BSc. (Med Sc.), MD (UPM), MSurg. (Plastic Surgery)(USM)
Dr. Shamala graduated as a medical doctor from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). During her undergraduate years, she achieved distinction awards in multiple subjects. With an avid interest in the surgical field, Dr. Shamala pursued her plastic surgery training in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in 2007. She underwent training in both Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) and Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), which are the two centres that manage complex reconstructive surgeries in Malaysia.
Upon graduating as a plastic surgeon, Dr. Shamala had the honour of becoming the first female Indian plastic surgeon in Malaysia. She then served as a specialist at Hospital Kuala Lumpur where she performed reconstructive, burns, cleft and cosmetic surgeries. She obtained post-specialisation training in cosmetic surgery and breast reconstructive surgery from senior consultant plastic surgeon, Dr. Victor Cheong.
Dr Shamala is a committee member of the Malaysian Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (MSPRS) and is registered with the National Specialist Register(NSR). She also holds the Letter of Credentialing and Privileging (LCP) for Aesthetic Medical Practice issued by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Apart from her clinical work, Dr. Shamala was an honorary lecturer for the Master of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) programme at USM for 5 years and was a member of the HKL Hospital Research Review Committee (HRRC) for 4 years. She is also an ad hoc reviewer of the Malaysian Medical Journal (MMJ) and the Journal of Clinical and Health Sciences (JCHS).