Cornell Qatar admissions?

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shan564

shan564

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Does anybody know what admissions are like for international students at Cornell's Qatar campus? I have a low GPA and a high MCAT (2.9 and 34), which is easily good enough to get me into reputable schools in, say, Australia... but I'd rather be in the Middle East because I have a lot of relatives there. It seems from their website that they put more emphasis on GPA than MCAT, but GPA isn't a complete non-factor like it is in Australia. Opinions?

By the way, I'm a Pakistani citizen at the moment and I'm a few months away from finishing all of the paperwork to become an American citizen. My dad lives in Kuwait (as well as my mom's brother's family and her sister's family) and my mom has some cousins in Qatar and other parts of the Middle East. I wouldn't mind staying in the Middle East in the long run, since my mom will probably be moving to Kuwait soon (to join my dad) and I still have a lot of relatives in Pakistan.

What do you guys think?
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Hey buddy, Im as well a pakistani med student from Oman. Well I dont really have information about cornells intakes of medstudents but I can direct you to a thread called mentor thread. Its right at the top of the homepage of SDN. You will see someone called "mentor05" if not im not mistaken. He is a cornel medstudent and is willing to help everyone.
Thats the only way i could help, between ur MCAT scores are great then y is ur GPA low? nevertheless.. ALL THE BEST !
 
shan564 said:
Does anybody know what admissions are like for international students at Cornell's Qatar campus? I have a low GPA and a high MCAT (2.9 and 34)
Click to expand...

Salam :)

International students comprise 30% of the batch of 50 (Qataris form 70%). So yeah, it does make it rather competitive for the international batch especially. You could get in if you excel in your interview.

Please refer to FAQ #15 @ http://www.qatar-med.cornell.edu/ad...=2Select&name2=FAQ‘s&type2=3Active#Question15

:)

Good luck. Belated Eid greetings :) Oh and have a blessed New Year

-Maya
 
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Waleikum assalam and Eid mubarak to you too

Thanks for the response. Do you think that with my credentials, I have any chance for getting an interview? Even if I do, will they take me seriously?
 
Shukran :)

I don't see why they wouldn't. I say go for it. Your MCAT is rather strong and your GPA isn't too bad. Just make sure you speak from the heart in the interview- be passionate and honest and I'm sure I could be there to welcome you ;)

Masalama

-Maya
 
Hm... I might just do that. My only issue was that it's pretty late in the admissions cycle, but I guess I could always send them an email and ask them what they think. Thanks for the help... are you in the program right now?
 
mayouches said:
I'm surprised you haven't done that already!
Click to expand...

Well, I did, but they didn't really give me a useful response. They did tell me that their admissions criteria are the same as Cornell New York, especially for non-Arabs like myself (I'm Pakistani)... although my dad lives in Kuwait, if that would be any benefit.
 
hey did u get into cornell qatar?
coz i hav an interview there next week and wud be so so glad if u cud tell me the kind of questions they ask you.
pls reply asap
thnx
tc
 
I didn't end up applying this time around. I think I'll be going to Australia.
 
Hello z89,

I interviewed there last month for the MD program and was accepted just a week after :) Be yourself and be honest -- the interviews are more conversational and relaxed and are designed for them to get to know you. You will have 3 interviews for 30 minutes each with two faculty members and a current student. If you are applying for the premed program then it will be two premed faculty and one premed student. The interviews will go by really quickly!

Leave aside all your pretensions and go in there as if trying to make new friends and be sure to have a smile on your face!!

Feel free to ask any more questions if you have.
 
hey canmeds
thanks for replyin...im a bit relieved after seeing ur reply lol.
i just want to know if they ask abt stuff like ethical issues and current situations-like heath stuff in qatar/middle east? and if they do, how much research is neccessary?
nd do they like challenge u in terms of ethics and all that?
and also, sorry if im askin way too many questions, but are u a pre-med cornell student or are u an external applicant to the MD program?
thanks again
tc!
 
Hello z89,

I am an external applicant and was accepted to the MD program.

Personally I was not asked any ethical situations or anything related to health-care in Qatar.

But be prepared to answer the following questions:

Why medicine?
Why do you want to study in Qatar?
Do an inventory on your extracurricular activities and what you learned from them.
How do you manage your time?
Know the curriculum! and the Problem Based Learning method.

Again, the interviews are very relaxed and are not interrogative. They will not try to trap you with wacky ethical scenarios.

~ Canmeds
 
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thanks canmeds.
hope to meet u there if i get in:)
tc!
 
ello again canmeds
i got into the pre-med program:) u were right, the interviews were very conversational.
see all u guys in august!

btw any cornell pre-med fall 2008 entrants out there?
 
