AR • 2012 1 ANNUAL REPORT اﻟـــﺘـــﻘـــﺮﻳــــﺮ اﻟـــﺴـــﻨـــﻮي 2012 2012 Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, receives a 10th anniversary gift from Alreem Al-Nabti and Mohammed Al Hajri. Our faculty, students and staff are tremendously proud to be playing an important role in the progress of our host nation. ANNUAL REPORT JULY 1, 2011 TO JUNE 30, 2012 Leadership Report 02 Joint Advisory Board 05 Education 07 Foundation Program and 19 Pre-Medical Education CONTENTS Clinical Care 27 Research 33 Global and Public Health 41 Student Life 47 Outreach 53 Statistics 58 AR • 2012 2 Leadership Report It gives me great pleasure to present to you this annual report on Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar’s (WCMC-Q) progress and achievements over the past 12 months. At any moment, there are countless stories to be told about the efforts of students and medical educators, the work of distinguished researchers, the care rendered by physicians, and the connections this college has with its surrounding communities. What is shown in this report is just a small representation of how WCMC-Q is building a world-class medical college in Qatar. Since 2011, we have witnessed many exciting signs that our college is excelling in its tripartite mission of excellence in education, research and clinical care. Our five-year strategic plan was implemented in 2010, having been developed in the context of this tripartite mission and with full alignment to the goals of Qatar’s National Vision 2030. The plan provided a formal structure for us to define our aspirations in all of these areas. In the pages that follow, you will see our strategy at work. Our primary mission is the education of the next generation of physicians and this year’s graduation ceremony saw 32 talented young men and women join the international medical community. This was the largest graduating class in WCMC-Q history and, as such, a powerful reaffirmation of our mission and strategy. Since its inauguration in 2002, WCMC-Q has created 112 superb doctors, many of whom are now in residency positions at some of the most prestigious training hospitals in the U.S. Other graduates have chosen to remain in Qatar to contribute to the country’s healthcare system. We are working closely with our alumni association to create multiple career opportunities AR • 2012 3 in Qatar, thus enabling most of our graduates to return to collaborate with Hamad Medical Corporation on the to the host nation. We are immensely proud that these development of an Academic Health System and this joint talented young men and women are using the skills initiative will revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of and expertise that they learned in our classes and labs the local community. to directly impact the health and wellbeing of Qatar’s citizens. While affirming our commitments to local health, our strategic plan reflects more far-reaching global And as our graduates step out into the world to continue responsibilities. These pages will introduce you to the their medical careers, we welcome our new students, multiple initiatives being developed by our Department excitedly taking the first step in their careers. Within of Global and Public Health. Such initiatives will ensure these pages, you will learn about the enhancements we that the reach of our medical college extends to an even have made to our curricula. These enhancements provide greater number of places and people, making a positive our students with increased breadth and opportunities contribution to their health and wellbeing. in their education and offer multiple pathways to future career success. As you read this annual report, you will see one common thread woven through its pages: commitment to WCMC-Q’s research program is truly a local institution quality. It is through this commitment, resting on the with a global reach. Our innovative training programs pillars of excellence in education, research and clinical are contributing to the national vision of becoming a care, that WCMC-Q is directly contributing to Qatar’s knowledge-based economy by preparing Qatari nationals objective of becoming an increasingly knowledge-based to become pioneers in Qatar’s emerging research industry. society. By building strong and successful collaborations with local stakeholders and over 50 research centers across Our commitment is a direct response to the profound the world, we continue to develop cutting-edge therapies support shown by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa for the most pressing local health concerns, namely Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndromes. Our recent Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation. Their investigations into the date palm, one of the region’s dedication to the development of advanced education most important agricultural products, are establishing and world-class health systems is inspirational to Qatar as a world leader in the genomic research of this all at