DOHA: A new cohort of doctors has graduated from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.
A total of 42 students received their degrees at a ceremony held on the college’s campus. The students were also honoured by a visit from the Minister for Health, HE Abdulla bin Khalid Al Qahtani. He spoke to the students about their future plans and listened to their views about their careers and the future of health care.
The graduating Class of 2015 - the largest in WCMC-Q’s history - will now go on to take residencies at hospitals in the US and in Qatar, or take up research positions.
Dr Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCMC-Q, paid tribute to the students, who are now some of the world’s newest doctors.
Dr Sheikh added, “I am hoping that most of you will choose to serve Qatar whether you complete your postgraduate training here or abroad. Your own future career achievements will then be fundamentally intertwined with the future of Qatar and its vision for a knowledge-based economy and a healthy, vibrant population. And yes, I fully expect many of you to join us on the faculty to complete the virtuous cycle.
“Class of 2015, as you look forward to the next chapter in your lives, remember this unprecedented generosity of Qatar Foundation in giving you the opportunity to become world-class physicians; and consider how you can similarly enrich the lives of others, both locally and globally.”
Student speaker Dr Ahmed Mohsen said, “There is a poignant Chinese proverb that I’m sure you may have heard: Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
“We have realized that the skills you have taught us have granted us the opportunity to serve society; provide for our families; and help steer the world into a more positive direction. Thank you for this gift, which we will cherish, and promise to hold dear.”
Dr Laurie Glimcher, dean of WCMC-New York was also in attendance to watch the students receive their degrees and hear them recite the Hippocratic Oath – the traditional promise that all new doctors take to serve their patients. She told the graduates that they would always be part of the Weill Cornell family and would always have a home, either in Qatar or New York. She told them that they should become leaders and innovators, to stretch themselves at all times and to never stop learning.
THE PENINSULA
