WCM-Q Hosts Third Alumni-Run Primary Care Conference

Doha, Qatar: The Division of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) recently hosted its third highly anticipated alumni-run conference on primary care.

The conference is titled“Updates in Primary Care: Specialist-Led Case-Based Discussions Highlighting the Latest Evidence and Best Clinical Practice – 2025 (UPCC).” Over the course of two days, WCM-Q-trained physicians delivered in-depth lectures, specialist-led case discussions, and interactive roundtables on the latest clinical best practices in primary care to family physicians and general practitioners. This year, the conference also invited abstract submissions and received a strong response, including a variety of case reports, quality improvement initiatives, and research projects.

In his keynote address, senior consultant, internist, and pulmonologist at Hamad General Hospital, professor of clinical medicine at Qatar University, and associate professor of clinical medicine at WCM-Q, Dr. Wanis Ibrahim highlighted the importance of clinical skills, good history-taking, and comprehensive physical examination in the era of artificial intelligence.

The first day of UPCC 2025 included in-depth sessions on abnormal white cell counts, with a focus on diagnosis and referral guidelines; recognizing red flags and referral criteria for eye complaints; body dysmorphia and men's performance-enhancing drugs; and mental health across the lifespan, addressing childhood trauma, geriatric depression, and loneliness.

Day two saw expert discussions on adult immunization, covering key vaccines for high-risk groups, barriers to vaccine uptake, and clinical decision-making in real-world cases; infectious diseases, with an emphasis on infection management and antimicrobial stewardship; the role of primary care physicians in breast imaging referrals, risk assessment, and screening guidelines; medical and surgical first-line obesity treatments; laboratory stewardship; and improving communication between primary and secondary care.

The conference was co-directed by Dr. Mahrukh Rizvi (Class of 2011), assistant professor of medicine at WCM-Q and consultant in critical care medicine at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC); Dr. Reshma Bholah (Class of 2011), assistant professor of pediatrics at WCM-Q and consultant pediatric nephrologist at Sidra Medicine and Research Centre; and Dr. Tariq Chukir (Class of 2015), assistant professor of medicine at WCM-Q and consultant in endocrinology at Qatar Metabolic Institute and Sidra Medicine.

Dr. Rizvi said:“Family physicians cover a broad and constantly evolving specialty, making it quite challenging to keep abreast of developments. The goal of UPCC is to summarize key updates on high-yield topics to help primary care practitioners stay informed. As a WCM-Q graduate, I am honoured to contribute to advancing primary care knowledge and practice and to ensuring the best care for patients in our community.”

MENAFN13122025000063011010ID1110475150