Phaco-Refractive Fellowship review @ Sankara Eye Hospital, Bengaluru

Duration 2 yrs

6 months of Gen Ophthal posting+ 18 months of PhacoRef posting

Selection- exam + interview

Exit exam +

1-2 fellows taken once/ twice a year- on need basis

Stipend 40k

They take 2 months salary of 80k as caution deposit- ( 40k taken in 1st month, 20k taken each in 2nd and 3rd months)- this is returned at the end of fellowship.

No admission fees.

No penalties for any cataract surgery complications.

At the start, you are assigned a senior consultant as mentor (can be from any speciality dept) who trains you one-on-one in SICS and phaco and also in managing complications. 

They start you on SICS after 1st month while in Gen Ophthal, you get an average of 1000 SICS over 2 years.

You are also gradually taught to manage your own complications (put CTR, iris hooks, iris claws, do ant vitrectomy etc)

Phaco cases are given after 6-7 months.

Once you are able to do phaco on your own, then your mentor no longer supervises you and you do all cases by urself thereafter. 

Can expect an average of 200-300 phacos

No topical phacos given.

Refractive procedures- 

After 6-12 months, you are given refractive procedures. 

First they make you do some 7-10 C3Rs to get a feel for epith scraping after which toy are given PRK

You get only PRKs (40-45) 

Lasik not given.

SMILE not done here (no machine).

Work timings 8-6 pm

On call- you have 2-3 rotations of weekly call in the first 6 months.. and it's literally for 1 whole week (Sun- Sat).. you start Sunday duty at 8 pm do till 8am Monday then you're off for the day to come back again at 8pm Monday and to do call till 8 am Tuesday and so on.. till Saturday.

Camps are usually on Sunday- one Sunday camp duty per month

You exit as an independent phaco surgeon with good experience in PRKs. No topical phaco experience though.