Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar's 35 new graduates received their M.D. degrees in a ceremony hosted May 8 at Qatar National Convention Centre.
The students of the Class of 2013 took to the stage to receive their Cornell University medical degrees in front of an audience of proud family members, friends and WCMC-Q faculty who had come to cheer them on.
Dr. Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCMC-Q, read the Hippocratic Oath and paid tribute to the achievements of the university's largest-ever graduating class.
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar graduates take the Hippocratic Oath
"It gives all of us at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar great pleasure to be here to formally acknowledge our graduates as doctors for the first time," Dr. Sheikh said. "The members of the Class of 2013 have earned the right to enter the medical profession through their great commitment to their studies, their compassion for people in need of care and their unfailing intellectual curiosity.
"These talented young physicians will now go on to take their places in the international medical community, contributing the skills and knowledge they have learned here in Qatar to the goal of improving human lives in this region and across the globe," he added. "We have no doubt that they will be wonderful ambassadors for Qatar and for WCMC-Q, contributing to the growing international reputation that both have for pursuing excellence in higher education."
Including the 35 new graduates, WCMC-Q has now produced a total of 147 doctors since the university was inaugurated in 2002. This year's graduating class comprises 15 men and 20 women, representing 19 different countries.
"A physician is someone who strives to master the art of medicine, and thus a physician must be someone that values a human life on all levels," said commencement student speaker and graduate of 2013 Dr. Zaid Tafesh. "So to my classmates and dear friends, always maintain your dedication, reliability and companionship that define you so well. For it is these very qualities that will allow you to value the life of your patients and to practice medicine as the great physicians you are all destined to be."
Graduates of WCMC-Q receive their qualification from Cornell University, the first and only U.S. institution to offer its M.D. degree overseas.
Student commencement speaker Zaid Tafesh
"I am delighted to have the opportunity to witness the Class of 2013 receiving their medical degrees and to offer them my warmest congratulations," said Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. "The success of the Class of 2013 is testament not only to their own hard work and dedication, but also to the ongoing progress of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar and its goal of advancing excellence in medical practice throughout the Middle East. We look forward to building on this success in collaboration with our partners here in Qatar."
Dr. David Skorton, president of Cornell University, addressed the audience via a recorded video message.
"It is my great pleasure to celebrate the commencement of the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar Class of 2013," he said. "Members of this graduating class have worked with great commitment toward their medical degrees, and along with successful completion they have earned our warm congratulations and good wishes.
"At this important moment in the life of the medical school, we gratefully acknowledge the leadership and support of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, emir of Qatar, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chair of Qatar Foundation. They have been visionary in their aspirations for their people, and most generous in their commitment to this medical college."