(Note- this Medical Retina (MR) program is different from their Medical Retina & Uvea program which is 2 yrs) 1 YEAR duration Medical Retina (MR) program 1st month training For 8 months...1 month uvea posting, 1 month emergency posting, 1 month diagnostics posting, rest 5 months MR unit posting with different consultants in which we are in OP with them. Last 3 months known as SR-ship in which one gets their mentor under which they will start getting injections in OT. MR fellows are mostly in OP with consultants, so we get ample amount of almost all variety of cases.. so clinical OP exposure is really very good. Regarding hands on, in 1 month of diagnostic posting we start getting lasers and B-scans. In last 3 months when we become SR, we get 2 or 3 days per week of full day postings in lasers and similarly 2 or 3 days per week of full day postings in B-scan room- In 1 day we get 20-25 lasers if posted in lasers and if posted in B-scan room, we get 40-50  B-scans in 1 day. Injections we get in last 3 months of SR-ship only. It's not hectic.. timings are 8-5pm. Every month you have one emergency posting it's 7 pm (one day) to 7 pm (next day). It's not toxic at all. Cataract surgery is not given in 1 yr MR fellowship, it's given in the MR + Uvea fellowship. Once or twice a month we get night emergency duty or ward duty. Sundays are usually free. Occasionally we get emergency duties.

Review- Uma Eye Clinic offers a pretty good, hands-on fellowship that’s intense but incredibly rewarding if you’re serious about learning. Over 1.5 years (initially one year, now extended), you get to perform around 150 phacos, starting with your first 20–30 cases on a 3D operating microscope, which really helps with confidence and depth perception. There’s some exposure to refractive work too, around 4-5 LASIK cases (both femtosecond and microkeratome), 1-2 SMILE surgeries, and 5-6 C3R cases. You also get to observe FLACS, corneal transplants, VR surgeries, and squint cases as and when they happen. Your day runs from 9 AM to 7 PM, and you alternate between OT and OPD, which has a steady and diverse patient load. There are outreach camps on rotation during the week and one Sunday a month, but otherwise Sundays are off. Just note: there are only 2 holidays in the whole year, so it’s definitely a grind. No night duties! The clinic is very well-equipped with machines like the Nikon Daytona, OCT, iTrace, Sirius, Lipiflow, and Lipiscan, and they even do Presbyond — so you’ll get to learn how to assess and prep those patients. Retinal lasers are also something you can get involved in depending on interest and camp volume. The OT setup is excellent, the phaco machines (Centurion and Whitestar Signature Pro) are top-tier, and overall, the environment is supportive. Everyone is approachable, though of course there’s the usual chatter and politics that come with any busy place. All in all, it’s a packed schedule with great surgical exposure, especially if you go in with clarity on what you want. If you put in the effort, you’ll come out well-trained and quite satisfied. I did around 110 phaco cases during my one-year fellowship. At the time (2024), the rules were a bit different, there wasn’t a fixed number of surgeries promised, so I’m not entirely sure what the current setup is. But based on how things worked then, I’d estimate that 150 cases over 1.5 years averaging 1-2 cases per week. The exact number you get depends a lot on how many fellows are in the program with you. In my batch, there were 3 of us, and usually 2 phaco cases were posted per day on regular OT days. Occasionally, foreign candidates would come in, not all of them come for high-volume training. Some just do 10-15 cases over a few days, so even in those weeks, you’ll likely get one case. But if someone comes for a larger volume (like 40-50 cases), then you might not get posted for a week. That said, it does balance out and picks up again soon after. You can’t expect a case every single day, but overall the hands-on numbers we got were close to what was mentioned during the interview. Another review of the same program from another past fellow who did it when it was a one year program- Hi there! So, my training was quite intense, with a lot of exposure to advanced cataract training. We started with 3D, which is super helpful for understanding depth perception. We also used CTR, pupil expansion devices, multiple phaco machines, and various phaco tips. The refractive workup included various trifocal, toric, post-LASIK workups and options for obtaining uncorrected 6/6 N6 vision. We also received hands-on training for LASIK, smile, and PRK procedures. They also give exposure to abberometry profile. The workup and post-procedure management, including complications treatment, were also covered. I liked my time there, it was a good experience for me.