Hi ! I am a pre-med entrant to WCMC-Q in 2008. I am from Kuwait. Have you applied for on-campus housing?
 
Hey Guys

Congratulations!!

PM me your emails and we can help each other out.

I am in the process of applying for housing/aid/residence permit and it seems like a whole lot of work.
 
Hey yay i found someone from pre-med 2008:)
yes i have applyed for on-campus housing and yea thrs lot of forms and stuff to fill. i dunno how and when i'l hear back from them tho.
i applyd for financial aid and it got processed in a week and i've been successful in obtaining the loan:)
nd yes theres still immigration/heath/resident permit and all that...sigh...
not to mention SHOPPIN!!!!!!
:D
hehe
and canmeds, i'l pm u
and pv14, pm me ur email add as well.
tc!
 
Hi Kaputa,

We have a few American students.
 
Hello everyone.

I plan to apply to Cornell this year and I want to know if SAT subject tests are really important (as they say they are not required but recommended).
Also, I would like to know if someone got accepted without the SAT subject tests. If so, what were your grades/gpa/scores?

Thanks alot.
 
any updates on North American Students who got in. Does WCMC-Q work on rolling-based admissions like the US counter-parts?
 
Hey everyone, Im a medical student in WCMC-Q. For the people who are asking about the Americans....Yes we do have americans in our classes...Concerning the Qataris, they do not form 70%, just because they're Qataris does not mean they're in...It really depends if ur qualified or not....and u shud know its the exact same curriculum as in NY taught mostly by the same professors, same lectures, same everyhting...Concerning the admissions, they have to be approved by both the committee of admissions here in Qatar AND in New york and thats y they take some time....be patient...dont worry....

if u got any questions, just ask
good luck.
 
Do you know of any American students that made it despite a low MCAT score?
 
has anyone heard from cornell yet? after i submitted my app, i havent heard anything, not even a completion email.
 
mkitty09 said:
has anyone heard from cornell yet? after i submitted my app, i havent heard anything, not even a completion email.
Click to expand...


They'll usually contact you if they need further documentation. Otherwise, you just have to check the status of your application on
the website. Have you tried sending them a friendly reminder asking
them if your application is considered complete? The deadline is
approaching for international students.
 
asdfg7 said:
Hey everyone, Im a medical student in WCMC-Q. For the people who are asking about the Americans....Yes we do have americans in our classes...Concerning the Qataris, they do not form 70%, just because they're Qataris does not mean they're in...It really depends if ur qualified or not....and u shud know its the exact same curriculum as in NY taught mostly by the same professors, same lectures, same everyhting...Concerning the admissions, they have to be approved by both the committee of admissions here in Qatar AND in New york and thats y they take some time....be patient...dont worry....

if u got any questions, just ask
good luck.
Click to expand...

Is the criteria the same for both committees? In the U.S., numbers are more important than the actual experience. Thanks!
 
Kul amantu bi khair. Is campus going to be closed the whole week during Eid?
 
hey salafiyyah, do you know if theyve sent out interview invites yet?
 
I wish I knew whether or not they've started the invites. Maybe it will be soon because the closing date is the fifteenth of this month. I thought I read that they begin interviews in early January. Hang in there. Just stay positive and don't worry. You already gained admissions to good schools.
 
Let's keep this thread alive, lol. Have any external applicants received an interview?
 
hey salafiyaah...i got an email about two weeks ago from cornell asking me for a picture and spring course list, even though i had sent them my pic in like a month before...so annoying!

other than that, ive heard nothing since. whats funny is that i keep forgetting i applied to cornell, everytime i get an email from them i get confused until i remember hahaha. i think theyre going to start reviewing this month and start inviting in january.

ps -- are you from the states or canada??
 
Oh girl, my heart literally stopped, LOL. I was so excited to see any sort of reply on this forum that I read the word invite immediately. I thought you already got invited for an interview. I was like, "Uh oh! I wasn't invited?!" It didn't even occur to me that they may not have even reviewed the applications. I was under the impression that after the application was considered complete, then the review began promptly.
But, the committee in New York has to review them as well. I'm a Cali girl too!
 
Strange I have not hear of this med collage before, although I'm in a nearby country :)
 
does the committee in ny really have to review them as well? i thought the admissions processes for the two schools were completely separate, at least thats what i understood from the website.

cornell ny is ridiculously difficult to get into, if theyre applying the exact same standards, i imagine it would be really hard to get accepted into cornell qatar.

did you apply to any us schools? or are you a cornell qatar girl through n through?
 
I have no doubt that it's difficult to get into. The requirements are similar on their websites. But, I did notice that their average MCAT scores varied a bit.
I'm a WCMC-Q girl. This is the only school I applied to and dream of attending,
inshallah. Have you decided whether or not you would really give up your acceptance into US medical schools over WCMC-Q?
 
