Oculoplasty Fellowship review@ Sri Sankara Deva Netralaya (SSDN), Guwahati, Assam

Duration 2 yrs

1-2 fellows taken every 6 months

Selection- interview

Stipend 40k

Accommodation provided outside campus, 5k monthly charges 

In first month you are rotated between other specialities to get a feel of the working system of the place 

From 2nd month onwards you are in Orbit dept and you see only OP and dispose pts.

Based on your previous surgery experience, you may get some steps of small procedures during this time.

After 6 months you are trained in entropions, DCRs

You get the bigger orbit surgeries only after 1 year (orbitotomies, kid surgeries, ptosis, blepharoplasty etc)

Since there is no Ayushman scheme anymore, there are no charity/camp pts, all pts seen are private 

As a result, hands-on given tends to be variable

You get steps till the end of fellowship but if ma'am feels you're good, she may let you do full surgeries also.

The Orbit chief also does cosmetology/ aesthetic procedures for which you can assist but you get no hands-on since they are private pts.

OT is twice weekly.

Ma'am also does refractive procedures and cataracts so fellows get to learn how to work up refractive pts and also see cataract pts in OPD

No hands-on given at all for cataract or refractive procedures 

Work timings 9- 5.30 pm but work may go on till 6.30

Classes every day at 8 am, compulsory attendance for all fellows, common class for all fellows

Dept is hectic on some seasons, light in others but not toxic, consultants are approachable

On call- you have at least 1 night call per month, 1 Sunday on call.. some Sundays you may be posted in their peripheral centre where they see refraction cases.

No camp duties.

There is an additional 6 months to be done after the Oculoplasty fellowship where you function as an "adjunct consultant", this is insisted on by the Chief for all fellows. In this time, you will see ma'am op pts but you also see cases in your name and can also post them for surgery.

You will get a good idea of the common orbit procedures and surgeries but more hands-on experience may be needed even after fellowship.