1st Qatar Medical Education Conference

January, 2012

Hamad Medical Corporation in association with Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) and Sidra Medical and Research Center successfully hosted the inaugural Qatar Medical Education Conference 2012 at the Doha Convention Center from January 20-22.

The three-day conference was preceded by interactive workshops at WCMC-Q on the first day and was followed by two days of keynote lectures, workshops and meet-the-expert sessions. Many prominent delegates attended the conference mostly from Qatar.

Under the theme "Improving the quality of care through medical education", the conference emphasized that by enhancing medical education; it would result in improving the quality of medical care. Topics covered at the conference included international accreditation, creating curricula which address social accountability, methods for improving learning and assessment in the workplace, international certification of medical specialists, introducing institutional change, global standards and minimal requirements in program evaluation, and strategies for inter-professional teamwork.

"This is a unique gathering where we bring many of the world leaders in medical education to one place to discuss the latest developments in the field and the future of medical education in Qatar and the region," Dr. Abdullatif Alkhal, Deputy Chief for Medical Education at HMC said.

"Qatar is leading the region in the field of medical education and what we do here will have an impact on the whole region", he said. "We are achieving several objectives from this important meeting including developing our own faculty, exchanging our experiences, learning from the leaders in education, creating strong networks, and discussing the way forward for achieving the accreditation."

Dean Javaid Sheikh said WCMC-Q was delighted to collaborate with HMC and Sidra to be a partner in the 1st Qatar Medical Education Conference. “Qatar is leading the efforts in the area of healthcare education in the entire region and this conference is evidence of the effort and level of commitment that Qatar has exhibited in this regard”, Dr. Sheikh said.

Through its national health strategy and its National Vision 2030, Qatar has very clearly delineated that it wants to improve human and social development and develop a knowledge-based society. Qatar’s health education institutions are aligning their missions with the vision for Qatar 2030.

"By creating centers of excellence in education, research and clinical training, in collaboration with our partners we will further develop a skilled biomedical workforce, thereby contributing to human development. By focusing on improving the healthcare system, we are focusing on social development. In the long run, these medical professionals and researchers will contribute to economic development and ultimately, contribute to Qatar’s realization of becoming a knowledge-based society. This conference is an important step in the attainment of this vision."