(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: The mission of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) to pursue excellence in clinical care, education and research continued apace as the elite medical college graduated 42 new doctors. Twelve of the 42 new physicians are Qatari nationals.
In attendance to witness the Class of 2023 taking the Hippocratic Oath were Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Al Faisal Holding H E sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, and other dignitaries.
The graduating class comprised 23 women and 19 men, aged between 23 and 28, hailing from 13 different countries: Qatar, Canada, Egypt, India, Iran, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, the UK and the USA. Including this year's graduates, WCM-Q has now produced a total of 546 medical doctors serving patients and pursuing research in leading healthcare institutions in Qatar, the US and all over the world since the college's inaugural graduation ceremony in 2008. WCM-Q celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
The new doctors will shortly begin the next stage of their careers as they take up residency positions at elite-level healthcare institutions in Qatar and the US, including Hamad Medical Corporation, Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Case Western/University Hospital Cleveland, University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, Massachusetts General Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center & Columbia University, among many others.
Dr. Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCM-Q, used his speech to warmly congratulate the graduating students and to acknowledge the difficulties they faced during the pandemic. He said:“Despite the stern challenges posed by the pandemic, you demonstrated determination and steely resolve to continue with your studies – you discovered the spirit of friendship, the power of teamwork, and the ingenuity of new strategies to overcome incredible hurdles. Your burning desire to become truly world-class doctors, to show that medicine is more than just a profession to you – that it is a calling, a dedication to the service of humanity - has been evident to all of us at WCM-Q.”
Dr. Sheikh also gave thanks to H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation, and H E Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, vice chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, along with the leadership of Qatar, for providing the essential support and guidance over many years that enables WCM-Q to produce world-class physicians.
Dr. Thurayya Arayssi, vice dean for academic and curricular affairs at WCM-Q, said:“We are extraordinarily proud of the achievements of the Class of 2023, especially as they had to complete a large portion of their studies during a period of unprecedented upheaval and uncertainty. Throughout that challenging period they stayed calm and composed and showed total dedication to their studies, demonstrating many of the most essential qualities demanded of truly excellent physicians.”
Visiting from the US to confer the medical degrees upon the WCM-Q graduates was Martha E Pollack, president of Cornell University.