Vitreo-Retinal Surgery Fellowship @ MGM Eye Institute, Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Duration- 18 months

Selection- by interview

Intakes at fixed time during the year, Interested candidates can apply at the director’s email id. 

Intake usually happens when the previous fellow has 6 months of fellowship remaining so that the new fellow gets accustomed to the protocols by the time the senior fellow finishes his/her fellowship.

Stipend- 30000/month

1 fellow taken per session

NO cataract cases for retina fellows

Retinal surgeries are initiated from the beginning. 

Initially, fellows are taught steps and gradually escalated to independent surgeries. They are given all kinds of retinal surgeries and by the end of their fellowship, they are well equipped in handling retina cases independently. 

Since there are camp patients, they get ample number of independent vitrectomies. 

Clinical exposure- Very good, since it’s a tertiary referral centre.

The institute also has a very good Uvea exposure and almost all the regular cases present to the Institute.

Fellows get well versed with both retina and uvea cases.

Institute is well equipped with latest equipments

Working environment is very conducive for learning. 

It is not at all toxic, neither very hectic if you look at the fellowships in some other institutes. 

Fellows get ample time to study. They need to present cases- around one every 2 months. 

Fellows are directly trained under consultants

All the consultants, even from other specialties are very approachable. 

The fellows are encouraged to be involved in research activities and to present in state and national level conferences.

Plenty of chances for lasers and Intravitreal injections.

You get hands-on for common retina surgeries like-

• Silicone oil removal, macular surgeries (ERM, Macular hole), retinal detachment surgeries, vitreous hemorrhage and Diabetic TRDs, managing nucleus and IOL drops, SFIOLs

If the fellow is proficient, he usually gets to do all of these surgeries independently by the end or even earlier.

 The USP of VR fellowship in MGM is the tremendous ROP exposure, definitely one of the best in India.

The institute has agreement with a large network of NICUs where they attend for ROP screenings in various districts of Chhattisgarh. 

The days are fixed for various NICUs. 

Fellows are first trained in screening and lasers with the Consultants and then attend for independent screenings and lasers.

Fellows are also trained in giving intravitreal injections to ROP babies both in the OT and in the NICU setup in sick babies.

ROP lasers are done both under GA and LA.

ROP surgeries are usually only done by the senior consultant.

Duties

• NO peripheral postings

• Diabetic retinopathy screening camps sometimes come up, but these camps are not fixed. Usually the camp duties are attended by DNB residents and fellows doing cataract surgery

• 2 emergency night duties in a month and Sundays on call by rotation among residents and fellows.

Academics

• 8.15 am- 9 am -classes everyday (attended by all DNB residents and all subspeciality fellows)

• Retina Meet happens monthly once where retina consultants and fellows discuss practical topics in retina, problems they face in OPD and OT while managing patients, dissect their surgical videos.

Daily work timings

• 8.15 am- 9 am - Daily class

• OPD and OTs usually begin by 9.30 am and finish by 5.30 pm. Sometimes, depending on number of patients, it may get extended to 6 pm.

• Retina fellows are usually free after that.

Initially, to enhance their indirect ophthalmoscopy skills and their clinical judgement, they evaluate the camp patients in the evening.

Other remarks

• No bond or caution deposit.

• Accommodation is usually provided by the institute.

• ROP work can sometimes be hectic with early morning or late evening lasers/injections.