The lingua franca promoted at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar belongs to few as a first language. The implementation of an English-medium curriculum at Qatar's only medical school has proved a double-edged sword. Despite English being deployed out of necessity as part of a strategy geared to improve health care provision and medical research in Qatar, its use has had some unintended consequences. Student engagement with this international language of science and its perceived impact on identity, pedagogy, and professional engagement is explored in the article.