Leading US residency program directors connect with WCM-Q

Professors from elite US healthcare institutions virtually connected with students and faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar during the annual Visiting Professorship Program (VPP), this year held online for the first time owing to the pandemic.

THE VPP was established in 2013 to introduce WCM-Q as an elite international medical school that graduates students who are extremely well prepared to enter residency training at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and internationally, and for the visiting professors to share their expertise with the faculty and students of WCM-Q. The two-day VPP was student-centric and gave WCM-Q students a myriad of opportunities to explore medical career options and ask questions about preparation for residency training.

Participating in this year’s program were visiting professors from ten leading US medical schools: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Group-Comprehensive Family Care Center, University of Iowa Health Care, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Mountain Area Health Education Center, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University/Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center, Riverside University Health System, and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. The visiting professors are specialized in emergency medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. 

The program began with a welcome message from Dr. Javaid Sheikh, Dean of WCM-Q, after which senior members of the WCM-Q education leadership team showcased the college’s progressive, integrated and innovative six-year medical curriculum and WCM-Q students’ outstanding outcomes, which include a robust scholarly output and an exceptionally high rate of students securing residency training position at pre-eminent US institutions.

WCM-Q’s Dr. Thurayya Arayssi, Vice Dean for Academic and Curricular Affairs, said: “We extend a very warm welcome to our esteemed visiting professors, whose expertise and knowledge about graduate medical education is tremendously helpful to our students as they make important decisions about which specialty and which location will suit them. We are very grateful to the professors for not only sharing their wisdom, but also for the enthusiasm and encouragement they brought to the event, which gave our participating students a great boost.”

The event featured keynote addresses by Dr. Aimee Zaas of Duke University School of Medicine, who spoke about the challenges of applying to residency during a global pandemic; Dr. Arthur T. Ollendorff of Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Mountain Area Health Education Center on recent changes to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE); and Dr. Chad Vercio of Riverside University Health System, on professional identity formation and building resilient residency communities.

The event also heard from WCM-Q alumnus Dr. Fadwa Ali of the Class of 2013, who explained how taking part in the VPP as a student made it easier for her to successfully navigate planning for her residency training.

Dr. Amine Rakab, Assistant Dean for Clinical Learning at WCM-Q, said: “Our students and alumni tell us that the VPP provides them with an exceptional opportunity to explore various medical careers, determine which residency training institutions will be a good fit for them, and guide them on how to collate high-quality residency applications geared to the expectations of residency program directors. Our goal is to provide opportunities for WCM-Q students to ensure they are best prepared to enter residency training and serve their community.”