HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser at the 10th anniversary celebrations of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q). Aisha Al Musallam
Doha: Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) marked its 10th anniversary yesterday. Since the beginning of its academic operations in 2002, the college has produced 112 doctors from a total of 24 nations across the world.
“A decade ago, we welcomed Weill Cornell to Qatar, to be part of our vision for an innovative, healthy future for the people of Qatar and the region. Today the college is successfully delivering on its commitment to produce world-class doctors and to become a centre of excellence in education, research and clinical training,” H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, said while welcoming the tenth anniversary milestone.
The college has also entered into partnerships with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Sidra Medical and Research Center and Aspetar sports and orthopedic hospital.
WCMC-Q has a strong research program comprising 28 active research laboratories that target multiple areas of biomedical research. This provides significant breadth to tackle complex diseases such as diabetes, obesity and related cardiovascular illnesses. “The progress that has been made in the last 10 years is quite astounding. A decade ago we did not even have a building to call our own and now we are here having graduated 112 doctors and with a fully-fledged research program,” Dr. Javaid I. Sheikh, Dean of WCMC-Q, said.
“The goal for Qatar to become a knowledge-based economy rather than being based on hydrocarbons was always ambitious. However, I believe the country’s leaders have been justified in that ambition and that Weill Cornell is helping to lead the way towards a new future,” Dr Javaid added.
Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani, President of Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Vice President, Education, Qatar Foundation, also paid tribute to the college’s work.
“Achieving this milestone has been a labor of love and we are very grateful for our strong partnership with His Highness The Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and the Qatar Foundation,” Sanford I Weill, Chairman of the Board of Overseers of WCMC, said.
“We take immense pride that our students in Qatar are doing equally as well as our students in New York as it relates to their test scores and where they are chosen for their residencies. The fact that we are still the only American medical school to offer an MD degree outside the US speaks volumes of the hard work, dedication and determination of the entire Weill Cornell team.”
Dr Fathy Saoud, President of Qatar Foundation said that the signing of the partnership between Cornell University and Qatar Foundation was significant for two reasons. Firstly it demonstrated the faith that an Ivy League university had in Qatar Foundation and this encouraged others to follow Cornell’s lead. Secondly a medical degree was considered a joint top priority for Qatar Foundation along with engineering.The Peninsula
