Squint & Orthoptics Fellowship @ All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh

Duration 1 year

Selection- Entrance exam followed by interview

1 fellow taken per year (some years they may not take fellows at all if applicants are not up to mark)

No Paed Ophthalmology training

Stipend- 1.29L

In this 1 year, you work as an SR mostly seeing general Ophthal cases and handling emergency duties and taking calls 

You also attend Squint Clinics once a week

You're allowed to manage OP from day 1.

Allowed also to work up squint cases and manage pts after consulting with HOD Ma'am.

OT exposure is very limited 

2 reasons-

• Surgical patient load is low

• Cases given differ from fellow to fellow 

No definite time for when a fellow gets to start OT, depends on the fellow's competence and whether Ma'am thinks they are ready. Her working style may not be easy to navigate.. there are fellows who have adjusted around this and also those who have not and quit midway.

If you do get cases, they tend to be single-digit R&Rs (resection recessions) and some 2-3 oblique muscle surgeries at the end.

No complex squint hands-on given but you'll see cases in OP along with Neuro-Ophthal cases.

Cataract training not included.. no adult or paediatric cataracts given (camp cases rare).

Ma'am operates paed cataract cases though, so you can assist for the same, OT is twice a week

No ROP exposure.

Work timings 9 am- 4/ 5 pm

Sunday duties 1-2/ month depending on how many SRs (non-fellow) are there with you in the dept.

No peripheral postings.

Night duties- 2-3 calls/ week, you're 2nd on call and have to manage whatever trauma comes.. lots of surgical exposure that way as you're given free hand to manage perfs, lid repairs, globe repairs (even in children under GA) etc.. however getting a free OT with microscope can be a challenge since other depts share the same OT.. which often means your turn ends up coming very late (into the night) based on emergency case's priority.

Academics- no classes, up to you to read.

Overall, you'll learn how to evaluate and manage common squint cases by the end of 1 year but surgical exposure is limited.