2 years long. One of the few Cornea programs where you also train in phaco.  However phaco training is delayed till 2nd year- still, can expect average of 100 phacos. Clinical exposure is good- you see every textbook case. Work environment is not toxic but hectic. Surgical training done by senior fellows, but it's mostly self-learning- meaning you operate in numbers and fine-tune your skill along the way. Common cornea procedures/surgeries you get hands-on in: Total KP- 50, Optical PK -3 to 4, Glue BCL & tenonplasty - plenty.  Lamellar keratoplasty - Nil hands-on. You will have peripheral posting x 6 months. Night duties twice a month. Sunday duty once a month. Fellows don't have camp duties since DNBs go to camp. You get exposure to refractive procedures but only observing, no hands on.  Stipend = starts with 40,000. Increased by 10,000 every 6 months. Note- MMJ takes a caution deposit of 1 lakh (which you forfeit if you leave in between or do not complete the fellowship).

Duration: 18 months. First 4 months: General Ophthal posting.  You'll be put in their peripheral centre for a month too. You'll get to start SICS surgery then. 1 OT day per week. No exposure to Oculoplasty for the first 4 months.  Next 14 months you'll be posted in Oculoplasty department.  First two months will be just opd.  Oculoplasty OT starts from third month.     The regular 1 day SICS OT and 1 day oculoplasty OT will be the norm.  If there are less fellows in the dept, you'll get more OT days as you'll be assisting the consultants in OT.  Camps:   You will have to go for camps twice or thrice a month. It'll be on weekends. Guys get more number of camps and longer camps than the ladies (ahem). They go for camps as far away as Kodungallur, Munnar etc in Kerala and Hosur in Karnataka. But some long distance camps like in Ooty and Munnar are really enjoyable and worth it.  Academics:   No formal classes. There are classes for DNBs, none for fellows. You'll have to read on your own.  No exams at the end of your fellowship.  You'll be asked to take classes for the sisters during the fellowship.  You can present cases or studies for conferences. They allow you to attend conferences only if you are presenting something.  Consultants and exposure to Oculoplasty:   The consultants are pretty chill and usually good. An odd toxic consultant maybe there. They give you DCR initially and then the lid and orbit procedures. No exposure to ocular oncology. There's a separate 1 week posting at Aravind Madurai for that at the end of your fellowship.  Duties:   Emergency night duty once in a month or two months. Other fellows and DNBs also take night duties, so it'll be quite rare to get duty often.  Cataract exposure:   SICS only. No phaco.  It starts from 3rd/4th month during your general posting. The numbers will depend upon your speed and how you pick up. One cataract OT per week till the end of your fellowship.  Can expect to do around 100 to 200 SICS by the end of your fellowship. There will be a Consultant to teach you all the steps systematically. Timings:   Opd timings are usually from 7:30am to 6pm. Some days it might go beyond too, depending on patient load.  Two 15 mins break in the morning and afternoon.  A 1 hour lunch break at noon. The short breaks may be cut depending on opd patient load. The head sister of opd decides that for you.  Emergency duty is from 6pm to 8am the next day.  Camp timings are from 1pm on Fridays or Saturdays to Sunday 2pm. Depending on the camp and transport, it'll vary.  Accommodation:  They provide hostel accommodation. It's a 30 year old hostel, cramped and as small as opd cubicles. Most fellows and DNBs survive there.  You do get decent accommodation at nearby apartments. But the rent maybe high.  Water is all hard water. You can't take a head bath with it, unless you like stiff hair. Some fellows complain of hair loss too. You'll have to find some alternatives for that (the water, not the hair).  Food:   Hospital has a pathetic canteen which provides terrible vegetarian food. You can have it if you don't have any other choice. Most people order from outside or take a mess subscription. There are decent mess subscriptions available including Jain food. Area:   The hospital is in the outskirts of Coimbatore city near the airport, so flights are easy to catch. There's also an IMAX movie theatre nearby with a few decent restaurants, so weekend chill out plans do work. There's a few restobars in the more centre of the city like 10-15kms away. My take:   Aravind Coimbatore is better than Madurai for Oculoplasty as you get to do other procedures like lid/orbit procedures than just DCR. Aravind is a hospital with a name in Ophthalmology since the last 30-40 years and the sheer patient load is something that you'll never get anywhere but if you want to be up to date with the absolute latest procedures, Aravind can be lacking in some aspects.

