Admissions Brochure Short Version This is a text-only version of the Admissions Brochure. A full-color, high-resolution version with photos is also available on our Website: http://www.qatar-med.cornell.edu/admissions/index.html TABLE OF CONTENTS A Message from the Dean............................................ 2 Purpose and Mission................................................ 2 Six-Year Integrated Program in Pre-medical and Medical Education......... 3 Facilities........................................................... 4 Learning Resources................................................. 4 On-Campus Housing & Recreation Facilities............................ 5 Student Life....................................................... 5 Faculty............................................................ 6 The Pre-medical Program............................................ 6 The Medical Program............................................... 7 Admissions........................................................ 8 Pre-medical Program Admission Requirements.......................... 8 Medical Program Admission Requirements.............................. 9 Overviews Cornell University.............................................. 10 Weill Medical College of Cornell University........................ 10 Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar............................ 10 Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development........................................ 11 The State of Qatar.......................................... 11 OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar Education City Post Office Box 24811 Doha, Qatar Phone: (974) 492 8500 Fax: (974) 492 8555 E-mail: admissions@qatar-med.cornell.edu Website: www.qatar-med.cornell.edu
2 A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN As Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q), I welcome your interest in this innovative and exciting project. The opening of WCMC-Q in September 2002 was a groundbreaking initiative, signalling the extension of American medical education overseas and creating new opportunities for young people who are interested in a career in medicine. Set up by Cornell University in partnership with Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, WCMC-Q is the first branch campus of Cornell University ever established overseas. This is also the first time that an American university is offering its MD degree outside the United States. Our integrated program of study has been specially designed for students in the region, and represents a departure from the more normal eight-year program offered in the US. It comprises a two-year Pre-medical Program that focuses on the sciences basic to medicine, followed by the four-year Medical Program in which students follow the highly successful curriculum taught at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, which is situated in New York City. Admission is according to Cornell requirements, and teaching is by Cornell faculty to Cornell standards of excellence. While the courses are rigorous and demanding, they promise extraordinary rewards: the degree of Doctor of Medicine from Cornell University, and entry into a career that is as fascinating as it is varied and rewarding. The home of WCMC-Q on the Education City campus in Doha was commissioned by Qatar Foundation. A world-class environment in which to study, the building is equipped with stateof-the-art technology that enables students at WCMC-Q and at Cornell in the US to share educational experiences. I hope that you will find the information in this brochure helpful. Please visit our Website at www.qatar-med.cornell.edu, and contact us if you have any questions. Daniel R. Alonso, MD Dean, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar Purpose and Mission Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar brings the best of American pre-medical and medical education to the State of Qatar and the Middle East region. WCMC-Q shares the purpose and mission of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. We are committed to excellence in teaching, research, patient care, and the advancement of the art and science of medicine. To this end, our mission is to provide the finest education possible for medical students, to contribute to the lifelong education of physicians throughout their careers, to conduct research at the cutting edge of knowledge, to improve the health care of the nation and the world both now and for future generations, and to provide the highest quality of clinical care for the communities we serve.
3 SIX-YEAR INTEGRATED PROGRAM IN PRE-MEDICAL AND MEDICAL EDUCATION Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar offers a unique, six-year integrated program of study designed for students in the Middle East. It consists of a two-year non-degree Pre-medical Program, followed by the four-year Medical Program leading to the Cornell University MD degree, which is granted by the University upon completion of all graduation requirements. Courses in the Pre-medical Program focus on the sciences basic to medicine. In the second year, there is greater emphasis on subjects that are more closely related to medicine in order to prepare students to apply to the Medical Program. The Medical Program at WCMC-Q uses the highly successful curriculum introduced at Weill Cornell Medical College in 1996, with its focus on problem-based learning, the development of critical thinking skills, and exposure to clinical care from an early stage. Selected students are offered the opportunity to gain experience of scientific and biomedical research at Cornell and Weill Cornell in the US every year, as part of a summer research fellowship program. There is a separate admissions process for each program. Admission to the Pre-medical Program does not guarantee admission to the Medical Program.
