2 years duration. Most of the surgical training happens in their trust hospital. First 3 to 5 months you get SICS, then they start Phaco training. You start Phaco first with learning bimanual I&A, then you progress to phaco tunnel construction and then topical phaco in the last 4 to 6 months. You get around 150 - 250 cases in two years. You get exposure to all premium and latest IOLs in the market. Refractive department exposure is good and you will be doing few PRK, LASIK, SMILE, C3Rs as well. Expect to be busy with regards to research work. Good opportunities to present papers in all major national and international conferences. One minus for some fellows is that you won't be trained to handle special cases like RFIOL, anterior vitrectomy etc If you quit fellowship mid-way you will have to pay 5 lakhs and also return all the stipend earned. Some penalties- you are fined 10,000 for every nucleus drop. But otherwise it's a good program to build Phaco skills.

I feel it is adequate. Med Retina part you get more than enough hands-on in lasers and injections. And surgical retina, you get mostly steps in cases. You’ll get variety of cases to observe and assist. Regarding hands-on, you'll get decent number but not so much also like other renowned institutes. I have done nucleus drop, oil drop, band buckle, VH , endolaser, PVD induction, SOR etc. But complicated caser like TRD they don't give you to do full case, you may get steps. Fellows don't get to operate independent cases.  If your hand is stable, you may get more surgical opportunities. Review of the same program from another fellow- It’s good!!  First 8-10 months or so- it’s mostly medical retina.. later it’s surgical. Our seniors now get to do RD, macular hole, IOL / nucleus drops etc  But ROP exposure is low to nil.

Duration - 1 month  Starting 2-3 SICS will be given to assess our skills, based on that, you progress to Phaco.  If well versed with SICS, then 30-35 phaco cases can be done in 1 month duration.  They provide you stay in an apartment but drawback is, it is far away from the centre. In a week Monday and Saturday are for observation, rest 4 days are for surgical training.  They even make you practice on wax eyeballs.  Trainers are all skilled and do their job very well.  Starting they teach you divide and conquer and later chop and stop in the end.  Direct chop they will brief you about it theoretically . Fees something between 1-1.5 lacs

All fellowships at Prasad Netralaya get excellent exposure in Cataract Surgery.  Unlike many other institutes that wait till the last couple of months to give Phaco training, here we get to start our Phaco journey early depending on how we pick up our SICS skills.  We start with SICS in simple cases followed by difficult cases and managing complications.  Once we are proficient in that we go to Phaco- even as early as 3 months into the fellowship as well, that gives us more than a year's exposure in Phaco.  We are allowed complete free hands with cataract cases, no matter what kind of case it is (complicated/simple/ managing complications). Some exposure in refractive surgeries, premium IOLs.  Decent hands on in penetrating keratoplasty for cornea fellows. Please note, it's an extremely hectic schedule for 18 months.  There are also peripheral posting rotations.  PS: Cataract exposure is the same for fellows in all departments- Phacoref, Cornea, Retina, Glaucoma. If anyone is looking to learn cataract majorly- but also would like to acquire specialization fellowship as well- whether Cornea/ Retina/Glaucoma- for the degree and practice, it’s a good option.

Duration- 18 months, affiliated to RGUHS (Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences). There is entrance and exit exam. One of the very few institutes that train VR fellows for cataract (free hands for both SICS and Phaco). As far is retina is considered- Excellent staff with good knowledge, very good OPD load with variety of cases. Well equipped OPD and OT set up with high end machines.  Fellows get good chances for Lasers and Intravitreal injections.  Surgical chances in retina are not extensive. (Fellows get to do basic retina procedures hence there are no camp cases operated for retina surgeries and all are paid cases- unlike most fellowship institutes). ⁠All in all, Medical Retina experience is very good, surgical chances are slim. But fellows get to observe and assist all retina surgeries.  Coming to cataract surgeries- Retina fellows get near equal chances in cataract surgeries in comparison with Anterior Segment fellows.  3 - 4 night duties in a month that includes managing regular Ophthal casualties  ⁠Going to Camps are mandatory. ⁠Includes few months of Peripheral postings . Coming to academics, few teaching programs are there but mostly self learning  Pros- Extremely non toxic work environment.  Cons - Hectic days  Day typical starts at 8 and ends at 8 on a good  day.  Can start as early as 6 and end as late at 11 on some busy days.

Aravind's Tirunelveli Hospital is the centre of excellence for glaucoma in the Aravind eye care system. Admission here is based on 2 days interview cum observation, on joining one has to undergo one month orientation course followed by 2 yrs of glaucoma training.  First 3 months will be general posting and next 21 month in glaucoma.  One can expect unlimited number of SICS, around 75-80 SICS+trab, Phaco usually starts in the last 3 months and one will get 50 phacos (phaco+trab included).  Yag laser procedures are plenty, one can get SLT and MIGS procedures in the later part of fellowship based on their individual performance.  Initial exposure to GDD can also be expected.  OPD load is very heavy so patient management part will be very strong after the fellowship.  Academics is decent with bi-weekly journal clubs and regular classes.  Additional duties like camps, cataract surgery rounds and night duties are part of the fellowship and can get hectic at times.  Stipend is 40k for the first year and 50k for the second year.  Overall it's a good fellowship with lots of patient exposure and good amount of cutting.  The only problem is the very remote location of the hospital with limited scope of personal enjoyment.

