Abstract:

The purpose of this poster presentation is to describe the outcomes of a pre-college outreach program that started in the fall of 2014 and is in its fourth edition this year at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q). The Qatar Aspiring Doctors Program (QADP) aims to recruit Qatari high-school students who are underrepresented in medical education and who are interested in pursuing a medical career. Using a blended learning modality, faculty delivered foundational curriculum content via online and face-to-face methods to enhance student college readiness in key courses such as Physical Sciences, Biology, English Language, and Information Literacy. Results show that out of 96 student-participants who matriculated in QADP between 2014 and 2017, 63.33% matriculated either in the foundation or the six-year medical program. Focus group findings also show overall satisfaction among participants in the program and an increased commitment to pursue a degree in medicine.

Keywords:

Precollege, outreach, premedical education, college readiness.