personal responsibility.'

Commenting on her experience, Fatma Wael Al-Emadi, from Al Maha Academy for Girls, who also completed the program with honors, said: 'All in all, I have become the best version of myself during this program, and I will take the talent and skills that I have absorbed at WCM-Q and apply them to the rest of my educational and working life.'

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: 'The QADP supports talented high school students who excel in mathematics and the sciences with acquiring a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that will effectively prepare them to study medicine and become the physician-scientists of the future. The program is no easy task; it takes self-discipline and commitment, so I would like to sincerely congratulate this year's participants for rising to the challenge and successfully completing the program.'

Year on year, the QADP continues to welcome many academically gifted students who aspire to become scientists. Since its inception in 2015, the program has attracted a record number of high school students who have successfully gone on to join WCM-Q's Foundation and Pre-medical programs.