WCM-Q’s new cohort of medical students receive their white coats

The new intake of medical students at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) have marked the beginning of their training by donning the white coat of the physician for the first time at a special ceremony.

Each of the new medical students received their white coat and their first stethoscope at the Opening Exercises ceremony, a symbolic event that marks the point when students begin the four-year medical curriculum that will eventually lead to them graduating as doctors. This year there are 57 students enrolled on the first year of the medical curriculum.

Sara Al-Mannai was one of the students who took part in the ceremony, having completed both WCM-Q’s Foundation Program and pre-medical curriculum. She said: “Receiving our white coats is both surreal and deeply rewarding after years of hard work to reach this milestone. I feel well-prepared, thanks to the excellent teaching in both the Foundation Program and the pre-med curriculum. My long-term goal is to pursue cardiothoracic surgery and I feel optimistic knowing that I’m learning in such a supportive community, with faculty and classmates who truly inspire me.”

Of the 57 first-year students, 26 are men and 31 are women. Nineteen of the cohort are Qatari nationals. If successful in their studies, each student will be awarded the Cornell University MD degree.

Dr. Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCM-Q, said: “Pulling on the white coat of the physician for the first time is an important milestone in the career of any doctor, marking the point at which they take their first steps into a profession that demands technical excellence, compassion, and dedication. All of us at WCM-Q have great confidence the members of this cohort will excel and go on to become the next generation of leaders in medical science and innovation, driving our profession forwards into a bright future of enhanced patient care.”

The ceremony is the culmination of WCM-Q’s orientation period when students are welcomed to their new programs. The event also welcomed 57 students who are commencing the first year of WCM-Q’s Six-Year Medical Program, which integrates two years of pre-medical education and the four-year medical curriculum. Students beginning the Six-Year Medical Program were presented with the Ibn Sina pin, named in honor of one of the most important philosophers and physicians of the Islamic Golden Age. WCM-Q also welcomed 25 students who are commencing the Foundation Program, a one-year course of study that provides a pathway to entry to the Six-Year Medical Program.

The keynote address at the event was given by WCM-Q alumna Dr. Noor Al-Khori, now senior attending physician at Sidra Medicine. Dr. Al-Khori said: “As you feel the fabric slip onto your shoulders today, feel its magic. Feel the weight of the trust that is placed in you. Feel the weight of history. But also, feel the excitement of the adventures to come. Your white coat is a flag - a flag of humanity, of compassion, and of unwavering principle. It is a banner you raise for every patient, in every circumstance, declaring that here, in your care, dignity and kindness will prevail.”

Student Mustafa Shammout from Jordan applied to WCM-Q after members of the college’s Outreach and Educational Development team visited his high school in his home country. Mustafa, who is starting the first-year of the Six-Year Medical Program, said: “What I heard from the outreach team about WCM-Q helped me to see not only that the quality of education here is excellent, but also that the college is good at helping international students settle into a new country. There are also many initiatives and projects that allow students to help and support the local community, which is important to me. I am very excited to start my studies, learn about the subject that I love, and become part of a medical community dedicated to helping people in need.”