Medical students of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar have gained greater access to world-class clinical facilities for training in primary care, particularly in the area of musculoskeletal injuries and diseases, through a new agreement with ASPETAR, Qatar's Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital.
The agreement, which was signed earlier this year, makes the facilities of ASPETAR available as a training site for WCMC-Q students during their primary care clinical rotation and provides eligible ASPETAR teaching staff with WCMC-Q faculty appointments. ASPETAR physicians also will gain access to the WCMC-Q Distributed eLibrary, an electronic repository of more than 1,600 publications and periodicals.
Dr. Gotto and Dr. Al Maadheed shake hands after signing an agreement, as Dr. Sheikh looks on.
ASPETAR is a 50-bed orthopedic and sports medicine facility located within the Aspire Zone (Sports City) campus in Doha. Built to internationally accredited standards, ASPETAR is designed to treat orthopedic problems and athletic injuries using the latest technology and therapies. Its staff includes internationally recognized sports medicine experts from around the world.
"Our agreement with ASPETAR is a testimony to our commitment to provide WCMC-Q students with a variety of excellent opportunities for clinical education," says Dr. Javaid Sheikh, interim dean and vice dean for research of WCMC-Q. "At ASPETAR, our students will have the opportunity to directly observe the emerging field of sports medicine with some of the most renowned physicians in the field."
"The clinical training agreement with ASPETAR complements the existing affiliation agreement we have with Hamad Medical Corporation," says Dr. Antonio M. Gotto Jr., provost for medical affairs and dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, who signed the agreement with Dr. Sheikh and Mohammed G.A. Al Maadheed, M.D., Ph.D., director-general of ASPETAR. "It is welcome evidence of the growing relationship between the United States and the Islamic world and helps promote understanding among international societies."
"This agreement enhances Qatar's position as a center of both academic and health care excellence in the region," says Dr. Al Maadheed. "We are delighted to welcome WCMC-Q students for part of their clinical training and we look forward to welcoming them back as physicians in the future."
Photography by John Samples.