Students from high schools across Qatar met at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) on April 22, 2017 to compete in a research poster contest aimed at inspiring talented young people to pursue careers in medicine. Twenty-three student teams from 14 schools presented posters at the High School Research Competition event, with topics ranging from the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in Qatar, to the impact of type-2 diabetes, to public attitudes to mass transport systems in Qatar, among many others.
Earlier this year, the Office of Student Recruitment and Outreach announced its first High School Medical Conference for local and international schools in Qatar, as a pilot initiative. The main aim of the conference is not only to raise awareness about the excellent careers that medicine has to offer but also foster a palpable interest in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) tracks.
The High School Research Competition is one element of WCM-Q’s new High School Medical Conference, a three-part outreach initiative that also comprises a series of professional development workshops designed for teachers and counselors who advise students interested in careers in medicine. The third element is an exhibition to be held at WCM-Q on November 11. The top selected teams were offered the opportunity to present at the High School Medical Conference, held on November 10 and 11. During the conference, three finalist teams compete to win valuable prizes. First prize in the contest is an educational trip to Weill Cornell Medicine in New York for the winning students and their school supervisor.
Dr. Rachid Bendriss, Assistant Dean for Student Recruitment, Outreach and Foundation Programs, said: “I want to congratulate every team and every single student that entered a research poster