As we aim to expand students’ horizons and enhance their medical experience, the Office of Student Affairs supports our students’ participation in local and international activities and programs. The Student Affairs events team organizes two international trips: the Pre-medical Service-Learning Trip to Tanzania and the International Medical Student Exchange Program.
The Pre-medical Service-Learning Trip to Tanzania
The service-learning trip to Tanzania takes place in late summer and is open exclusively to pre-medical students (PM1 & PM2). The purpose of the trip is to expose the pre-medical students to different population health experiences and to engage them in different service-learning opportunities within the local villages and hospitals in Tanzania. Finally, the students have the opportunity to explore the nature of Tanzania and learn about the local culture and customs.
The application process starts in January and the selected students must comply with various requirements (such as required vaccinations) before leaving for the summer break. The trip takes place in July or August every year.
The International Medical Student Exchange Program
The International Medical Student Exchange Program was established to provide our first-year medical students with the opportunity to learn about different medical schools' education and curricula, population health outside of Qatar, and clinical programs offered by these different medical schools. This program has two parts: a visit from 10 regional medical schools to WCM-Q and a visit from a WCM-Q team to one of the 10 medical schools.
Part One
An invitation is sent to 10 medical schools within our region (the Middle East and Asia), asking each school to send a delegation for a one-week visit to WCM-Q. The delegation from each medical school comprises two medical students and one faculty member. During the week-long visit, the delegations have the opportunity to learn about the medical program offered by WCM-Q, participate in site visits to hospitals and health clinics, and shadow our medical students during their clinical rotations. In addition, the teams have the opportunity to see Qatar’s historical sites and learn more about the local culture and traditions. Part one usually takes place in November or December every year.
Part Two
During the second part of the program, a WCM-Q team, consisting of 10 students and two staff, visit one of the 10 medical schools for one week. During this visit, the WCM-Q team visit the medical school's facilities, learn more about the medical program offered, and participate in a community service project in collaboration with the host medical school. In addition, the team has the opportunity to learn about the history, culture, and traditions of the host country. Part two usually takes place in January every year.