- 1 year fellowship. - Pure phaco fellowship, no SICS. - 1 fellow per session- taken twice a year (Jan, July). - Selection- interview based. - You get minimum 300 phacos. - They start phaco training from 2nd-3rd month. - Free campus accommodation. - Stipend 20,000/ month. - Wet lab available. - Daily OT. - Regular theory classes. - Compulsory 3 year bond after fellowship.

- Started in 2023. - Eligibility- MS/ DNB. - They have fellowships in Glaucoma, Orbit, Paediatric Ophthalmology, Community Ophthalmology, Uvea & Med Retina. - No fellowships in Cornea/ Surgical Retina (VR) as of 2025. - All fellowships are 2 years long. - Selection- Entrance exam followed by interview. - There is an exit exam. - Only 1 seat per specialty per year. - Fellowship is hectic, clinical exposure is good. - All fellows get Phaco training. If you are not good in SICS, then they will make you master that first. * Good academics- structured seminars, journal clubs, case presentations etc - Some programs require you to do research projects.  Glaucoma - Clinical exposure is good. - Also get training in lasers (PI, suturolysis, iridoplasty etc). - Glaucoma fellows get hands-on in SICS trabs, Phaco trabs, cyclodestructive procedures - No hands-on for MIGS/ surgical glaucoma devices  Uvea and Medical Retina - Fellows get trained in lasers, intravitreal injections, ROP screening, also operate on complicated cataracts. - Fellows don't get ROP lasers because they are done by the VR dept. - There are postings in other depts- Rheumatology, Infectious Diseases, Micro, Patho, Surg Retina etc. Paediatric Ophthalmology  - Good clinical exposure. - Fellows get hands-on in paediatric squint, cataract, NLD probing etc. - No hands-on for paediatric oncology but you get to observe management of retinoblastoma cases. Community & Comprehensive Ophthalmology  - Involved with outreach ops and community centres and camps. - Lots of field work and surveys. - Have to do a research based project during the fellowship. - Clinical rotations through general units every week, specialty rotations in 2nd yr. - Fellows get hands-on for SICS and phaco, pterygiums, lasers, intravitreal anti-vegfs. Orbit & Lacrimal Surgery - Hands-on is limited, mostly assisting and observation-based. - You have to do a thesis/ scientific project during this course.

24 months duration. You get ample hands-on and are rotated across all speciality depts so when posted in other depts you may also get chances to do their surgeries as well if interested. Recent (2024) Phaco-Ref fellow had done some 100 SICS in PG before joining (he was covid batch) and he has done around 600+ phacos independently till now.. also doing LASIK independently so they give you good hands-on in refractive procedures as well. When posted in other specialities, he got to do independent phaco-trab, retinal lasers and injections and has even been offered steps in retinal surgery (like making ports for PPV). You also get hands-on in oculoplastic procedures, DCR, even squint surgeries.  Work timings across all ASG centres is 9-9 (am to pm). Sundays duties are there, you get weekly offs accordingly. Work is not hectic and definitely not toxic, seniors and consultants are very friendly and approachable. Good program overall.