WCMC-Q. Our faculty, students and staff are major source of nutrition and sustainable agriculture. tremendously proud to be playing an important role in the progress of our host nation. Through the strategic planning process, we also reaffirmed our commitment to clinical care, to positively impact the health of the State of Qatar. Our faculty are establishing a series of new clinics and developing Javaid Sheikh, M.D. fresh links with local healthcare providers. We continue Dean AR • 2012 4 AR • 2012 5 Joint Advisory Board The Joint Advisory Board provides advice and assistance to the dean and the governing parties of WCMC-Q. It consists of four members selected by Cornell University, four members appointed by Qatar Foundation, three additional independent members who are selected jointly by Cornell and Qatar Foundation, and three ex-officio members. QATAR FOUNDATION REPRESENTATIVES INDEPENDENT REPRESENTATIVES H.E. Ghalia Bint Mohammed Al-Thani, M.D. Jordan J. Cohen, M.D. Co-Chair, WCMC-Q Joint Advisory Board member, President Emeritus Qatar Supreme Council of Health Chair, Sidra Clinical Association of American Medical Colleges Steering Planning Committee Chair, Qatar Foundation Sir Christopher Paine, D.M., F.R.C.P. For Child & Woman Protection Consultant in Pediatrics, Hamad Medical Corporation Ziyad Mousa Hijazi, M.D., M.P.H. Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine Mohammed Fathy Saoud, Ph.D. Director, Rush Center for Congenital and Structural President, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science & Heart Disease Community Development Section Chief, Pediatric Cardiology Hassan Ali. S. A. Al-Thani MB.Bch, FRCS(C), FRCS (Ire), CABS Head of Vascular Surgery, General and Vascular Surgery at HMC Director of Arab Board Program of Surgery in Qatar Jassim Al Suwaidi M.B. Ch.B. B.A.O., L.R.C.P. & S.I. (Honors) Consultant Cardiologist Hamad Medical Corporation CORNELL UNIVERSITY REPRESENTATIVES EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil. Mr. Sanford I. Weill Co-Chair, WCMC-Q Joint Advisory Board Chairman, Board of Overseers Dean Emeritus and Co-Chairman of the Board of Overseers Weill Cornell Medical College Lewis Thomas University Professor H.E. Abdulla A. Al-Thani, Ph.D. Weill Cornell Medical College Vice President, Education Vice President and Provost for Medical Affairs Emeritus Qatar Foundation for Education Science & Community Mrs. Barbara B. Friedman Development Vice-Chair, Board of Overseers President-Hamad Bin Khalifa University Weill Cornell Medical College Javaid I. Sheikh, M.D. James J. Mingle, Esq. Dean University Counsel & Secretary for the Corporation Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar Cornell University Mr. Tarek Abdel-Meguid Member, Board of Overseers Weill Cornell Medical College AR • 2012 6 In May 2012 WCMC-Q celebrated the largest graduating class in the history of the college AR • 2012 7 Education Medical Education WCMC-Q’s stimulating learning environment continues to provide the foundation for the acquisition of knowledge and skills for a lifetime of clinical practice. The curriculum is designed to promote students’ professional identity formation and to develop habits of inquiry and self-directed learning. While learning objectives and assessment methods remain comparable with those of the New York City campus, faculty on the medical education program are working to individualize the implementation of these objectives to meet the specific needs of the learners and the community. The program continues to grow: 44 students entered the first year medical college class in September 2011 and 32 students graduated in May 2012 – the largest ever graduating class. This year, WCMC-Q’s newest doctors received their degrees in a ceremony at Qatar National Convention Centre in front of family, friends, faculty and college staff from both Doha and New York. They later traveled to New York to participate in the WCMC-NY graduation ceremony. Dr. Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCMC-Q, paid tribute to their dedication and spoke of the role they can play in the future. Dr. Sheikh said: “Nothing gives us greater pleasure than witnessing our talented students fulfill their dream of being called ‘Doctor’ for the first time. “The Class of 2012 have a passion for learning, a spirit of inquiry and a dedication to the improvement of human lives. Such wonderful attributes have brought these young physicians the rewards that we all enjoy celebrating with them today. “As our graduates join the international medical community, we are confident that their future contributions to medicine and science will further enhance Qatar’s growing global reputation as a beacon of knowledge and enlightenment.” The students have taken up various positions since graduating. Of those who sought post-graduate placements, 20 will continue their training in the U.S. while nine opted to remain in Qatar and will train at Hamad Medical Corporation. The remaining three will pursue research work for a year.