WCM-Q students participate in a free medical camp for workers

Twelve pre-medical and medical students from Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) attended a medical camp at Wellkins Medical Centre, where 200 workers received a free medical check-up and general health education.

The students gained first-hand work experience as WCM-Q’s Dr. Mohamud Verjee, and two other volunteer physicians consulted the workers. Any workers with symptoms of an illness were advised on further treatment and care.

During the event, the students supported the volunteer physicians with checking workers’ vital signs, including their blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI). They also provided information about health and non-communicable diseases and how to lead a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular physical activity. The event was attended by His Excellency Dr. Deepak Mittal, Indian Ambassador to Qatar.

The students’ efforts were recognized with three hours of voluntary service and a certificate of appreciation from the WCM-Q Family Medicine Interest Group. The students were Maryam Abdulrahmen Arabi, Degiri Kalana Lasanga Senevirathne, Harsh Gohil, Yousef Al-Najjar, Raghad Ibrahim, Shahad Ibrahim, Sumaya Omar Hussein, Lina Ahmed, Minjae Song, Aldana Alabdulla, Aayami Juguri, and Aparjita Sarker.

Dr. Verjee, WCM-Q assistant dean for medical student affairs, associate professor of family medicine in clinical medicine, and a consultant family physician, said: “We always look for opportunities beneficial to our students to expose them to the real world of medicine. Through these platforms, the students can identify the specialty they are passionate about early on in their medical career and become familiar with the health concerns of their community.”

Commenting on his experience, pre-medical student Degiri Kalana Lasanga Senevirathne said: “Getting a glimpse into the lives of doctors working in the clinical environments with patients from a variety of backgrounds really helped boost my motivation to further pursue my studies here in WCMQ. It showed me that this profession is high-stakes, dynamic and requires a lot of discipline to pursue.”

The camp was organized by the Indian Doctors’ Club and United Nurses of India in Qatar, supported by the Embassy of India.