WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE IN QATAR

Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q)

Established in 2001 as partnership between Cornell University and Qatar Foundation, WCMC-Q is part of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and shares its mission of dedication to excellence in education, patient care and research.

The first medical school in Qatar and a pioneer of coeducation at the university level, WCMC-Q offers pre-medical and medical studies leading to the Cornell University M.D. degree. It is the first US university to offer its M.D. degree overseas. Teaching is by Cornell and Weill Cornell faculty, including physicians at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Aspetar who hold Weill Cornell appointments.

WCMC-Q established academic operations in 2002 and since then enrollment has grown rapidly. Student numbers have increased from 25 first year pre-medical students in the fall of 2002 to over 270 students from more than 36 countries in the fall of 2010.

In the clinical arena, WCMC-Q is already making a contribution to the community in Qatar. Several medical faculty members are licensed and credentialed to see patients as part of their teaching assignment in HMC facilities. There are exchanges of expertise with faculty-physicians from New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, particularly in the planning phase of Qatar Foundation’s Sidra Medical and Research Center.

Faculty and staff of Weill Cornell in New York City and in Doha are building the research capacity of Qatar in partnership with Qatar Foundation, HMC, the Supreme Council of Health, and other organizations. Together they are conducting high quality research in genetic and molecular medicine, women and children’s health, gene therapy, and vaccine development.

Our students have exciting opportunities to participate in advanced research. The Summer Research Program enables selected students to travel to the US and work under the mentorship of leading investigators at Cornell and Weill Cornell. Meanwhile, a growing number are participating in projects in Qatar, guided by WCMC-Q faculty and funded by the Undergraduate Research Experience Program of Qatar National Research Fund.

Website: http://qatar-weill.cornell.edu