Weill Cornell introduces 83 students from Qatar and abroad to bright future of medical careers

Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar is hosting two summer programs for high school students to enrich their knowledge, explore the medical profession and get a close look at what college life is like for medical students.
A total of 83 students from 46 local and international high schools benefited from the Qatar Medical Explorers and Pre-College Knowledge Enrichment Programs, two enrichment programs modeled after courses taught by Qatari students at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The two programmes target students in grades 10, 11 and 12 who excel in science and mathematics from secondary schools in Qatar and abroad, with students from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Turkey, Jordan, Pakistan, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and other countries also joining the programme.
41 male and female students completed the Pre-University Knowledge Enhancement Program and 42 male and female students completed the Qatar Medical Explorers Program, both programs designed to provide high school students interested in studying medicine with a comprehensive understanding of the existing opportunities and challenges involved in studying and practicing medicine.
The two programs provide participating students with a simulated experience of current students at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, including a series of lectures, clinical skills workshops and basic laboratory courses. The lectures cover a wide range of subjects, including biology, chemistry, anatomy, medicine, medical ethics and artificial intelligence in research.
Both courses also include an overview of the Academy’s clinical skills and simulation laboratories equipped with the latest generation of high technology, introducing students to standardized patients and the basics of patient lifesaving and emergency treatment and their application in various case studies.
In the cardiology course, students learned how to differentiate heart sounds and were introduced to Harvey, a robotic doll designed to simulate various heart and respiratory diseases.
To prepare students well, both programs include presentation skills, personal essay writing principles for college applications, personal interviewing, study skills and time management classes, and students also have the opportunity to learn about current students at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar and learn about societies and clubs, including a student group focused on plastic surgery and a student group focused on psychiatry.
Both programs concluded with a ceremony where participants received certificates of program completion and winners were presented with awards for achievement, excellence, and best presentation, which were given to students who had made the most practical progress during their participation in the program.
Ms. Noha Saleh, Director of Pre-Medical Programs, Student Exchange and Educational Development at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, expressed her delight at the achievements of the two summer programs since their launch in 2008 and their popularity among the high-end population today. She noted the enthusiasm of the participating students for learning, especially in the field of science, and introduced them to the various possible career paths in medical specialties, scientific research and medical teaching that students can choose in the future.
Dr. Rashid Ben Drais, Vice Dean for Foundation Programs, Student Exchange and Education Development Programs at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, expressed his admiration for the high school students’ eagerness to learn new concepts, noting that through both programs, they have gained scientific knowledge and practical skills that will benefit them throughout their studies and throughout their lives, wherever they are in the world.
Many participating students also expressed their happiness for participating in the two programs, which allowed them to learn about various medical specialties and gain valuable and accurate information about the principles of medical school admission and other basic and important life skills, and praised the unlimited support provided by teachers and college students in the two programs.