High school students get a taste for medicine

From listening to heart sounds to learning about the interaction between electricity and living things, high school students have been visiting WCMC-Q to get a taste for medicine during the spring semester.

The Saturday Open House Series gives students, parents and teachers first-hand experience of what it is like to be a pre-medical and medical student at the Medical College.

Senior Associate Dean for Education, Dr. Elizabeth Alger, said students from six schools had taken part in the events since the Open House series began in the spring.

“A typical Open House is carefully structured. There are presentations by WCMC-Q faculty members, a medical student and a Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) physician. Students participate in laboratory sessions while parents and teachers tour the facility, learn about the admissions process, and ask questions,” Dr. Alger explained.

Medical students share their experience
Most recently, students from Amna Bint Wahab Independent Secondary School for Girls visited the Medical College. Among the morning’s activities, they heard an inspirational presentation by first-year medical student Sara Hassan.

“If you really want to be a doctor, if you’re determined, and you meet the academic requirements, you will enjoy studying at WCMC-Q,” Hassan said.

“In the beginning my dad was reluctant to let me study medicine. He thought that a medical career would be very long and hard, especially for a girl. But when he saw how attached I was to the idea, he let me make my dream come true.”

She went on to describe some of the challenges she overcame, including improving her English language skills and adjusting to a new educational environment.

“It’s very different here from what I was used to – there are people of many nationalities and it’s a coeducational environment. But at WCMC-Q we are like one big family: I have support from faculty, staff, my classmates and my parents.”

At a previous Open House, attended by students from Omar Bin Al-Khattab Scientific Secondary School for Boys and Al-Andalus High School for Boys, second-year medical student Ibrahim Sultan said entry to the Pre-medical and Medical Programs was challenging, but he emphasized that it was both achievable and rewarding.

“The fact that we have made it into the Medical Program and are happy and delighted to be part of it demonstrates that it is possible. You need to be focussed, and if you’re dedicated and you really want to be a physician, you will end up working hard regardless of how challenging it is,” he said.

He was also quick to point out that the experience was not all hard work – there were fun aspects as well.

Students take brief step into pre-med
Dr. Marco Ameduri, senior lecturer in physics and Assistant Dean for Pre-medical Education, said each Open House included a lecture taken from the pre-medical course material, given by a faculty member. “Most recently we’ve had lectures on the physics of blood circulation and electrochemistry,” he said.

“The visiting students are then split into small groups to experience a physics, biology or cardiovascular lab lesson. For example, during the cardiovascular lab exercise they learn how to measure blood pressure and listen to normal heart sounds. They are particularly interested in the medical mannequin named ‘Harvey’ which simulates a patient with cardiopulmonary disease.”

Ending the day, a doctor from HMC talks to them about a career in medicine. “We try and identify a role model for the students. This has proven very popular. On one occasion, students from Al-Bayan Educational Complex for Girls wouldn’t let the speaker, Dr. Samar Al Emadi, leave – they had so many questions for her,” Dr Ameduri, who coordinates the events, recalled.

Visit boosts confidence
Mohamed Mustafa Al-Kazaz, who has already been accepted into the Pre-medical Program at WCMC-Q, said attending the Open House had helped him to better understand the demands of the course.

“At one stage, I was worried about the difficulty of the course, but my fears have gone and I feel more confident about starting in August,” he said. “I was excited to have met some of the professors who will be teaching me.”

His mother, Dr. Zainab Al-Kazaz said the chance to speak with current WCMC-Q students was reassuring for her.

“I am a doctor and my husband is a doctor, so we understand the advantage of our son receiving his education from Cornell, a highly respected university. It is a dream for him to come here. The future will be open for him,” she said.

Other Open Houses have been attended by students from Al-Istiqlal High School for Boys and Al Wakra Independent School for Boys. The series is expected to continue in the fall.

Report by Krista Dobinson, Assistant Editor/Writer