Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and the College of Medicine at (CMED) Qatar University recently held an orientation for the new batch of medical students who commenced their medical studies this September.

Nearly 80 new first-year students from CMED attended the two-day introductory presentations at HMC’s Medical Education Center. The students training to be doctors learned about HMC’s key objectives concerning best practice in clinical care, education, and research. HMC residents and staff also participated in the programme. The orientation included a tour around the various departments of Hamad General Hospital.

The students were divided into groups, with each group accompanied by second and third-year medical students. After completing their first year of medical school, students start seeing patients in hospital and office settings. Dr Abdullatif Al-Khal, Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Medical Education at HMC, outlined the importance of mentoring.

It is immensely valuable for students to participate in these orientation sessions as first-year students can often relate much better to individuals who are closer in age to themselves and who can help them understand the complexities of hospital systems. HMC has a well-established partnership with the College of Medicine (CMED) at Qatar University and such joint activities help to strengthen the bond between our organisations.’

Dr Yousuf Al Maslamani, Medical Director of Hamad General Hospital added that HMC is continuously expanding and developing facilities and services to meet the needs of Qatar’s population.

One of our strategic goals is to have a skilled national workforce to help lead healthcare delivery in the future. We want to give our medical students a glimpse into their working environment and an idea of what the training is all about. We particularly want to remind them of the reason for embarking on this career path, which is taking care of patients who will rely on them to deliver the best, most effective, and most compassionate care available.’

Senior HMC staff who shared their insights with the students included Dr Margaret Allen, Senior Consultant and Associate Director for Undergraduate Medical Education and CPD. She emphasised HMC’s commitment to providing a professional and desirable learning environment for students who will become the next cohort of physicians taking care of Qatar’s population.

Maitha Al Bouainain, Executive Director of Community Affairs and Patient Engagement at Hamad General Hospital,another keen and regular supporter of the annual orientation session said that the gathering is an ideal opportunity for them to impress upon the students the importance of compassion and respect, for both patients and colleagues.

We explained to them the importance of working in multi-disciplinary teams as improved clinical outcomes often depend on physicians collaborating closely with nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians and other allied health professionals.’

For more information about HMC’s training programme for medical students, visit their website at hamad.qa.