For the first time, the Malaysian Psychiatric Association (MPA) presented both the Best Practice Award and Postgraduate Research Award to Early Career Psychiatrists (ECP) at an event in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Traditionally, the awards have been presented separately, with the MPA Best practice Award conferred during the annual Malaysian Conference of Psychological Medicine (MCPM).
Judges of the awards were Professor Nora Mat Zin from the International Islamic University (IIUM), Professor Muhammad Najib Alwi from the Management and Science University (MSU) and Dr Firdaus Abdul Gani, Secretary of MPA. MPA President, Dr Hazli Zakaria, was a special guest at the event.
The Best Practice Award, open to early career psychiatrists throughout Malaysia, honours the most innovative, creative and high-quality project championed by early career psychiatrists. Five modules developed by the MPA, including leadership, management & administrative skills, media skills, social advocacy and work-life balance are meant to provide inspiration for the projects.
At the awards event, five finalists selected by the ECP President, Dr Abdul Rasyid Sulaiman, were asked to present their projects. The themes of the projects presented varied from social enterprise, suicide prevention, and mindfulness training, to development of a module for training of primary health doctors, and an exploration of supported placements for mental health patients.
The Best Practice Award was eventually won by Dr Muhammad Adib Baharom for his work on a social enterprise project - 'Bowtang' - conducted in a Community Mental Health Centre in Selayang in collaboration with a non-governmental organization.
The annual Post Graduate Research Award is open to all postgraduate students of psychiatry with the caveat that candidates must be principal investigators of their submitted research studies. 17 submissions were received for consideration by the judging committee with six of those selected as finalists. Dr Ishwary Damodaran from Kajang Hospital was eventually presented the Post Graduate Research Award with the second prize going to Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Nasru from University Science Malaysia Hospital. Dr Lee Sze Chet from Bukit padang Hospital was awarded third prize.
Author: Dr Firdaus Abdul Gani