4 FACILITIES For the first year of operation, WCMC-Q was located in a wing of Qatar Academy in Education City. During the summer of 2003, the Medical College moved to the new building nearby, which opened in time for Orientation and Opening Exercises in September 2003. The building was officially dedicated in October of the same year by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned and eleventh President of Cornell University, Jeffrey S. Lehman, in a ceremony held in the presence of Cornell leaders and guests from Qatar and around the world. Designed by renowned architect Arata Isozaki, the building is spacious and superbly equipped. It blends East with West, the modern with the traditional, and decorative themes from Islamic architecture with contemporary building materials and highly advanced technology. LEARNING RESOURCES Foremost among the excellent learning resources at the Medical College are: Four lecture halls, each with an integrated system of electronic teaching tools controlled from the lectern. More than 3,500 square meters of lab space, supplemented by nearly 900 square meters of prep rooms. Seminar rooms and dry labs designed to facilitate learning in small groups and equipped with Apple Macintosh G5 computers and flat-panel, retractable 23-inch monitors. A Clinical Skills Center, fully equipped to support a Clinical Skills Teaching and Assessment Program. A Distributed elibrary, with clusters of computers placed throughout the building for ease of access. A wireless network for use of laptops and personal digital assistants (PDAs) anywhere within the building. Advanced educational tools, including a virtual microscope system that gives students and faculty access to collections of glass slides by digital display. The educational and administrative operations of the Medical College are supported by a sophisticated technological infrastructure. The government of Qatar has provided Education City with a high-speed broadband connection with the US, and this enables WCMC-Q students and faculty to share lectures, interactive conferences, Grand Rounds and other educational activities with their colleagues at Cornell in Ithaca and Weill Cornell in New York City. To view a collection of images and virtual tours of the building and facilities, visit: www.qatar-med.cornell.edu/medianews/media.html
5 on-campus housing and recreation facilities There are attractive, modern residential facilities in Education City, and they are available to WCMC- Q students if they choose to live on-campus. Accommodations for women are separate from those for men, and security services are provided on-campus twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Housing is in furnished apartments, with two students sharing a unit. The apartments are spacious and well appointed, with living and dining areas, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Cable television and a telephone with local access are provided. Communal facilities in each apartment block include a social area where residents and their families may gather, and a computer lab with Internet access. Laundry facilities are also provided on each floor. There are outdoor basketball and tennis courts, football fields and a running track on the campus. The recently expanded and modernized Recreation Center has an Olympic-size swimming pool, jacuzzi, two multi-purpose gyms, fitness rooms (including one for ladies only), aerobics and dance studios, and squash courts, among other facilities. Classes are offered for some activities, including swimming, while local leagues are organized for others, such as squash. The ground floor is largely dedicated to facilities such as a bank, post office, travel agency and laundry, bringing a range of essential services within convenient reach of the Education City community. The top floor has provision for social activities, including games rooms, meeting rooms and offices for student clubs. Elsewhere in Education City, there are beautiful Arabian horses at Al Shaqab Stud for those who enjoy equestrian sports. Student Life Students at WCMC-Q are part of an international, culturally diverse community. By fall 2005, the student body came from some 25 countries on four continents. To cater for the wide variety of talents and interests among the WCMC-Q community, clubs have been set up for sports, drama, community service and other activities. Teaming up with Teaching Assistants, the students play sport against local schools or institutions in Education City, and organize regular Coffee House (talent show) events. Other clubs have organized joint activities, such as a nosmoking campaign and blood donor clinics. Students have volunteered