Weill Cornell Medical College announces 2nd Annual High School Essay Contest

The competition is open to all high school students in Qatar and throughout the region.

'Healing Hands: Making a Difference' is this year's theme. Participating students are asked to submit an essay of no more than 800 words that describes how, as a future doctor, they can make a difference in the health of the people in Qatar; and how they feel they can contribute towards the delivery of excellent healthcare including their aspirations in conducting biomedical research.

This year, an optional multimedia component has been added to the requirements of the competition. Each student can submit a two or three-minute video production based on the theme of the competition.

"After our widely successful essay contest last year, we are offering it again in order stimulate young students to consider a medical career," said Dr. Daniel Alonso, Dean Emeritus, WCMC-Q.

The contest's top prizes are two Doctor of the Future Summer Scholarships. WCMC-Q will send the top two winners - one male and one female - for a fully funded two-week summer experience at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

The students selected for the grand prize will spend time in research laboratories with prominent researchers and distinguished Weill Cornell physicians. Each grand prize winner will be allowed to bring one guardian and will receive economy round trip airfare, and lodging in Manhattan.

Additionally, the winning essays and the names of the top twenty finalists will be published in an anthology in Fall 2009. The finalists will be awarded WCMC-Q certificates of appreciation.

WCMC-Q is preparing the next generation of doctors by inspiring them to become physicians, biomedical researchers, and medical educators at the forefront of their fields. Last year's competition elicited more than 100 entries.

Alaa Al Na'ama, one of last year's winners, described how the experience helped inspire her:

"I wish that future doctors, who are my age, in Qatar have the chance to do what I did in the US. It was really a fantastic trip."

In order to be eligible for the competition each student must a) be enrolled in a high school in Qatar; b) have lived in Qatar for a minimum of ten years; and, c) submit an English Essay online.

The winners will be announced by May 15th, 2009.