DHSHP was established in Doha on September 21, 2008 as the first cohort of Outstanding Schools in Qatar and a branch campus of DHSHP in Houston, Texas, US, an award winning institution offering students from eighth grade a college preparatory curriculum in science, mathematics, technology and medical science. Named in honour of the renowned heart surgeon and medical researcher Dr Michael E Debakey, the school in Qatar is described as the first medical science focused high school in the Middle East. On offer at the school is a US curriculum including extensive Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the school serves students from grades 8 -12 and presently, there are 148 students in the school. The Outstanding Schools Initiative was started in 2007 when the Supreme Education Council vice-chair HH Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser issued decision No.(1) for the year 2007 for the establishment of the Outstanding Schools Oversight Committee.from gulf times.