Making the Most of Their Summer

Students in the QSMARTS program have a bit of fun while learning about
the workings of the human body from the medical mannequins in the
WCMC-Q Clinical Skills Center.

What can a bouncing basketball teach about physics, or shopping with play money teach about math? Is there a correct way to take part in a debate, or a secret to staying calm during an interview?

These are just some of the topics that three groups of young students in Qatar explored over the last three weeks as part of the Summer Enrichment Programs at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.

The programs, offered for free by WCMC-Q, are designed to engage young students in challenging and interactive activities focused on making learning fun. A total of nearly 100 participants were given an opportunity to explore their intellectual curiosity in a college setting and learn from WCMC-Q faculty in the facilities of the Education City campus.

“Alongside school visits and other public events, the summer programs are an integral part of WCMC-Q’s efforts to reach out to Qatari students and other students from local schools. This is our third year offering the programs, and they have proved so popular that the size of this year’s programs were increased to help meet the interest from students in schools all across Qatar,” said Noha Saleh, director of student recruitment.

The Qatar Summer Math & Reading Talent Scholars (Q-SMARTS) program kicked things off, with some 35 students in grades 7-9 enjoying a week of brainteasers, field trips, and educational games to advance their math, reading, and writing skills.

Dr. Mohamud Verjee demonstrates how to examine
a patient's eye to students in the Qatar Future
Doctors program.

“We have learned things here that we haven’t learned in school yet, like trigonometry. It was hard at first, but I got it and I will be prepared when we cover it in school,” said Youssef Kambour, a 7th grader entering the Qatar International School.

“This course really reinforced my desire to become a doctor. I learned so much, especially about diabetes and high blood pressure,” Sata Al Abbasi, a student from the Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Thani middle school, said about Qatar Future Doctors, the second program offered this summer.

Qatar Future Doctors gave students in grades 10-12 an early glimpse of what it is like to be a medical doctor. They explored trends in medicine, public health awareness in the Gulf region, the history of diseases and more, and received basic life support training from the Qatar Red Crescent Society.

“I thought the best parts of the program were the problem-based learning sessions, which taught us to think through and research a subject as a doctor would. Doctors never stop learning,” said Reem Gholome AL-Sharshani, an 11th grader from the Al-Ieman Secondary Independent School.

The Pre-College Enrichment program introduced prospective college students in grades 11 and 12 to what college life is all about. Participants learned how to prepare for the SAT exam and admissions interviews, both often deciding factors in a student’s college admittance. College presentations and workshops in career counseling and personal development also helped participants better understand how their interests and strengths can translate to a career.

WCMC-Q graduates from the class of 2010 Dr. Aisha Al-Kubaisi and Dr. Shalini Ravishankar coordinated the programs, with contribution from teaching assistant Syed Ahmed Hasnain and medical student Abdulhadi Al Saei, and conducted many of the sessions.

“Although the content differed between the courses, the goal of each was to make the learning experience enjoyable. They are great students, and it was rewarding to see how much they took away from the programs,” said Dr. Al-Kubaisi.

Press Release by Chris Gibbons