They have two running Medical Retina short fellowships- • 2 months • 6 months  2 months Medical Retina program is paid training (fees now increased to 1.5 lacs)- you get a good number, even up to 5-6 lasers and 2-3 injections per day. 2 trainees taken every 2 months. Mornings will be dedicated to OP- get to see wide variety of retina cases- while afternoons are for procedures and OT. By the end of 2 months, you are well equipped to handle lasers and injections on your own. 6 months Medical Retina program is unpaid fellowship, you get much more hands-on. No cataract training included. Fellow will get well-versed with all retinal diagnostic machines and procedures (B scan, FFA etc but no OCT angiography as of now). Accommodation is provided in campus. No night calls per se but the hospital is open 24x7 so if any retina emergency cases come and you are in campus, you may be asked to see the patient. Timings are 8 am- 6 pm, usually does not go late, they let you off early if patients are finished. Stipend= 50,000/ month. Good option to consider if you are looking to do more than 2 months but not long duration like other 18 month Medical Retina fellowships.

1. Duration of Fellowship Currently structured as a 24-month program within the Pediatric Ophthalmology department. Previously, the 18- or 24-month version included 6 months of general OPD postings at peripheral centers, primarily for those with less cataract numbers  2. Phaco Training No phacoemulsification surgeries are allotted to pediatric fellows. SICS slots are available once a week, though your turns may be reduced due to OPD crowd and internal politics. So don't take this fellowship if you want to do lot of adult cataracts.  However, you will be trained in: -Pediatric cataract vitrectomy -Bimanual I/A -Use of phaco probes (note: NOT full phaco surgeries) 3. Surgical Start Timeline Surgeries generally begin after 4 months, including: Pediatric cataracts Squint surgeries 4. Clinical Exposure Excellent exposure to a wide spectrum of cases, including textbook and rare presentations. Rotations include: Orbit Clinic 2 weeks, mainly observation, workup of paediatric oculoplasty cases, may get 1-2 probings also (if you request the MOs) Neuro-Ophthalmology- 1 month workup and present the cases to consultants. You will be expected to clear the OPD independently and cross check PG cases ROP screening 2 weeks Low Vision & CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) Clinic posting for 2 weeks. But it's a part of Paeds clinic so you will be constantly involved  5. Work Environment Very hectic, especially during holidays and Saturdays. Some faculty are supportive. Your rapport with seniors can influence cataract OT and strabismus observation chances. When the OPD gets busy, fellow posted in OT can be called to OPD, so that tends to be frustrating (this was happening 2 years back.. hopefully better now). 6. Training Support Around the 3rd month, you receive 1 month of dedicated SICS training, usually mentored by a senior IOL fellow. In squint surgeries, your first 1–2 cases will be supervised by a consultant or senior fellow. After that, you’re mostly on your own, with occasional support. 7. Surgical Hands-On & Case Numbers Pediatric Cataracts Minimum: 25 cases Mostly developmental and traumatic cataracts (infant cases usually not given) Additional opportunities: Secondary IOLs Membranectomies consultants may give some steps in their cases also Squint Surgeries Horizontal squints: good numbers Inferior obliques: Good exposure Superior obliques: Few cases Advanced procedures (transpositions, tucks, transplants): case access depends on availability and luck. If the case gets posted on your OT day. But by the end of the fellowship you would at least workup and do some cases 8. Duties Cataract camps: Once a month School screening camps: 2-3 per month during particular months around the year  Night duties: Typically once a month. 9. Academics Interbranch journal clubs: Every 2 weeks Morning fellow classes: Conducted periodically This fellowship is definitely hectic and can be mentally draining at times, especially with the workload, occasional toxic behavior, and internal politics. But if you're someone who can look past the noise, stay focused on learning, and take initiative, it's a place that will shape you into a confident, independent paediatric ophthalmologist. You won’t get spoon-fed, but you’ll be exposed to a wide range of clinical and surgical cases If you’re willing to put in the work and make the most of what’s offered, this fellowship can truly lay a solid foundation for your career.

