Thirty-one graduates from the class of 2011 of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) received their US medical degrees at a ceremony recently.

Family members and WCMC-Q faculty reflected with Cornell’s leadership and students on the many achievements over the past six years and the promise of this class’ future impact on health care.

“Congratulations to the class of 2011 of WCMC-Q,” said Dr Mohammad Fathy Saoud, president of Qatar Foundation. “We applaud their determination and hard work. Their accomplishments and the increasing size of the graduating class are evidence that we are making real progress toward our goal of building a knowledge-based society in Qatar. As they move ahead in the medical profession, they take our commitment to excellence in education and research with them beyond our borders, out into the world.”

“Our graduate’s achievements over the past six years inspire awe and foreshadow the deep impression they will make on humanity into the future,” said Dr Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCMC-Q. “In addition to personal achievements, as a class they were able to accomplish so much more, traveling to developing nations to serve communities in need, and collaborating with Hamad Medical Corporation, the Supreme Council of Health and Reach Out to Asia, locally, to institute local programs that have and will positively impacted countless lives.

“The spirit of collaboration is alive in our students and has been exemplified by our dedicated faculty and staff as well as the Qatar Foundation and all of our partners, to whom we express our deepest gratitude,” Dean Sheikh continued.

Highlighting not only the unprecedented size of the class but also the strength of its members and the curriculum, President Skorton said: “These graduates have been extraordinarily successful in finding their next opportunities as residents and research fellows. Some of them have elected to stay in Qatar for residency programs with Hamad Medical Corporation or to pursue research fellowships. The 23 WCMC-Q students who sought residencies in the US were matched to some of America’s best teaching hospitals.

“To achieve so many excellent placements in the US is a testament to the high quality of the WCMC-Q program and to the exceptional talent and commitment that the graduates have brought to their medical education.”

Dr Antonio Gotto, Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York expressed gratitude to the students and supportive members of the community. –TradeArabia News Service