WCM-Q students honored for academic achievement at Dean’s Honor List event
WCM-Q pre-medical and foundation students were recognized for academic excellence.
Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) foundation and pre-medical students were recognized for earning a place on the prestigious Dean’s Honor List for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
Sixty-two students in the pre-medical program were honored, making it the longest list in WCM-Q history. Forty-two students made the list in the Fall 2025 semester, including 19 second-year pre-medical students and 23 first-years. In the Spring 2026 Semester, a total of 58 students secured a spot on the list, comprising 26 second-year pre-medical students and 32 first-years. Some students made it to the list twice. Additionally, six Foundation Program students were honored for scoring a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher.
The event brought together WCM-Q faculty, student, alumni, and families to celebrate the students and encourage them to maintain their outstanding performance. The ceremony also saw the launch of the newly created Dr. Syed Naqi Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a pre-medical student who has been promoted to the first year of the medical curriculum.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCM-Q, said: “Despite your demanding academic schedules, you still managed to remain actively involved in extracurricular activities, and you have excelled not only academically but also at a professional level. Let me also remind you that you are part of a very special institution; over the past quarter-century, WCM-Q has become an iconic institution in the region, with strong recognition in the United States. This is because our commitment, from the very beginning, was to fulfilling our tripartite mission of education, research, and clinical excellence while maintaining the highest standards in everything we do.”
Dr. Sheikh praised the faculty for their dedication to teaching, noting that their commitment contributes to the students’ outstanding academic performance. He also praised WCM-Q’s affiliation with Hamad Medical Corporation, Sidra Medicine, the Primary Health Care Corporation, and Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, which provide students with the best possible clinical training.
WCM-Q alumnus Dr. Mohamed Al-Hajjaji, Class of 2016, now an attending pediatrician at Sidra Medicine, was the keynote speaker.
He said: “One of the most important lessons I learned throughout medical school and residency is that academic performance is only one dimension of excellence, and that success becomes more meaningful when it serves others. Some of you will become physicians, researchers, educators, or leaders, and along the way, not everything will go according to plan. There will be challenges, unexpected turns, and moments when you question your decisions. When those moments come, remember that your journey does not need to be perfect to be meaningful.”
During the event, Dr. Sheikh presented the inaugural Dr. Syed Naqi Award to second-year medical student Shahd Aljoudi. Dr. Sheikh said: “The winner of this award is a student who best exemplifies the outstanding character exhibited by Dr. Naqi during his 14 years on the faculty at WCM-Q. Dr. Naqi created a lasting impression on students and co-workers through his encyclopedic knowledge of immunology, enduring dedication and professionalism, forthright character, and positive regard for others.”
Aljoudi said: “When I was told I would receive the award, it felt surreal. I couldn’t believe it. It’s such an honor. I hope to pursue a career in interventional cardiology after training in internal medicine in cardiology. My years at WCM-Q have been the best years of my life; it has been one of the greatest opportunities, including the extracurricular activities and the people.”
Second-year pre-medical student Jassim Al Hail, who was also in the Dean’s Honor List for the 2024–2025 academic year, said: “I feel happy and it’s a great honor to be recognized again. To manage studies and other activities, you have to prioritize. If you don’t have a particularly busy week, you can make time for other activities, but when you have more schoolwork, you need to focus on your studies. My message to anyone aspiring to join medical school is that you can do it. Don’t compare yourself to others, it’s your own journey. There will always be ups and downs, but you can do it.”
Sohaib Yousef, a first-year pre-medical student who was named in the Foundation Program category, said: “I feel honored to appear on the Dean’s Honor List. I am grateful for the tremendous support I have received from my family and faculty. When I first joined university, balancing my studies with extracurricular activities was a bit difficult, but over time, we adjusted and learned how to manage both. As the weeks went by, it became easier.”
The event was moderated by Dr. Dietrich Büsselberg, associate dean for admissions and student affairs/professor of systems and computational biomedicine at WCM-Q, who congratulated the students and their parents for their remarkable achievements.
Dr. Syed Naqi Recipient
Shahd Aljoudi
Pre-medical Students
Fatima Abdulla, Abeer Aboobuker, Malik Ahmad, Ridwan Ahmed, Sana Raheel Ahmed, Muhammad Louay Al Eriksousi, Alhusein Al-Aswad, Amna Al-Baker, Reema Al-Emadi, Maryam Al-Ghanem, Bisher AlGharibeh, Jassim Al-Hail, Abdulaziz Al-Hardan, Syed Sabir Ali, Fatima Al-Kaabi, Khalid Al-Marri, Khalid Al-Nabti, Sama Al-Saffar, Turki AlSanadi, Ayham Alsughair, Khalid Al-Thani, Noor AlYousuf, Bayan Arabi, Dounia Baroudi, Amani Benamor, Syed Ahmed Abbas Bukhari, Mohammed Zayan Chandankeri, Taleb Dahman, Hala Daramer, Ayse Demir, Noor Fatima, Moomena Gulzar, Aiza Tanveer Hassan, Loaie Hassan, Sara Hassan, Hassan Ijaz, Omar Kabakibi, Zubair Ali Anuz Khan, Ayaan Khan, Devika Kumar, Roeun Lee, Sungyoon Lim, Muhammad Mekaeel, Alaa Moalla, Aakifah Mohamed Ihsan, Shahd Mohammed, Diyanah Nasim, Noor Numan, Juwhan Park, Abdullah Qureshi, Mohammad Rana, Sofia Raza, Iffah Rizwan, Nidhi Roy, Nisa Serpedin, Zara Serpedin, Sudaiss Shahid, Mustafa Shammout, Naveen Shanmugavel, Maryam Sohail, Chaeun Son, Farah Yazbek.
Foundation Students
Maryam Alia, Hissa Al-Kuwari, Noor Alnaimi, Abdullah Al Qadi, Sarah Shafie, Sohaib Nadhem Yousef.