Doha – December 4, 2024: Pre-medical students from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) learned about the growing importance of medical physics in diagnosis, treatment and patient care during a field trip to Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

Sixty students in the second year of the pre-medical program visited HMC to discover how rapid advances in technology are making a sound understanding of physics more crucial than ever for the modern physician.

Supervised by Dr. Mohammad Yousef, professor of physics at WCM-Q, the students visited HMC's state-of-the-art National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), one of the region's most advanced cancer hospitals. They were welcomed by the center's highly trained doctors and medical physics specialists who explained how new technologies, including AI, are making the diagnosis and treatment of cancer far more effective. 

Dr. Yousef said: 'Medical physics has often been considered a niche field in the past but the emergence of new technologies and their application in almost all fields of medicine mean that the modern physician must have a good understanding of the concepts and language of physics in order to fully realize the potential of these advances for their patients.'

The students saw first-hand how cancer specialists work in large care teams alongside radiation oncologists and other imaging specialists, using the latest generation of medical imaging technology to identify the location of tumors in human tissue with very high levels of accuracy. This accurate mapping allows the team to deliver targeted treatments, eliminating the cancerous cells while minimizing harm to surrounding healthy tissue.

The students also learned how AI is now being used to identify cancer cells from medical imaging scans far more quickly and accurately than when the task is performed by humans alone.

Physicians who have a good grasp of physics are better able to understand the technical aspects of such technologies and to communicate effectively with the technical team. This competency definitely translates to optimal levels of patient care, explained Dr. Yousef.

He said: 'Our curriculum at WCM-Q is carefully designed to produce 21st century physician-scientists who are adept at utilizing advanced new technologies to enhance patient care. A solid grounding in physics, coupled with field trips like this, allow students to see firsthand how these technologies save lives, and therefore become incredibly impactful parts of their training. We are very grateful indeed to our friends and colleagues at Hamad Medical Corporation and the Cancer Care Center for making us so welcome and showing us the incredible work they do.'