Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar For The Purpose Of Attaining Medical Studies

Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar is one of the finest medical colleges established in 2001 that is committed to offering the best education, patient care and research. The college is said to be the first medical school in Qatar and the first coeducation at university level. Students are offered pre-medical program and medical studies that ensure a MD degree. Over 320 students from around the world come to study medicine at the university.

Weill Cornell university Qatar makes a strong contribution to the Qatar community in the clinical arena. The college students are encouraged to participate in the research projects and are offered a chance to take part in biomedical investigations like the summer research program. Building human scientific research capacity in Qatar with several internships is open to all the Qatari nationals. The university is said to one of the first to be accredited by the Accreditation council for continuing medical education as a provider for medical education for physicians. Healthcare workers and physicians are encouraged to attend the workshops, lectures, programs and conferences held.

The population health program at college offers a holistic approach to good health. The program talks about encouraging and educating people to take responsibility for their own wellbeing by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Purpose And Aim Of The University

Founded by Cornell university in partnership with Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, the purpose and aim of the Cornell medical college Qatar is:

• to provide the finest education possible for medical students
• to conduct research at the cutting edge of knowledge
• to improve health care both now and for future generations
• to provide the highest quality of care to the community

The Building of The University

The staff, faculty and students work and learn in an atmosphere crafted according to the college’s teaching, research and support methods. Arata Isozaki, the architect designed and commissioned the university building, dedicated by her highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, and Jeffrey Lehman, eleventh president of Cornell University in 2003.

The 200-meter-long halls are connected by bridges housing faculty and student lounges. The three-dimensional geometric shapes in the central courtyard have 4 lecture halls. The university is one the best colleges in Qatar that features several traditional Islamic and Gulf architectures from geometric patterns on exterior and interior walls to wind towers in the courtyard. The halls are paved in cream limestone that offer light and make the halls airy and spacious, along with the glass walls and the courtyard gardens in the South Hall.

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Facilities Offered By Weill Cornell Medical College

The college offers generous accommodations and the ideal atmosphere for all the administrations, right from clinical teaching to research, admin work to accessing information resources.  One of the basic facilities offered by the university is high speed internet that allows everyone to sustain close links with the other overseas colleagues.  For instance, videoconferencing offers conducting live lectures from colleges in New York and Ithaca to students sitting in Qatar.

Along with videoconferencing, some of the features offered are:

• Lecture Halls: Each hall is custom designed with the best audio-visual tools offered high-definition end to end signals, which result in high quality projection of audio video presentations and recordings. The systems are monitored and controlled from the control room. Digital Congress Network (DCN), HD Document camera, Bose audio system for the best audio experience, Wireless presentation, Mac Desktop with safe data access to Box for the presenter, HD cameras for cloud-based recording, and integration with Zoom to facilitate interactive teaching and meeting sessions. Wi- Fi is accessible to the internet to most facilities provided by the university.
• Seminar Rooms: The room was custom designed for small group learning equipped with wall mounted touch screen to control HD Laser projector, wireless presentation to help flexible teaching, in a single or multi- room setup, Mac Desktop with cloud-based login and secure data accessed from the box for the presenter.
• Clinical skills and simulation labs are offered for training and assessment of the medical students in the art and scient of patient care. The labs are equipped with 24 stations for direct observation, a high-fidelity simulation suite with two simulation bays and a scrub room, a simulation audio/visual learning management system, three multipurpose training rooms and a simulated patients’ training suite.

Apart from these, the other features offered are a teaching laboratory space filled with ceiling reflected lighting and provide the ideal environment to help students develop their skills and analysis in experimental science.  Students are also offered a e-library accessed by the computers in the building. Speaking of a library, students should explore the Qatar national library as well.

Education Programs At The University

Education in the Middle East is a must for all kids. Medicine is an education that is given a lot of importance. So, speaking of subject, The 6- year medical program offers the undergraduate students rigorous work in science and humanity, which continues with the medical curriculum that teaches the basic of clinical sciences that offer exposure to patient experiences and research. Students doing the courses offered by the foundation program are offered the ideal academic background and knowledge application, developing the study skills, habits and critical thinking.

• Foundation Program

Students are grateful to be able to work hard and attain the greatest gift of knowledge and good health. Students enjoy learning the various aspects of medicine and get to interact with some of the best facilities at the university.

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Mission Of The Program

The foundation program was founded in 2007 to shape and develop the student’s skills and to help them attain success at the 6-year medical program at one of the top universities in Qatar.  The needs of the students are taken into consideration as they are helped and made to understand their complete potential.  Students are offered the knowledge and skill to become independent and self-regulated lifelong learners.

Structure of the program

The credit bearing curriculum consists of courses designed for students who have just completed high school. The basics of science is taught in the program as it a part of the pre-medical curriculum along with extensive English as a second language course.

The pre-medical courses like Global health and disease and special studies in Biology and medical profession seminar offered by various speakers and leaders from the healthcare sector are often taken up by students. Early on in the course, students are exposed to the medical profession which enables them to prepare for the future study in the chosen field.

Students have successfully completed all the courses offered in the program. Even though the assessments and end of semester exams are tough, students have always cleared and done well. Once the 6-year medical course is over, students are given completion certificates at Qatar Weill Cornell.

Admission At The Qatar Medical College

The Qatar medical college in 2014 announced redefining of its medical courses which resulted in the implementation of its academic program into one detailed 6- year medical program.

Getting into the 6- year medical program is determined by a single admission process and according to certain criteria’s, students will progress through the course based on their academic performance, professionalism and commitment to the profession of medicine.