They have only Cornea program at this hospital, no other fellowships.  Usually 1 year long but tenure is decided based on your experience at the time of interview with Dr Samar Basak, head of Cornea (for eg, someone just out of PG without much specialty exposure may be asked to do fellowship for 2 years). This is a purely Cornea fellowship, no refractive or cataract training. Clinical exposure is good. No camp cases, all private patients- even then fellows can expect to get an average of 50-100 penetrating keratoplasties. Hands-on starts usually after first 2 months and progresses step-wise- you train in wet lab first and when Basak sir feels you are ready, then he moves you to the OT list. Lamellar surgeries also done- but fellows don't get hands-on, only observation.  Last month of fellowship will see you observing refractive procedures (no hands-on). If you are a private practitioner and interested in setting up eye bank services for your hospital, then this is a good program.

1 yr duration with 3 years of bond.  No bond if sponsored by Sightsavers or any other sponsoring body.  Other speciality fellows (Glaucoma & Cornea) get one cataract case per week.  Surgeries start with SICS then phacos. If you're proficient in SICS, they can start you on phaco in a week or two.  OT is 3 days weekly in first 6 months- one case each OT. Then daily OTs (cases variable depending on the fellow's ability).  Complicated cases are given during your bond period.  Daily social OPDs.  Work environment is good. Consultants are very approachable.  You do your surgeries under different consultants on the days of the week. Consultants are there to help or take over the case when required.  Will be posted in Susrut branches within Kolkata. Duty hours from 9 - 5/6 pm.  2 emergency duties per month. Camp duties.  No dedicated classes for fellows. Encouraged to attend DNB classes which are mostly after 4/5 pm. Mostly self learning.  No caution deposits. Foreign trainees (Saudi ophthalmology residents) intake during the peak cataract season. They do about 2-3 cases/day. Sometimes take up the fellows' cases when cases are less. During fellowship, Stipend 80- 85k. During bond period, 1.5 lacs salary with increments.

Recently started (2023 thereafter). Applications inviting fellows are put out on LinkedIn , selection is after interview with head. Duration= 2 yrs No entrance or exit exam. Usually 2 fellows/ session. Hands-on for retina cases are given early, sometimes in 1st month, usually in 2nd month but again, depends on your rapport with consultants and your demonstrated skill- all common retina surgeries operated here. Fellows are posted with diff units so OT days vary accordingly- 2 or 3 retina OT days per week/ unit. You are trained in ROP screening but ROP lasers usually not given. Cataract OT is on Fridays and if cases are in excess, they may call VR fellows to operate- usually given only SICS. Phacos may sometimes be given on request. Clinical exposure is good. Some Uvea and Onco exposure is also there. Work environ is not hectic, not toxic. There are night duties (2/week) and Sunday duties shared with PGs Weekly academic classes also + Stipend= 45k, increases to 55k in 2nd yr.

They have short term SICS and phaco training- with 1/3/6 months options for either SICS or Phaco. For short term Phaco they have 3 months and 6 months course but specifically they want only experienced SICS surgeons - where 1000 cases done already. They are not taking novice surgeons with few hundred numbers. But these beginners can opt for long term IOL fellowship; just that short term training is off-limits to them ...but even for short term training, an initial interview will be done. All short training options (1 month, 3 months and 6 months) are only for efficient surgeons.

This fellowship is good. It is for 18 months long term.  Selection by interview. No admission fees. No bond, no caution deposits. Stipend 70k (you get 62k in hand after TDS cut). Exposure is good in terms of OPD - you see charity cases twice a week and training is under Dr Ramanjit Sihota ma'am who is a great teacher and shares lot of knowledge to handle OPD and OT as well.  OT hands is okay. You get some cataract cases and Glaucoma cases (trabs, phaco-trabs etc).  You will be posted in Shroff's South Delhi centres - Kailash colony and Connaught place according to a roster.  Regular classes once a month you have to attend, there is an exam (theory+ practical viva) you have to give in the middle and before leaving as well, but they are good and manageable.  No night duties, timings are from 8/9 to 5 pm/7pm depending on patient load.  OT once a week - so hands on is okay.  Overall, a good learning experience as well as the brand name of Shroff Hospital comes on your CV elevating your chances as an upcoming Glaucoma consultant.