Sidra Medicine will be taking part in the Seventh Annual UK-Qatar Career Fair to identify and recruit the best young talent pursuing medical careers in UK universities to its highly sought-after and competitive Scholarship Program. As part of Sidra Medicine’s vision to develop future leaders for Qatar in the healthcare sector by empowering youth through education, the Scholarship Program currently sponsors 150 students in Qatar, 61 in the United Kingdom, 40 in the United States and one in both France and Australia.
Sidra Medicine offers a unique and unprecedented opportunity of a scholarship package that is highly attractive and financially competitive, including full tuition fees, a monthly stipend, allowances and a guaranteed job after graduation.
Giving a glimpse into how Sidra Medicine is helping her pursue a life-long dream, Dr. Bothina Ali Al Mulla said, “Sidra Medicine’s Scholarship Program is something every student wishes to qualify for. Sidra Medicine provides the students with what they need in order to have an exceptional start to their career path with a dedicated and supportive team.”
Dr. Al Mulla, currently studying to obtain her Masters in Health Management in Strategic Management and Leadership at City University in London, first heard about Sidra Medicine from the Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar during her orientation in 2007 and set her mind to achieving the stringent qualifications to join the Sidra Medicine family.
As a scholarship student studying medicine, what were the drivers that supported you in continuing your studies? What was your mission?
Studying medicine is known to be a difficult endeavor and, in fact, it is. However, it’s not because of the massive amount of medical information that students have to know by heart, but because of the honorable responsibility you are taking on as a student of medicine to care for people and help save lives.
My mission was to be able to help people by whatever means I am capable of and to make my family and my country proud of me. It is my duty to help my beloved country in the development of an excellent healthcare sector and to make a difference in the world. This mission was the beacon of light that kept me focused and encouraged me to finish the path I had chosen to take.
Did you know that you would become a doctor when you were in high school? What was the reason for going into medicine?
I knew that I wanted to be a medical doctor when I was in high school. When I was young, my mother was hospitalized and I helped care for her. I could not accept myself lacking the medical abilities that could help my mother or the many people out there that are in dire need of medical attention and care. I also had an interest in biology early on in high school, which I began to love as I learned more and more every day.
What are your future plans in your particular field? Your vision for the future for you, for Sidra Medicine, and for the State of Qatar?
Before I began my Master’s program in Health Management and Leadership, I was very much interested in fertility medicine, having been trained by one of the best fertility centers in New York. I hope to bring the world-class fertility treatment from the West and combine it with already existing treatments provided in the Middle East to make Sidra Medicine the best center for fertility.
After I complete my Master’s I plan to join Sidra Medicine the help develop the healthcare sector in Qatar and help Qatar achieve its 2030 National Vision goals. Sidra Medicine will play a key role in changing and transforming the current healthcare system that Qatar has to become the best within the region. I believe that Qatar is taking massive steps forward to address the ongoing health concerns of its population and the people of the region, thus helping create a healthy population.
Do you have any advice for (local) medical students? Do you have advice for medical students sponsored by Sidra Medicine?
I would tell my Qatari brothers and sisters who have an interest in medicine to follow their dreams and work hard to achieve the despite any challenges they may face. I want them to believe that if one citizen can do it, then all of us that aspire to enter this field of study can attain it, as well. They should never give up their dreams and must fight for what they believe in.
Those who are currently sponsored by Sidra Medicine should believe in themselves for their own future and for the future of Sidra Medicine. They must have faith in Sidra Medicine’s vision and work alongside them to make it happen. Being sponsored by Sidra Medicine is a commitment, to oneself, to Sidra Medicine and most significantly to the State of Qatar.