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 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.  She obtained post-specialization training in cosmetic surgery and breast reconstructive surgery from Dr. Victor Cheong. 

Apart from 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).