Six-Year Program in Pre-Medical and Medical Education

Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar offers a six-year program in pre-medical and medical education leading to the M.D. degree, which will be granted by Cornell University upon completion of all graduation requirements. While this is a fully integrated course of instruction, it should be noted that there are separate admissions processes for the Pre-medical and Medical Programs.

Pre-medical Program

The two-year Pre-medical Program is a non-degree set of courses that have been specifically chosen for their relevance to medical education. Although it is shorter than the normal four-year undergraduate degree program taken in the United States, the Program provides students with excellent preparation to meet the pre-medical requirements of most medical colleges in the U.S. Students enrolled in the Program will receive transferable credits from Cornell University.

The curriculum provides a 59 credits program extending over 2 years, with each year divided into a fall semester (August - December) and a spring semester (January - May).

The courses are rigorous and challenging; they offer a variety of learning experiences, including:

• Lectures
• Laboratory sessions
• Problem-based learning exercises

Teaching is by Cornell faculty and the ratio of staff to students is high, ensuring a very close level of support for our students.

In addition, teaching assistants, who are recruited from among recent U.S college graduates (mostly from Cornell University), are part of the team, and they are on hand to assist with laboratory sessions, problem-based learning exercises, quizzes and general requests for assistance.

During the pre-medical years there will be a number of extra-curricular activities where students have the opportunity to explore the medical profession; for example, our first pre-medical class observed staff at work in the Hamad Medical Corporation and joined ambulance crews on duty in Doha. Read More.

There are also opportunities to gain research experience in the United States. A number of WCMC-Q pre-medical students have joined research teams at Cornell University in Ithaca during the summer following completion of the Pre-medical Program.

The educational mission of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar emphasizes the importance of combining a strong basic foundation in the medical sciences with extensive clinical training in patient care. By promoting a true social commitment, stimulating creativity, and fostering independent thought and study, WCMC-Q makes a vital contribution to training tomorrow’s leaders in the field of medicine.