Soon-to-graduate medical students of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar gathered to celebrate their acceptance to the residency programme of some of the most prestigious healthcare institutions in the world.
WCM-Q students ‘matched’ with leading institutions such as New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, Yale New Haven Hospital, Lincoln Medical Center in New York, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), where they will continue their training after graduation in May.
The annual Match Day event is the moment students discover whether they have been accepted onto a residency programme in a medical specialty of their choice. The process is highly competitive – this year 54,110 US and international medical school students vied for just 28,849 positions. The match results for students applying to residency programmes at HMC were announced shortly after the US results.
There was standing room only inside the lecture hall at WCM-Q as Class of 2017 joined their friends and families as they await the result of their applications shortly after they were announced online by the National Resident Matching Programme (NRMP) in Washington DC.
Class of 2017 student Diala Steitieh matched at NewYork Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center where she will join the Neurology residency programme. Diala said she was happy to have matched – it really is a dream come true for her.
There have been some tough times along the way because the programme is so challenging, so I am very grateful to my family, my friends and the faculty and staff for all their support. None of us would have been able to experience this amazing moment without the support of all of these people.’
Students who graduate from WCM-Q’s Medical Program receive the same MD degree as graduates of Weill Cornell Medicine-New York, so they are well-prepared for applying to US residency programmes. Many WCM-Q graduates return to Qatar after they have completed their residency training in the US to work locally and serve the community.
Qatari student Sahar Al-Kurbi has been been accepted at HMC and will be joining the Family Medicine residency programme.
I am so happy because HMC has always been my choice. I feel very strongly that I want to be here in Qatar to serve my community and give something back in return for all the support I have received from Qatar Foundation and HMC during my training. Family Medicine is perfect for me because I have wide-ranging interests and I will be able to treat a diverse range of patients.’
Fellow Class of 2017 student Ali Khairat will join the Emergency Medicine residency programme at Lincoln Medical Center in New York City. He said he was grateful that they are all fortunate to receive a world-class education while remaining in the region with their families.
Throughout the evening, students expressed their gratitude to Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, for her vision in bringing world-class educational institutions to Qatar.
Dr Javaid Sheikh, Dean of WCM-Q, said:
Through the vision and support of the Qatari leadership the potential of these truly impressive young people has been realised. We are all extremely proud of them, not only for their achievements, but also because they take seriously their responsibilities as citizens and as physicians. I know that they will serve as wonderful ambassadors for WCM-Q, Qatar Foundation and Qatar.’
For more information about WCM-Q, log on to their website at qatar-weill.cornell.edu.
