Two clubs within Monash University’s Clinical School of Johor Bahru, Efecto Mariposa (a mental health awareness club) and the Surgical Interest Group of Monash University Malaysia (SIGMUM) have collaborated in an effort to host a 1.5 hour forum: Mental Health Among Surgeons. In the medical fraternity, there appears to be an under-representation and stigma surrounding mental health among healthcare professionals, and even more so among surgeons. Hence, this forum aims to highlight and create a platform to spread awareness regarding this issue.
In view of the above, we have decided to invite speakers such as psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and surgeons to be part of this panel discussion to
- Recognise the demands and working environment within the surgical community and its impact on a surgeon’s mental health
- Understand the prevalence of mental health issues among surgeons and the proportion of surgeons having psychiatric disorders worldwide
- Recognise what type of mental health disorder is more common among surgeons
- Highlight the association between mental health disorder and maladaptive coping mechanisms among surgeons such as smoking/ alcohol consumption
- Advocate and provide avenues of support towards mental health issues among surgeons
| TENTATIVE AGENDA | |
| Time | Activity/Segment |
| 7:45 – 8:00am | Registration |
| 8:00 – 8:05am | Welcome speech & Introduction |
| 8:05 – 8:20am | Mental Health among Surgeons: An overview presentation |
| 8:20 – 8:30am | A Surgeon’s Story (personal sharing on their experience) |
| 8:30 – 9:00am | Panel Discussion on topics |
| 9:00 – 9:25am | Q&A Session |
| 9:25 – 9:30am | Closing Ceremony + Pictures + Feedback |
You will receive an e-certificate after attending this webinar.
Our Panel
Dr Sivakumar Thurairajasingam
Consultant Psychiatrist
Associate Professor (Practice) in Psychiatry and Deputy Head (Education) of the Clinical School Johor Bahru.
Dr Sivakumar joined Monash University Malaysia on 1st August 2006 as a lecturer. He obtained his MBBS from the University of Mangalore, India (1994) and then went on to complete his Master in Medicine in Psychiatry in 2002, at the Universiti Sains Malaysia. He has served in the medical field for the past 10 years at the Kota Bharu General Hospital, Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kubang Kerian, and Hospital Permai. He previously served as Head of the Substance Abuse Unit, Hospital Permai, Coordinator of the Psychiatry Research Unit at Hospital Permai and also as the State Coordinator of the National Methadone Maintenance Programme. His special interests are in the field of psychiatry research as well as drug and alcohol treatment/research. He is involved with Year 3 and Year 4 teaching of the Medical Programme at the Johor Bahru campus. [Monash University Profile]
Mr Hans Alexander Mahendran
General and Upper GI Surgeon
Department of Surgery
Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru
Dr Hans Alexander Mahendran is a graduate of Universiti Putra Malaysia for his basic medical degree and completed his Master of Surgery postgraduate studies under Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2011. He served as a surgeon in Sarawak for three years before returning to Peninsula Malaysia to continue subspecialty fellowship in Upper GI Surgery under the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Upon completion, he has since been the lead of the Upper GI Surgical services in Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru since 2017. He is also a clinical lead of the Nutrition Support Therapy Team in HSA and continues his work in managing complex Upper GI pathology and malignancies.
He has authored many publications related to his fields of interests and is currently a lead researcher for upper GI cancer survival outcomes and clinical nutrition in cancer patients. He is currently a member of the national training committee of Upper GI Surgery and also a member of the National Specialist Registry [NSR] subcommittee for Upper GI Surgery.
Dr. Prem Kumar Chandrasekara
Consultant Neuropsychiatrist and Head of Neurobehavioural Services at Penang Adventist Hospital.
Worked in
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu
- University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur
- St. Charles Hospital, London
- St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne
Positions held:
- Associate Professor in Royal College of Surgeons-University College Dublin’s Malaysia Campus
- Fellow of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia – Field of Practice reviewer
- CPD Accreditation Team member
- Psychiatry Chapter Founding Chairman
- Council member of the College of Physicians.
- Head of the Medical Unit at Penang Adventist Hospital (2012-2014)
Special interest
- Ardent diver
- Passionate about music and automobiles
Dr. Mohamad Ismail B. Ali
Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon, Johor Specialist Hospital
Education:
- MBBS, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 1991
- Master in Surgery (General Surgery), University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 1991
- Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Sept 1995
- Fellow in Colorectal Surgery, Imperial College School of Medicine, St.Mark’s Hospital, London, Sept 1999
- Fellow in Colorectal Surgery, University of Hull, East Yorkshire, Jan 2001
- Fellow of Academy of Medicine (Malaysia), 2007
Positions held:
- Member, Board of Management, KPJ Johor Specialist Hospital
- Clinical coordinator and Assoc. Prof, Post-graduate Surgery, KPJ University College
- Chairman, Business Focus Group, KPJ Johor Specialist Hospital
Event Details
Speakers: Dr. Sivakumar Thurairajasingam, Mr. Hans Alexander Mahendran, Dr. Prem Kumar Chandrasekara, Dr. Mohamad Ismail B. Ali
Date: 06th August 2022 (Saturday)
Time: 08.00 AM – 9:30 AM (MYT: Malaysian Standard Time)
Platform: Zoom (IDs will be sent via email after registration)
Pricing: FREE
Not sure about your SIGMUM membership/pass status? Check here: https://verify.sigmum.org/
Notes:
- E-certificates will be provided for participants who attend this webinar.
- Registration deadline: 05th August 2022, 11:59 PM MYT
- Limited availability on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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Mental Health Among Surgeons
Surgical Interest Group of Monash University Malaysia 