history

Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions – Qatar (DHSHPQ) was founded in 2008 with the permission of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey in collaboration with Dr. Ibrahim Al Naimi. The school became only the second in the world to bear Dr. DeBakey name and was modeled after the Houston, Texas high school that he helped create in partnership with the Baylor Medical College of Medicine and the Houston Independent School District.

In 2008, Dr. Charlesetta Deason, who had been the founding principal for the DeBakey school in Houston, became the school’s principal in Doha. Although DeBakey High School for Health Professions-Qatar started with only 38 students, it quickly grew because of its focus on academic excellence and the pathway to medical universities. The school received it U.S. accreditation and its Qatar accreditation in 2009. The school held its first graduation of seniors that in 2011 and published its first yearbook, which highlighted the 15 seniors. These seniors set the bar of excellence extremely and created the tradition and values that are continued today. With a 100% graduation rate and 100% acceptance to universities and colleges, these students went on to study at flagship universities in the United States, England, Qatar, and Canada that included Penn State University, Georgetown, University of Texas-Austin, Weil Cornell College of Medicine, Texas A& M, and Qatar University School of Law.

The school continued to grow in enrollment and by School Year 2016-17 there were almost 300 students in grades 7 through 12. The school’s academic achievements were recognized by Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) when it was designated as one of only five Outstanding Private Schools in Qatar in 2016. In addition, the seniors have continued their award-winning efforts to include a student in 2018-19 receiving over $160,000 in scholarship funding to Dr. DeBakey’s alma mater, Tulane University. In total this graduating class received more than $1.2 million in scholarships. Also, twin graduating seniors from this class were the first private school students to receive the prestigious the Emiri Award.

In 2018, the MOEHE approved the addition of grades 5 and 6 to create a complete Middle School. This addition allowed the school reorganized into an Upper and Lower schools with separate Assistant Principals for each division of the school. In that same year, Dr. Virginia Parras Grande became the school’s fourth head of school as President and CEO. In 2019, the MOEHE approved the formation of the school’s first Board of Trustees led by Dr. Arthur Tyler, Chairman and Dr. Khalid Al-Ali, Vice Chairman.

In school year 2019-20, the school broke the 400-student enrollment threshold and enrolled more than 430 students for the year. 2019-20 was the year of innovation. The school hosted the first-ever live open-heart surgery broadcast from the Houston DeBakey Cardiovascular Center, which was attended by more than 300 students and educators from the school and medical universities in Doha. The school also hosted a presentation by a NASA astronaut. Although the COVID 19 pandemic had a negative effect on enrollment in 2020-21, the school continued to excel. In 2021, the school became the first high school in the region to open a health science simulation laboratory that includes virtual reality exploration of medical subjects, illnesses, and the anatomy. The many benefits of these changes are clear: higher test scores, greater numbers of graduates assessing postsecondary education and professional schools, and increased school recognition.

Given its history of leadership and innovation, DHSHP-Qatar has sustained its status as an Outstanding School has become a model for other schools across Qatar and internationally.

Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions – Qatar (DHSHPQ) was founded in 2008 with the permission of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey in collaboration with Dr. Ibrahim Al Naimi. The school became only the second in the world to bear Dr. DeBakey name and was modeled after the Houston, Texas high school that he helped create in partnership with the Baylor Medical College of Medicine and the Houston Independent School District.

In 2008, Dr. Charlesetta Deason, who had been the founding principal for the DeBakey school in Houston, became the school’s principal in Doha. Although DeBakey High School for Health Professions-Qatar started with only 38 students, it quickly grew because of its focus on academic excellence and the pathway to medical universities. The school received it U.S. accreditation and its Qatar accreditation in 2009. The school held its first graduation of seniors that in 2011 and published its first yearbook, which highlighted the 15 seniors. These seniors set the bar of excellence extremely and created the tradition and values that are continued today. With a 100% graduation rate and 100% acceptance to universities and colleges, these students went on to study at flagship universities in the United States, England, Qatar, and Canada that included Penn State University, Georgetown, University of Texas-Austin, Weil Cornell College of Medicine, Texas A& M, and Qatar University School of Law.

The school continued to grow in enrollment and by School Year 2016-17 there were almost 300 students in grades 7 through 12. The school’s academic achievements were recognized by Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) when it was designated as one of only five Outstanding Private Schools in Qatar in 2016. In addition, the seniors have continued their award-winning efforts to include a student in 2018-19 receiving over $160,000 in scholarship funding to Dr. DeBakey’s alma mater, Tulane University. In total this graduating class received more than $1.2 million in scholarships. Also, twin graduating seniors from this class were the first private school students to receive the prestigious the Emiri Award.

In 2018, the MOEHE approved the addition of grades 5 and 6 to create a complete Middle School. This addition allowed the school reorganized into an Upper and Lower schools with separate Assistant Principals for each division of the school. In that same year, Dr. Virginia Parras Grande became the school’s fourth head of school as President and CEO. In 2019, the MOEHE approved the formation of the school’s first Board of Trustees led by Dr. Arthur Tyler, Chairman and Dr. Khalid Al-Ali, Vice Chairman.

In school year 2019-20, the school broke the 400-student enrollment threshold and enrolled more than 430 students for the year. 2019-20 was the year of innovation. The school hosted the first-ever live open-heart surgery broadcast from the Houston DeBakey Cardiovascular Center, which was attended by more than 300 students and educators from the school and medical universities in Doha. The school also hosted a presentation by a NASA astronaut. Although the COVID 19 pandemic had a negative effect on enrollment in 2020-21, the school continued to excel. In 2021, the school became the first high school in the region to open a health science simulation laboratory that includes virtual reality exploration of medical subjects, illnesses, and the anatomy. The many benefits of these changes are clear: higher test scores, greater numbers of graduates assessing postsecondary education and professional schools, and increased school recognition.

Given its history of leadership and innovation, DHSHP-Qatar has sustained its status as an Outstanding School has become a model for other schools across Qatar and internationally.