at the Hamad Medical Corporation s Al Amal Cancer Hospital, Hamad General Hospital and with the Ambulance Service. Many also stepped up to offer their assistance with the National Health Authority s campaign to immunize children against poliomyelitis in 2005. In early 2006, a group traveled to India to help build new homes in a village that suffered extensive damage in the 2004 Asian tsunami, the first time that WCMC-Q s students had taken their voluntary activities overseas. The Medical Student Executive Council (MSEC-Q), whose officers are elected annually by the student population, represents the interests of the student body to the faculty and administration. The Council also assists with setting up clubs, organizing activities and developing leisure facilities within the Medical College. A Peer Tutoring Group offers academic assistance and a Peer Counseling Group, centered in the residence, offers advice, help and good company to fellow students. The MSEC-Q has set up a Big Sib Program that matches second year pre-medical students with students in the Medical Program, as a way to encourage the exchange of experience and advice about issues that concern them. The Council is also working to keep open the lines of communication between students at WCMC-Q and their colleagues at Cornell and Weill Cornell in the US. For more information about student life visit: www.qatar-med.cornell.edu/studentaffairs
6 FACULTY WCMC-Q recruits faculty and staff who excel in their fields. The faculty are dedicated to the achievement of excellence in training the physicians of the future for leadership in patient care, community service, research and education. Pre-medical Program Faculty Teaching within the Pre-medical Program is done by Cornell University-appointed faculty, most of whom are resident in Qatar. One course is brought to students at WCMC-Q using videostreaming technology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York State. Medical Program Faculty All faculty who teach in the Medical Program hold appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College. While some are resident in Qatar, others visit WCMC-Q for a week at a time, having finished teaching their part of a course at the Medical College in New York City. E-learning methods are also used, in the form of videostreamed lectures and videoconferences between faculty and students at the Medical Colleges. Physicians at our partner institution, Hamad Medical Corporation, who hold Weill Cornell faculty appointments, play an important part in the clinical education of our medical students. The Pre-medical program The Pre-medical Program at WCMC-Q is designed to prepare students for admission to the Medical Program. Intensive and challenging, this two-year program has been specifically prepared for students in the Middle East. It provides them with instruction in subjects that comprise the pre-medical requirements of most medical colleges in the US, and students receive official credits from Cornell University in the form of a transcript identifying the courses and grades received. The focus in the first year is on the sciences that are basic to medicine biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. Students also have some exposure to the humanities, in the form of writing seminars. In the second year, the emphasis is closer to the study of medicine, with subjects such as organic chemistry, and introductory courses in biochemistry, genetics, psychology, immunology, neuroscience and medical ethics. Sessions in the laboratory form an integral part of pre-medical education at WCMC-Q. Students develop an understanding of how information in science is generated, and how to accurately record and analyze their findings. Laboratory work also encourages students to take a more questioning approach to academic studies, in preparation for the problem-based learning mode of education of the Medical Program. Problem-solving exercises are part of the learning experience from the outset. Students are guided by Teaching Assistants (TAs) who help with laboratory work, offer review sessions, and give individual tutoring. TAs have proven to be a popular and highly successful addition to the faculty. The majority of them are appointed from among recent graduates of Cornell University who are postponing their studies for a year before going on to medical schools in the US. Opportunities to further explore the medical profession are available to pre-medical students, including riding with the ambulance service and observing doctors at work in Hamad General Hospital. Students are also encouraged to try and gain wider experience of medical and related fields wherever possible.