6-year medical program

The 6-year medical program is custom designed as a course of 2 curricula:

1. Pre-medical curriculum
2. Medical curriculum

Pre-medical curriculum

Weill Cornell Medical College offers a 2-year pre-medical curriculum, which is crafted to prepare students to meet the educational needs of the 6-year medical program. The medical course pays attention to the aspects of basic sciences that is related to the field of medicine.

Medical Curriculum

Students are reviewed for promotion to the medical curriculum of the 6-year medical program, after completing the pre-medical course. The medical course is a 4 year which is divided into: the basic of science courses will be taught in the 1st 2 years and then the 3rd-4th year will be clinical based courses.

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Requirements For Medical Program

The requirements to apply for admission to the 6-year medical program includes:

• Secondary School Completion
• Standardized Tests
• Personal Statement
• Letters of Reference
• Interviews

1. Secondary School Completion

• Equivalent to the education received from an Americal college which include University preparatory programs that cover subjects like mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics and other relevant subjects.
• Best university preparatory curriculum provided with the candidate’s school system.
• Graduation with outstanding academic merit.

2. Standardized Tests

Entrance Examinations For Colleges

• SAT Reasoning Test Or ACT

Even though minimum scores are not used as cutoffs in screening applications, academic excellence is required. The academic performance is supported by standardized tests scores along with indicators, like secondary school grades.

English Language Proficiency Examinations

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System).

Students will have to take TOEFL in case their scores are not as per the college standards. Certain English tests are taken into consideration like TOEFL and IELTS.

The TOEFL and IELTS can be waived off in case one of the following criteria is met:

1. Obtaining a score of 32 or above on the reading test of the SAT.
2. Obtaining a score of 25 or higher on the English portion of the ACT.
3. Personal Statement

A personal statement has to be submitted by the applicants that shows his or her interest and motivation in pursuing a career in medicine. There is no fixed combination of grade point average and standardized test scores that will assure admission into the program you want as the administration wants a lot more than just numbers. The college looks for applicants who have the potential to care about the community, develop their talents in other fields apart from their academics.

Hence, a personal statement should showcase qualities like:

• Motivation to enter medicine
• Maturity and stability
• Intellectual potential
• Leadership qualities
• Love of learning
• Strength of character
• Special abilities or talents
• Achievements
• Diligence and dedication
• Integrity and honesty
• Sense of fairness
• Compassion

4. Reference Letter

Candidates will have to submit at least 2 reference letters in English, which include one by their science or math teacher and one by the principal of the college. The authentic letters offer specific examples of the applicant’s academic commitment and abilities along with their personal qualities that qualify them for the program.

5. Interviews

Those credentials who meet the college selection criteria will be called to appear for a personal interview. To be considered for the program, the candidates will have to appear for the interview.

No individual will be discriminated based on their religion, color, caste, creed or gender.

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4 Year Medical Curriculum

The medical program was custom designed to follow on from the 2-year pre-medical curriculum, offering a comprehensive and cohesive program with the aim to offer the best education possible for medical students.

The college in 2016, introduced a creative new curriculum that was designed based on the success of the earlier curriculum and was based on the key principles of improving the integration between the sciences and clinical learning and introducing patient care from day one of their studies. The program focuses on 3 key themes: scientific basis of medicine, patient care and physician ship and ensures the use of high technology which has changed medicine.

Longitudinal research experience that begins in the first year and ends in the final year, is something students should participate in.

Requirements For Admission

The college looks for candidates with the highest academic and personal standards and are ideal for future leadership roles in Medicine. Students will the best academic accomplishments along with exceptional personal initiatives are selected. Leadership, creativity, research, community service, motivation and other experience are given rise to with such initiatives.

Medicine needs the best level of personal integrity as the administration looks for those who are shaping themselves in accordance with practicing medicine.

Procedure

All candidates should apply online.

• Completed application and personal statement submitted online.
• 1-2 letters of reference from the pre-professional advisory committee and from the professors.
• Official results of MCAT.
• Official/certified copies of all college and university transcripts.
• Official/certified copies of all diplomas and degrees earned.
• Photocopy of valid passport.
• One passport size photograph.

Criteria For Selecting A Candidates

Premedical Curriculum

The admission committee considers all students from various backgrounds as equals in the basic sciences and liberal arts. Each application is looked at on an individual basis and candidates are motivated to pursue medical curricula that will allow them to pursue a broad range of academic disciplines and explore one or more areas in depth.

Letters of Evaluation

Letters of evaluation plays an important role in assessing of a candidate’s application. The letter should be written by someone who knows you really well.

MCAT Scores

MCAT is a tool that enables one form of comparison among candidates and is said to be a part of the application process. There is no cut- off for MCAT scores.

Extracurricular Activities

Participating in extracurricular activities is encouraged, whether it is on- or- off campus.  It will demonstrate commitment and involvement as seen by extension over time, leadership roles and accomplishments.  

Exploring The Field Of Medicine

Candidates are motivated to explore medicine in some form before getting into medical school. Discovering the field of medicine may include the form of research, volunteer activities, preceptor experiences in medical practices, summer employment and much more.

Research

The research experiences are valued in the field of basic science, social science or liberal arts. Biomedical sciences research is encouraged.  

Character

Personal integrity is needed when it comes to practicing medicine. Those who are shaping themselves in accordance with the best practice of medicine is one of the qualities the committee looks at which incudes  emotional maturity, personal depth, commitment to others' well-being, and ethical and moral integrity.

Weill Cornell Medical College ensures students receive the best of education in medicine. Students are evaluated based on their skills and interest in the field. If people make plans to visit the Middle East, they should explore Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar. So, book your flights to Qatar and have the ideal time of your life.

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