I'd pick Cornell Qatar ahead of many US schools like Howard, Meharry, etc. You get a Cornell MD!! That's pretty darn cool! The matching from this school is really really good too!
 
i honestly dont know if i would completely drop my US acceptances, especially since ive already been accepted to my top two schools. a large factor is that i dont how comfortable i am with leaving my entire family and going abroad. buttttt then again, i do think it would be amazing to study in qatar. i actually didnt apply to cornell ny only because i really wanted to check cornell qatar out. i guess i wont really know until i visit the campus and see how it 'fits.' is your family here in the states salafiyaah or based abroad?
 
I live with my family and my extended family is mostly abroad. I have one brother that recently moved to Qatar and loves it there. But, as for my family, I'm going to pack up my parents and take them with me, inshallah. They have no choice. I'm their only daughter and they're stuck with me, lol. What are your two dream schools? Are they schools in Cali? If I never get into WCMC-Q, then my dream school is Stanford.
 
salafiyaah said:
Maybe you haven't heard of it because it's still fairly new? But, it's a very beautiful and unique school. Check out their website:

http://www.qatar-med.cornell.edu/
Click to expand...


but don't you think doing med school in a country that don't have a big residency program risky?

I finished my med school in Saudia, and will apply for residency in many countries starting in the US, If I don't get into the speciality that I want, it is very easy for me to do it in Saudia at least, then fellowshop elsewhere..
 
McLaren said:
but don't you think doing med school in a country that don't have a big residency program risky?

I finished my med school in Saudia, and will apply for residency in many countries starting in the US, If I don't get into the speciality that I want, it is very easy for me to do it in Saudia at least, then fellowshop elsewhere..
Click to expand...


I'm more concerned with actually getting into medical school at this point.
As for residency, it should be fine getting in there, inshallah. If not,
I'll just come home to the US, inshallah.
 
McLaren,

Are there female surgeons in Saudia? If so, how do they scrub in for surgery
without exposing their arms? I'm so curious.
 
Inshalla you will do fine and get in a med school. But as you know International Medical graduates have tough time getting in a residency back in their home, and I am one of them.
here in Saudia we have a complete residency for all specialities for all males and females no discriminations. Some of the female consultants are head of the deparments, all normal.
In surgery they ware regular scrubs with regular masks, and they cover their hairs and arms exposed.
relax :)
 
Inshallah. Thanks for answering that. So, if their arms are exposed,
does that mean that the female surgeons operate with only females around including the patient being female? Sorry, I've always been curious about that.
I don't know what it feels like worrying about getting into a specialty. But, the best part is knowing that you're a doctor and have made it that far. It's such a stressful experience just trying to get into medical school. But, alhamdulilah, you are in a good situation and will get into the area of your choice, inshallah.
What would you like to specialize in?
 
salafiyaah said:
Inshallah. Thanks for answering that. So, if their arms are exposed,
does that mean that the female surgeons operate with only females around including the patient being female? Sorry, I've always been curious about that.
I don't know what it feels like worrying about getting into a specialty. But, the best part is knowing that you're a doctor and have made it that far. It's such a stressful experience just trying to get into medical school. But, alhamdulilah, you are in a good situation and will get into the area of your choice, inshallah.
What would you like to specialize in?
Click to expand...

No they operate while males are around too, and don't forget the surgeon and all his/her assistants wear sterile gowns, so all hands and arms must be covered, the working place is much more relaxed place and layed back for the females, don't beleive everything you hear about this place.

I know it is a stressful to get into this school, and maybe this school is on american standerds, so it will be helpful to you after you graduate.
I don't know about this school in quater, even rich folks here don't go there..
Now the goverments is supporting us with schorships, to go to medical schools and residency all over the world in one condition: YOU get accepted and we pay.
But its not working out so well.. but I will keep trying everywhere.

I want to do radiology in the dark rooms. nothing else:D
 
I hear good things about Saudia. I've always wanted to live there ever since I was a teen. I even meet a lot of Americans that lived and worked there who totally loved it. I'm surprised that even wealthy Saudis don't want to attend WCMC-Q. But, then again, they're wealthy and may not want to pass up opportunities in the US or around the globe. Aren't medical schools in Saudia free? Do any of the schools in Saudia offer MD degrees rather than a bachelors of medicine? I heard there's a good school for women in Makkah, but I can never seem to get a hold of their application. Sooo...radiology it is :) That's going to be nice and lax, LOL! Chaaa ching $$$ But, it's interesting for sure.
 
Yes they are free, and all give Bachelor degrees. And there is some followships in some specialities that are recognized in some parts of the world.
I don't know about that one in makkah, but probably it is the same Um Alqura university.
 
Good luck to you all :)
 
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