7 The medical program The required period of study for the Medical Program at WCMC-Q extends over four academic years. Medical students exposure to patients and to clinical training begins in the first semester and continues until graduation, in the setting of primary health care centers and hospitals of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC.) It is envisaged that, within a few years, a new specialty teaching hospital will open in Education City and, together with Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, will become the first academic medical center in the region dedicated to the triple mission of education, research and health care. Hamad Medical Corporation will continue to provide significant clinical resources, greatly enhancing academic medicine in Qatar and the Middle East. The first and second years of the curriculum consist of five basic science courses: Molecules, Genes and Cells; Human Structure and Function; Host Defenses; Brain and Mind; and Basis of Disease. The introductory clinical courses, Medicine, Patients and Society I & II, run throughout the first and second years. The core basic science courses are sequential, integrated, interdisciplinary block courses that employ problem-based learning (PBL) in small groups with the faculty. PBL emphasizes active learning and requires the student first to identify issues needed to solve a medical problem, then to seek out the information needed to solve the problem, and finally to reconvene in small groups to apply the information learned. Lectures are few and emphasize the conceptual framework of a field. Anatomic dissection and experimental laboratories complete the learning experience. The Medicine, Patients and Society courses approach the doctor-patient relationship from both conceptual and practical perspectives. For one day each week, students spend the morning in seminar, and the afternoon in physicians clinics. Topics considered include medical interviewing, physical diagnosis, human behavior in illness, medical ethics, public health, biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, and others. Thus, students learn these vital topics in a patient-centered context. The third year is dedicated to clinical learning and emphasizes the core clerkships: Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Psychiatry, Neurology, Anesthesia, Public Health and Primary Care. During the clinical portion of their medical studies, students are integral members of the health-care team. They learn by actively providing care to patients, under the supervision of the faculty. Weill Cornell s model for clinical learning encourages the student to analyze clinical problems rigorously, then discuss the interpretation with the faculty, then implement the clinical plan. This encourages the student to develop independent clinical skills, while safeguarding the highest level of patient care. The fourth year centers on completion of clinical requirements as well as electives. While electives can be taken at any time in the third or fourth years, most students focus on three major types of electives in the fourth year: clinical electives, often in subspecialty areas; research; and international electives. In the month before graduation, courses in advanced basic science allow students to update leading-edge biomedical science in depth.
8 Admissions There is a separate admissions process for the Pre-medical Program and the Medical Program at WCMC-Q. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible. With provision for up to 70 percent representation by Qatari citizens, applicants from Qatar who meet all the Cornell selection criteria are given priority. However, applications from interested, qualified students, wherever they are from, are encouraged and are welcome. We seek applicants of exceptional academic ability, with the personal qualities that make them ideally suited to future leadership roles in medicine; this is why interviews form such an important part of our admissions process. Among the qualities we look for: emotional maturity, depth of character, commitment to others wellbeing, ethical and moral bearing, motivation and outstanding personal initiative. While we look closely at each applicant s academic record and standardized test scores, our review goes much further, encompassing evidence of leadership roles, creativity, research, community service and other life experiences. Essentially, we look for a special combination of intellectual potential, commitment to the advancement of science and humane spirit; we aim to develop individuals who recognize and are dedicated to the highest quality patient care, and who understand their responsibility for contributions through personal scholarship. Pre-medical Program Admission Requirements Requirements for admission to the Pre-medical Program include: Completion of secondary school or equivalent, with appropriate achievement in relevant sciences. Appropriate scores in the SAT Reasoning Test or ACT with Writing. Strongly recommended: SAT Subject Test in Mathematics (any level) and two sciences. These tests are independent of any particular textbook or method of instruction, thus allowing international applicants to demonstrate appropriate mastery of relevant subjects. English language proficiency. All applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English by presenting results of either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System.) Two letters of reference. Written by a teacher, member of faculty or academic advisor, these should focus on what is important about both the applicant s academic achievements and his or her personal qualities. Two personal statements. These help us to look beyond course grades and examination results, to know each applicant better as a person. Interviews. Personal interviews help the Committee on Admissions become acquainted with an applicant in ways that material evidence cannot. All applicants who are invited for interviews must attend them in order to be considered for admission. While no single grade or exam score guarantees admission, it would be relevant to note that the average GPA of the students entering the Pre-medical Program in 2005 was 3.8 and additionally that these students had an average SAT math score of 676 and an average TOEFL score of 604. Decisions regarding acceptance are made by the Committee on Admissions, which is drawn from Cornell University faculty. Interested applicants are urged to visit the WCMC-Q Website www.qatar-med.cornell.edu for more detailed and up-to-date information.
