The students at High School Research Competition at WCM-Q.
The High School Research Competition was organised by the Student Recruitment and Outreach Office of Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q) to encourage teenagers to explore the field of medicine and to use professional scientific research methods. It was also designed to offer them a platform to showcase both their knowledge and their concerns.
Twenty-one teams from both private and independent high schools took part in the contest, presenting about themes tied to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals of ensuring healthy lives; ensuring access to water and sanitation; making cities inclusive and safe; and ensuring sustainable consumption and production.
Research subjects tackled by the students included: ‘The effect of air pollution on the prevalence of respiratory diseases in Qatar’, which was studied by a team from Bright Future International School; ‘Elderly and their mental health’, by a team from Sherborne Qatar; and ‘Causes of dental decay among children in Qatar’ by a team of five students from Michael E Debakey High School-Qatar.
Dr Rachid Bendriss, assistant dean for student recruitment, outreach and foundation programs at WCM-Q, said the standard of research was very high. He said, “It has been truly gratifying to read the research posters that have been presented here today because what is obvious is that the students involved have employed true research methodology.
“Science, technology and medicine are all areas in which Qatar needs to build research capacity and by encouraging students to become involved and take an interest in these subjects before they go to university, we can help them to make informed choices about their future careers. It would, of course, be wonderful if all those here today decided they wanted a career in medicine or biomedical research, but our real aim is to simply instill a love of science and research.”
Each research team was provided with the help of a mentor from WCM-Q, who helped guide their research, ensuring they were asking and answering the relevant questions, and providing expertise on research methods and the most effective means of presenting their findings to a wider audience. The mentors were composed of faculty members and the teaching specialists who teach in the premedical curriculum of the medical program.
The posters were then judged by a panel of 10 professional scientists from WCM-Q’s Division of Research, and the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute.
