Glaucoma Fellowship review @ Nethradhama Super Specialty Eye Hospital, Bengaluru

Duration 18 months

2 fellows taken every 6 months

Admission fee of 2 lacs taken- not refunded 

Stipend 75k (you get whole amount in hand, no TDS cut or other cuts)

Accommodation not provided, they may arrange some family flats a little far away from the hospital where either family/ 2-3 fellows share a flat

Nethradhama has a trust hospital where fellows do their surgeries, the main hospital services private pts so independent cases are never given there, only steps.

Cataract hands-on is there but no phaco training.

Start with SICS in the 1st month, more cases given as you get proficient.

You also get to operate advanced cases (small pupil, PXF etc) since the phacoref fellows tend to take the good, NS2 well dilating pupils leaving the "bad" cases for glaucoma fellows to operate.. but that bodes well for the glaucoma fellow ultimately.

(Btw every specialty dept in Nethradhama takes 2-3 fellows every 6 months but PhacoRef dept has the largest number of fellows- around 24 at any point of time, since they take 4-6 fellows every 6 months)

Trabs are started from 4th month onwards, usually combined SICS trabs.

You get to learn steps like conj suturing when consultants train you in private hosp OT but when you go to the camp side, there are no glaucoma consultants or seniors there to supervise/ train you.

Camp OT has mostly phaco and SICS trainers and they cannot guide you if you plan to do trab. As a result, most glaucoma fellows do mostly cataracts in camp OT.

This means all the SICS cases in the camp side plus the steps they got for trab cases in the private side constitute majority of the glaucoma fellow's surgical experience over 18 months.

Work environment- not hectic unless you're the only fellow (ie, if other fellows are on camps/ leave/ OT etc)

Dept has 2 glaucoma consultants, both are approachable 

Work timings 8-6 pm

You get to see MIGS, GATT when they are done but no hands-on given except maybe to implant 2-3 i-Stents (depends on your luck).

Sunday duties once every 6 weeks, night calls once every 2 weeks (not busy) and camps 1-2 times a week

Academics- regular classes every Wed

Monetary Penalties are there-

Fine of 5 lacs imposed if you quit fellowship midway plus you have to return all your stipends.

Every nucleus drop or IOL drop- fellow charged 10,000/- per case

Every camp pt OT cancel- 5,000/- (taken from the fellow who went as camp doctor)