WCM-Q pediatrician wins prestigious scholarship award

Dr. Amal Khidir of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the COMSEP Research and Scholarship Award in recognition of her substantial contribution to advance the field of pediatric medical education through her research and scholarly work.

Dr. Khidir, who has been with WCM-Q since 2006, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Director of Pediatrics Clerkship, and Vice Chair of the Institutional Review Board (IRB). She is also an American Board-certified pediatrician who holds clinical privileges at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Sidra Medicine. A long-standing advocate for children’s health and rights, she is a member and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and a member of the Section of International Child Health at AAP. Dr. Khidir holds active licenses to practice pediatrics in the US, Qatar, and Sudan.

The COMSEP Research/Scholarship Award is bestowed by the Council of Medical Students Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP), a North American-based organization that brings together a community of pediatric educators and administrators who are passionate about advancing the art and science of medical student education in pediatrics.

Among Dr. Khidir’s many achievements, she has presented more than 30 national and international faculty development workshops. She has inspired, mentored, and supervised medical students and many have chosen pediatrics as their career path. She also supervised students in an Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) grant to study anthropometric measurements, nutritional habits, and physical activity of school children and adolescents in Qatar. She is currently conducting a study titled, ‘Impact of Perceived Generational Differences on Learning Project: A Multicenter, Multiphase Collaborative Study.’ She also coordinates the annual ‘Cornell Stars’ activity, in which new third-year WCM-Q medical students interact with children to gain experience and help them become accustomed to working with younger patients. The event has migrated to the online space during the pandemic.

Dr. Khidir said: “I am absolutely thrilled and honored to receive the COMSEP Research and Scholarship Award and very thankful to have had the opportunity to serve and advance the medical and health education through my scholarly work. I am grateful of being a member of COMSEP, WCMQ and the medical education community. I value and appreciate my patients, colleagues and students for their support, which has been so important to my work.”