Six Qatari interns have enrolled at Biomedical Research Training Programme of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar’s (WCMC-Q).

The training programme offers candidates the opportunity to take up biomedical research — everything from administration to bench research in world-class
laboratories.

The aim is to build human capacity in scientific research in line with Qatar National
Vision 2030.

The programme is a unique opportunity for Qatari college graduates with an interest in biomedical research to gain hands-on experience.

The intake of six interns - Amera al-Saadoun, Ghada Saeed Mubarak, Sara Nasser al-Thani, Ayeda Ahmed, Noor Saad al-Hajri and Alya Saleh al-Sulaiti - is the highest number so far.

Dr Khaled Machaca, research associate dean at WCMC-Q, said the programme has been highly successful and demonstrates the college’s commitment to the development of the knowledge-based economy.

“Trainees that enroll in this demanding programme will contribute to science leadership and advancement in Qatar in the future. WCMC-Q regards this training programme as a pillar of its mission in Qatar to ensure the human and technical infrastructure for the advancement of biomedical research in
Qatar,” he noted.

One of the interns al-Saadoun, who has a degree in biomedical science from Qatar University, said: “I joined this programme because I think it’s my first step to be a real scientist, a Qatari scientist. I believe at the end of this six-month programme I will have the basic skills for doing research, I hope to improve myself and enhance my knowledge in research and science in general. In the future, I want to be a researcher specialising in genetics and making new
discoveries about genes.”

Fellow intern Mubarak, also with a degree in biomedical science from Qatar University and an ambition to earn master’s in hospital administration, said: “The internship at WCMC-Q is a great opportunity to experience and learn more about bench research and to be trained under
experienced scientists.”

For al-Hajri, WCMC-Q may one day become her alma mater, as she is considering training to be a physician.

Although the programme is aimed at recent graduates who are interested in pursuing a career as a bench scientist, clinician or biomedical researcher, also being accepted are other graduates who have non-science degrees that can be used in the field of research administration.