As the national anthems of Qatar and the United States played, 17 graduates in Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q)'s Class of 2010 assembled May 5 to receive their Cornell medical degrees -- the culmination of six years of study and training with Qatar's first and only medical college.

The new physicians, six women and 11 men, represent nine different nationalities: Qatar, Bosnia, Canada, Egypt, India, Jordan, Syria, Pakistan and the United States. They will move on to the next stage of their medical and scientific careers with residency training or research programs in the United States and Qatar.

Meanwhile, 47 students from 15 countries celebrated completion of WCMC-Q's two-year premedical program.

The 17 new physicians assembled at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Doha before more than 100 members of the Cornell and Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) faculty, along with parents, families and friends who supported them along the way.

Mohammad Fathy Saoud, president of Qatar Foundation, a nonprofit organization focusing on education, scientific research and community development, congratulated the class.

"We applaud their determination and hard work. Their accomplishment is evidence that we are making real progress toward our goal of building a knowledge-based society in Qatar. As they move ahead in the medical profession, they take our commitment to excellence in education and research with them beyond our borders to the world," he said.

Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCMC-Q, called the event "a welcome opportunity to reflect on this unique and flourishing international partnership.

"The progress of these young men and women and the growth of our medical college are testimony to the strong commitment of our mother campus and Cornell University and the dedication and hard work of our faculty, staff, the Qatar Foundation and all our partners," Sheikh said. "Together, we are helping to reignite the flame of scholarship that made the Middle East a beacon of learning in the Middle Ages."

Cornell President David Skorton addressed the students directly. "Members of the Class of 2010, you represent a new generation of physicians for a region and a world in urgent need of your skills," he said. "You are destined to have a bright future in a world that desperately needs your talents, skills and intercultural understanding. But I hope you will do more than excel in your chosen professions; I hope you will also build upon the commitment to service that you have demonstrated so well during your years at the medical college to assist those who have been less fortunate."

Class speaker Anas Abou-Ismail, reflected on the spirit of the class and its hope for the future. "As graduating physicians, we hope to help answer the questions of the 21st century and rekindle the flame of scientific innovation, medical discovery and social justice in this part of the world," he said.