Doha: Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) has celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2025, awarding US-accredited MD degrees to 45 new doctors in a ceremony attended by local and international dignitaries, family, friends, and faculty members.
According to Qatar News Agency, the new doctors will begin their careers as they take up residency positions at elite healthcare institutions in Qatar and the United States, including Hamad Medical Corporation, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Case Western/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, UC Davis Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins Hospital, among others.
Dean of WCM-Q Dr. Javaid I. Sheikh expressed confidence in the graduates’ future contributions, stating that they will be exceptional representatives of Qatar and WCM-Q. The class, consisting of 28 women and 17 men, has increased the total number of doctors produced by WCM-Q since its first graduation in 2008 to 641. The graduates hail from 19 countries, including 13 Qatari nationals, and achieved a “100 percent match rate” for residency programs. This year’s valedictorian is Mohammad Hussein Yaghmour.
The ceremony was attended by prominent figures such as HE Minister of Public Health Mansoor bin Ebrahim bin Saad Al Mahmoud and President of Higher Education at Qatar Foundation Francisco Marmolejo. From the US, President of Cornell University Dr. Michael I. Kotlikoff and Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York Dr. Robert A. Harrington were present. Dr. Sheikh thanked Qatar Foundation’s leadership for their support in developing world-class physicians.
Vice Dean for Academic and Curricular Affairs at WCM-Q, Dr. Thurayya Arayssi, praised the graduates for their dedication and intellectual curiosity. Aya Issa Khalil, delivering the Arabic address, emphasized the hard work and perseverance of the graduates. Dr. Sean Holroyd served as macebearer, while Dr. James Roach was university marshal.
Graduating student Omar Mourad gave the Qur’an recitation. Dr. Bothina Al-Mulla, a Class of 2011 alumna, highlighted the graduates’ resilience during the pandemic. Dr. Abdulwahed Zainel, a Class of 2014 alumnus, encouraged the graduates to make impactful contributions to the world.
Dr. Harrington, delivering the farewell message, reminded the graduates of their accomplishments and wished them success in their medical careers, emphasizing their enduring connection to the Cornell community.