Mahadevan Travelling Fellowship

The LCCH in Malaysia has recently seen the launch of the Mahadevan Traveling Fellowship and is acting as custodian for the scheme. It is presented in collaboration with Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), one of the worlds most prestigious hospitals.

The announcement of the candidates with Tun Siti Hasmah (centre) and Tan Sri Dr Mahadevan (far right) 

The Fellowship has been established to facilitate study and research and is created to recognise the work and commitment of Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr Mahadevan, one of Malaysia's most famous psychiatrists and clinical hypnotherapists. The scheme opens the way for a Malaysian Psychiatrist holding a significant interest in clinical hypnosis to visit Harvard and undertake one month of funded study.

The first recipient of the Mahadevan Exchange Traveling Fellowship was  Dr Sharifah Eliza Jamalullail.  Currently, Dr Gayathri K. Kumarasuriar  is visiting MGH. The other selected candidates are Dr Zainal Abdul Rahman, and Ng Khian Boon. All of the candidates are LCCH graduates. 

Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib presenting Dr Sharifah Eliza Jamalullial with the Fellowship

The Fellowship also paves the way to invite Harvard University experts on psychiatry and clinical hypnosis to visit Malaysia. The Harvard team visited in March 2010 and among the highlights of the visit was a workshop on psychological trauma presented to the Malaysian medical profession by Dr John Tan from University Malaya, Dr Henderson from Harvard University and Peter Mabbutt CEO/Director of Studies from the London College of Clinical Hypnosis. Peter Mabbutt and Dave Henderson went on to present their work at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani

The Fellowship continues a historic precedence that was set over 50 years ago by the mystery benefactor to a young Malaysian psychiatrist following an act of remarkable ability at emergency medicine and hypnosis. In 1965 as a junior psychiatrist working in Dublin, Tan Sri Dr Mahadevan came across a terrible roadside accident. The only method he had to stabilise the patient was hypnosis. With remarkable presence of mind and technique the patient’s life was saved. The person he saved went on to fund Tan Sri Dr Mahadevan studies throughout the UK and the USA where he had the honour of working with some of the greats in hypnotherapy. Dr John Hartland invited Tan Sri to collaborate with him on a project looking at haemorrhage management through hypnosis at Hammersmith Hospital. He later traveled to the USA and worked with the father and son team Herbert and David Spiegel before returning to Malaysia where he is now known as the founder of Malaysian psychiatry.