Qatar University’s College of Medicine participated in the 7th International Olympic Committee (IOC) World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport held in Monaco from February 29 to March 2, preceding the Paris 2024 Olympics. With almost 5,000 attendees, the event fostered discussions among the global sports and exercise medicine communities.
Among the distinguished guests were Prince Albert II of Monaco and Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, the president of the Qatar Olympic Committee. Representing Qatar was Yosra Magdi Mekki, a fifth-year medical student at QU, who delivered a groundbreaking seminar titled ‘Friend or foe? The role of Artificial Intelligence in the quest to protect athletes’ health and prevent injury and illness.’
Mekki’s presentation, blending her medical training with expertise in machine learning and extended reality solutions for healthcare, provided a novel outlook on athlete health. Out of 400 proposals, hers was one of the 40 accepted by the IOC.
Mekki, wearing dual hats as a researcher and medical student, shared insights into the integration of AI into medical education, enlightening faculty members at QU, as noted by Dr. Khalid Bashir, head of the Clinical Academic Sciences Department at the College of Medicine. Dr. Bashir indicated plans to incorporate AI into teaching methodologies and assessments.
Dr. Paul Dijkstra, head of Medical Education at Aspetar, expressed gratitude for Qatar's participation, highlighting their inaugural symposium on ‘The role of AI to protect athletes’ health and prevent injury and illness.’ This symposium laid the groundwork for AI's integration in sports medicine, emphasizing crucial aspects like ethics, open-source collaboration, and leadership.
In summary, Qatar University’s College of Medicine made significant strides at the IOC World Conference, with Mekki’s innovative seminar and the symposium on AI marking pivotal moments in advancing athlete health and injury prevention through cutting-edge technology and collaborative efforts within the global sports medicine community.
