(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) offered 89 students from 45 local and overseas high schools a chance to explore the prospect of careers in medicine and to sample life as a medical student and doctor during its two summer programmes.
The programmes are Qatar Medical Explorer Programme (QMEP) and the Pre-College Enrichment Programme (PCEP) which provide students with two weeks of intensive modelled on the actual curriculum followed by WCM-Q students. The programmes are offered by WCM-Q's Office of Student Outreach and Educational Development and are run twice per year - summer and winter.
The students, who were all aged between 15 and 17, came from different schools across Qatar, with international students travelling from Canada, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, and Jordan in order to participate.
This year, 44 grade 10 and 11 students completed QMEP, while 45 grade 11 and 12 students completed PCEP. Both programmes were created to provide a broad understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented by a career as a physician to students who have a keen interest in medicine and the sciences.
The students, who have all demonstrated an aptitude for the sciences and mathematics, spent time interacting with WCM-Q's highly qualified faculty and staff through a series of learning sessions that showcased the experiences of current WCM-Q students.
Both programmes featured a series of lectures, interactive clinical skills workshops, presentations, and basic lab sessions. Classes in biology, chemistry, anatomy, disease investigation, medical research, neurology, psychiatry, cardiology, plastic surgery, artificial intelligence in medicine, patient-physician dynamics, and medical ethics were also held.
The sessions gave the college-bound students a platform to learn about writing personal statements, interview techniques, study skills, applying to a medical school, time management, and presentation skills. The students also got a glimpse of WCM-Q's state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation Lab.
Other sessions included basic life support and first aid workshops featuring various case scenarios, and a cardiology workshop with“Harvey” – a cardiopulmonary simulation manikin, which mimicks various heart and respiratory conditions.
Both QMEP and PCEP also featured a presentation exercise in which students formed groups and researched a medical topic throughout the two weeks before presenting their findings on the final day of the programme. The programmes concluded with a presentation of certificates to all the participants.
The closing ceremony also recognised the winners of the JO Achievement Award, Excellence Award, and Best Presentation Award. The JO Achievement Award is named after Dr. Jehan Al Rayahi and Dr. Osama Al Saied, graduates of the Class of 2008 who initiated the first Summer Explorer Programme in 2008.
The participants were inspired by WCM-Q medical students Ibrahim Laswi (Class of 2024) and Ashton D Souza (Class of 2024), who helped to run the programmes this year. Both had participated in the programs before joining WCM-Q.
The extremely successful programmes have been offered since 2008 and have consistently attracted high-caliber candidates to WCM-Q. Many students who participate in the summer programmes go on to apply to WCM-Q and many gain acceptance in each cycle of the programme.