Vitreo-Retinal Surgery (MCh) Fellowship review @ Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGI/ PGIMER), Chandigarh

3 year MCh program

Thesis work+

Selection: Exam followed by interview 

Intake- once a year, usually 1-2 general candidates, more for foreign candidates

Stipend- 1.3L in 1st year, 1.4L in 2nd yr, 1.5L in 3rd yr

No cataract training for retina fellows.

Initially you have training sessions on the simulator which progresses to steps and chances to close small cases within first 6 months.

After 6 months, you get hands-on for the bigger cases. 

Fellow OT is twice a week.

You get to do all kinds of retinal surgeries, including macular surgeries. Also copious hands-on for retinal lasers.

Uvea posting under Prof Vishali Gupta is good, extensive exposure to Uvea cases and management.

You also get 6 months of paediatric retina & pure ROP posting.

You do ROP screenings, ROP lasers and also surgeries in ROP stage 4 and 5 babies.

Retina OPD timings are 9-5 pm but often runs till 7.30/ 8 pm.

You are posted for 6 months each with a retina consultant, there are 6-7 consultants in the dept.

You see only retina cases, no general cases at all.

After 5 pm, all emergency cases pertaining to Retina have to be managed and operated by fellows so some days, work can go even till midnight 

Night call- once a month 

Camp duties- occasional, once or twice a year

No peripheral postings 

Sundays are off except for when you have ward rounds (depending on which consultant you're posted with).

You have the MCh exam after 2.5 yrs

Internal exams occur every 6 months

Fellows have to take classes for JRs.

In addition, there are also weekly classes for fellows.

Good program, can be hectic depending on which consultant you're posted under, but you exit as an independent VR surgeon by the end of 3 yrs.