9 Medical Program admission requirements Listed below are the requirements for admission to the Medical Program. While no single grade or exam score guarantees admission, please note that the average science GPA of the 33 students who entered the Medical Program in 2004 and 2005 is 3.6. The average MCAT scores have been as follows: Biological Sciences: 11.0; Physical Sciences: 10.2; Verbal: 7.5. Interested applicants should visit the WCMC-Q Website www.qatar-med.cornell.edu for detailed and current information. Students Enrolled in the WCMC-Q Pre-medical Program To be eligible to apply, such students must provide: Evidence of successful completion of the WCMC-Q Pre-medical Program. Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) results. Letters of reference. Written by faculty or academic advisor, these should focus on what is important about both the applicant s academic achievements and his or her personal qualities. A personal statement. Written by the applicant, this should provide critical insight into his or her motives, purposes or objectives in seeking a career in medicine. Evidence of participation in activities that are pertinent to the medical profession. Students with Other Credentials Applicants from outside of the WCMC-Q Pre-medical Program will be considered and must provide: Evidence of successful completion of at least the equivalent of an American undergraduate degree by the time of their entrance to WCMC-Q. Evidence of pursuit of pre-medical studies comparable to university programs in the US in length, breadth and academic rigor. Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) results. Evidence of broadly developed skill in academic, professional and scientific English. Letters of reference. Written by college/university faculty or academic advisor, these should focus on what is important about both the applicant s academic achievements and his or her personal qualities. Personal statement. Written by the applicant, this should provide critical insight into his or her motives, purposes or objectives in seeking a career in medicine. Evidence of participation in activities that are pertinent to the medical profession. Following consideration of applications and supporting documents, selected applicants will be invited for interviews. The interviews are mandatory: No applicant will be offered a place without first attending them. Consideration of applications to the Medical Program and interviews are by the Committee on Admissions, which comprises Weill Cornell Medical College faculty. Students who successfully complete all four years of the Medical Program as well as other graduation requirements, will be granted the Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) by Cornell University. Tuition and Fees Tuition and fees will be the same as those in effect at Cornell University in Ithaca for the Pre-medical Program and those in effect at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City for the Medical Program. Financial Aid Cornell University selects students on merit only. This principle is known as need-blind admissions. In other words, the Committee on Admissions screens, evaluates and accepts students without knowledge of their ability to pay. Non-Qatari students who have been offered admission to Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar and who may be in need of financial assistance are eligible to apply to the Qatar Foundation for need-based loans.
10 Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell University received its charter in 1865 and graduated its first class in 1869. It was the inspiration of Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, members of the New York State Senate, who united their separate ambitions and created an institution where any person can find instruction in any study. Since then, Cornell has built up a reputation as one of the leading universities in the US. It is a member of the prestigious Ivy League, an elite group of universities renowned for their academic excellence. The University comprises seven undergraduate units and four graduate and professional units in Ithaca, and two medical graduate and professional units in New York City. Cornell has a long tradition of engagement at the international level: Tens of thousands of overseas students have studied at the University, and its faculty and students have traveled across the world in pursuit of their research and studies. Website: www.cornell.edu WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK, N.Y. Founded in 1898, and affiliated with what is now NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital since 1927, Weill Cornell Medical College is among the top-ranked clinical and medical research centers in the US. With a triple mission of education, research and patient care, the Medical College offers the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, PhD programs in biomedical research and education at Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and a joint MD-PhD program in cooperation with Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Weill Cornell physicians have made, and continue to make, major contributions to medical research in key areas. They led the way for such advances as the Pap test for cervical cancer, the first doubleblind controlled experiment to test the efficacy of drugs and the synthesis of penicillin. Research is currently being carried out in a wide range of fields, and Weill Cornell experts are leaders in the field of clinical gene therapy. Website: www.med.cornell.edu Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) was established in 2001 as a joint venture of Cornell University and Qatar Foundation. The first intake of students enrolled in the Pre-medical Program in fall, 2002. As a branch of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, WCMC-Q offers a complete medical education in Qatar leading to a Cornell University medical degree based on the same standards as those at Weill Cornell in the US. The agreement with Qatar Foundation to provide an equivalent medical education is the first in Cornell s history, and a first for US higher education. WCMC-Q is also breaking new ground in Qatar as a pioneer of coeducation at university level, and the first medical college in the country. Work is now proceeding with our partners, the National Health Authority, Hamad Medical Corporation and Qatar Foundation, to establish a research program to investigate genetic diseases prevalent in the region, such as diabetes. Website: www.qatar-med.cornell.edu
