Vitreo-Retinal Surgery Fellowship review@ Sankara Eye Hospital, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh

Duration 2 yrs

2 fellows taken every 6 months

Selection- exam + interview

Exit exam + 

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 

In first 6 months, you see only OP and do B scans and OCTs and learn to interpret findings 

You also get countless retinal lasers and intravit injections (you'll be fed up of it by the end)

OP exposure is very good, you see every kind of retina case here 

Surgical hands-on starts after 6th month 

Starts with port making steps, then simple vitrectomy, progressing to vitrectomy with small proliferations etc

In the last 9 months you get to do macular surgeries, TRD, CRD and even RRD cases

Not much of hands-on for SFIOLs or scleral buckles here

Uvea and Neuro-Ophthal cases are seen by VR dept so exposure +

Limited ROP exposure- you learn a bit of screening but no lasers given 

However they are getting a RetCam so that is expected to change

No phaco training 

Work timings 8 - 8.30 pm (as junior), timings reduce as you become senior 8 - 6/7pm

Dept is very very hectic but not toxic, consultants are approachable

On call- you have 2-3 duties per month, 1 Sunday duty, 1 weekend duty, 2 night duties

No periphery postings, usually no camp duties for VR fellows unless they are short of residents or fellows from other depts

Academics- you have once weekly classes plus also the weekly online session with all Sankara branches pan India

All in all, very good fellowship with ample cutting chances, you exit as an independent VR surgeon at the end of 2 yrs.