It's technically 1.5 yrs long but they might ask you to work at one of their peripheral centres first for 6 months - 1 year, especially if your SICS numbers are low. Cornea in Madurai has the highest number of fellow intake so dept is crowded. Cataract surgery opportunities are variable between fellows, depends on your skill, speed and lack of complications. OT sisters have a big role in deciding which fellow will be called to operate. That said, corneal surgery numbers are more or less same for every fellow- they give at least 50 keratoplasties (including therapeutic & optical PKs). But you get only penetrating keratoplasties there. Generally no hands-on given for lamellar surgeries generally, except to 1 or 2 fellows based on the Chief's discretion. Ocular surface disorders like AMG, MMG done but no SLET. Clinical exposure is very good, you see almost every textbook case  Lots and lots of all kinds of corneal ulcers- you get fed up after a while. They have all the diagnostic equipments, you can learn anterior segment photography also. Surgically you get keratoplasties, C3Rs, pterygiums, conjunctival grafts, few corneal tear repairs, amniotic membrane grafting; no corneal rings. There is 1 week posting for fellows for Refractive procedures- no hands-on, only observation. In my time they did LASIK, PRK but there was no SMILE or any of the other latest refractive procedures.. don't know the state now.  They give you only SICS chances in Aravind, no Phaco training. I find this a drawback compared to Cornea programs in other places like MM Joshi or LVP that include phaco training within their fellowships. However, you can fill that lacuna with Aravind's paid short term phaco training after finishing fellowship.

2 yrs duration. Selection- first MCQ exam, after clearing that you have interview- questions on common retinal conditions (Kanski is good enough to prepare). 2 fellows taken every 3 months. NN (Narayana Nethralaya) has 6 centres but you get allotted mostly in NN-1 which is their main centre in Rajajinagar. First 3 months you are posted in B scan and you get intravit injections.  Next 3 months you are rotated between diff centres- op duty and lasers. During 1st 6 months, it's hectic and you have to work 8 am - 8 pm. After 6-8 months, you officially become a "senior", now you are fixed at your allotted centre and get posted with diff consultants every 1.5- 2 months. Work time also reduces 8- 6.30 pm. You start on retinal surgeries- you get hands-on and steps in all retina cases. Clinical op is good- all kinds of retinal conditions are seen, including rare ones. Work is hectic. You have fellow duty (on-call x 1.5 days at a stretch) every month, and then when you become a senior it is every alternate month. No offs for doing fellow duty, that's how it is.. but good thing is very few retinal emergencies come at night. Sundays duties are there- mostly alternate weeks. Lots of opportunities to do paper presentations- consultants are encouraging.  Good place for VR fellowship, at the end of 2 yrs you will be familiar with retinal surgeries but not exactly independent- still that's on you, you should join a place afterwards where you can refine your surg skills further. As in other fellowships at NN, you have to pay a caution deposit of 1 lac upfront- refunded at the end of fellowship. Forfeited if you leave in between. _______________________________ More details from another reviewer- Only NN 1 and 2 has VR fellowship NN 1 has mostly all the fellows. NN 2 had only 1 fellow. NN 1 has 10 VR consultants  NN 2 had only 2 VR consultants At our time, 2-3 fellows were taken every 6 months at NN 1 And NN 2, only 1 fellow was there for whole 2 yrs NN 1 has uvea and ROP exposure also- 1 month of uvea and 1 month ROP posting- no surgical hands-on during that time. __________________________

Exposure to all types of retina cases at Aravind is good, we will get lots of lasers and injections including in ROP cases, surgery number is also reasonable. 2 weeks uvea and ROP + ocular oncology training included, thereafter you will be going for ROP screening in the periphery where you will again see good number of ROPs.  At the end of fellowship you will be confident with basic cases but you won't get PDR membrane cases and macular hole (ILM peeling step). There are lot of fellows, surgery numbers may vary between fellows.  Work load is huge, but toxicity in the department is less. No single mentor, OT rotation is there.

Duration- 24 months Structure- ~1–2 months General Ophthalmology, ~1 month Uvea, Remaining period in Retina Phaco Training- not included in the official curriculum. Some fellows gain cataract surgery experience during general postings, especially if placed in peripheral centers. Retina surgical hands-on typically starts around the 4th month of the fellowship. Early months are focused on observation, assisting, and gaining clinical knowledge. You get mostly steps in surgeries, less chances to operate independent cases. Many fellows join after fellowship as Medical Officers (MOs) to gain more surgical experience. Clinical Exposure- extremely rich, almost every textbook case is seen, at least in follow-up if not in primary presentation. Cases include many managed by renowned retinal surgeons, providing unique learning opportunities. Work Environment- hectic across the board. Many fellows describe it as "hectic but educationally rewarding." Teaching and Mentorship- no fixed one-to-one mentoring. Training is distributed—you learn from a mix of consultants, fellows, and observation. Self-initiative plays a big role in learning. Hands-on Surgical Training- fellows typically perform 200–250 VR procedures independently by the end of the fellowship. The actual number may vary based on individual surgical aptitude and confidence. Includes common VR procedures. Peripheral Postings & On-Call Duties Peripheral postings in VR are now rare. Night duties: About once every 2 months Sunday duties: Around once every 3 months Camp duties are not routine during the retina fellowship