11 The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development atar Foundation is a private, non-profit organization set up in 1995 on the personal initiative of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar. The organization s Chairperson is Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, wife of the Emir and dedicated campaigner for quality education. Qatar Foundation is playing a key role in the visionary plan to transform Qatar into a knowledge society and diversify the economy. It has established a network of centers devoted to progressive education, research and community welfare. Educational institutions, Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), RAND-Qatar Policy Institute, Qatar Diabetes Association and the Social Development Center all come under the organization s umbrella. Its flagship project is the multi-institutional Education City, a campus dedicated to education from nursery school to medical school research and development, established on a 2,500-acre (10 million square meters) site on the outskirts of Doha. Some of the world s leading universities have established branches there in partnership with Qatar Foundation. Programs of study are guided by the manpower needs of the region. They include medicine (Cornell), Engineering (Texas A&M), computer science and business administration (Carnegie Mellon), international relations (Georgetown) and design arts (Virginia Commonwealth), with more to come. Research and development will have a central place in the project as Qatar Science and Technology Park comes on-stream; tenants committed to the Park include global businesses such as ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Rolls Royce, Shell and TotalFinaElf. Looking further ahead, Qatar Foundation has unveiled plans for the construction of a specialty teaching hospital (STH), to be the primary teaching hospital of WCMC-Q. Together with the Medical College, this all-digital facility specializing in women s and children s health care will form the first American-style academic medical center in the region. Website: www.qf.org.qa THE STATE OF QATAR The State of Qatar is one of the most exciting countries in the Middle East. With a population that is predominantly young, and rapidly expanding energy and related industries, Qatar is currently among the most economically vibrant countries in the world. A member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, Qatar has hosted meetings of the World Trade Organization and the Organization of Islamic Conference. It is the home of Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel and of Qatar Foundation s Education City, one of the most far-sighted centers for education and research in the Middle East. A peninsula of some 11,500 square kilometers, the country has a landscape of sand dunes in the south and flat, rocky desert with scattered cultivation in the north. The climate is mild and pleasant in winter with occasional rainfall, while the summers are hot and frequently humid. For centuries, economic activity centered on camel breeding, fishing and pearl diving. In the twentieth century, the economy was transformed by the discovery of oil and, later on, of vast reserves of gas off the (continued on page 12)
12 THE STATE OF QATAR (continued from page 11) northeast coast. Qatar has the largest non-associated gas field yet discovered, and is now a major exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and condensates. The prosperity that came with exploitation of the country s energy resources was channelled into the development of a modern infrastructure: transport and telecommunication links, schools, hospitals and public health clinics. Qatar University was founded in 1973. Since the Emir, His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, assumed power in 1995, the pace of change has accelerated. Industrial complexes have expanded in a move to diversify the economy. There is a boom in the construction of housing, hotels, schools, shopping malls and sports facilities. Qatar hosts the Asian Games in 2006. The first elections were held in 1999 for members of the Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has an advisory and monitoring role. Women have the right to vote and to stand as candidates. In 2003, the first woman member of the CMC took her seat. A Constitution guaranteeing a number of important rights was adopted following a referendum, the first in the country s history, in 2003. Qatar s first woman Minister, H.E. Sheikha Al-Mahmoud, was appointed Minister of Education in 2003. Other Qatari women have been appointed to posts in international (e.g. UN), regional and national organizations. Educational reform has been identified as a priority. Qatar is carrying out a major overhaul of the school system and curriculum, under the aegis of RAND-Qatar Policy Institute. There is also a drive to create an information society, with a target of 39 percent computer literacy by 2010. OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar Education City Post Office Box 24811 Doha, Qatar Phone: (974) 492 8500 Fax: (974) 492 8555 E-mail: admissions@qatar-med.cornell.edu Website: www.qatar-med.cornell.edu