2 year fellowship Selection: Short MCQ exam for overall assessment followed by interaction with each consultant No fixed intake time of the year. Usually 2 fellows are already in the program at any given time. 1 fellow intake per year. They require 25k caution deposit and keep your documents. If you leave the fellowship midway, you will have to return all the salary received. Stipend- 50k per month No cataract for retina fellows. OT posting starts after 6 months Initial 1 month is more of observation Then SOR and steps start . After 9 months you start getting independent simple cases such as VH. There is no restriction like in other VR fellowship programs of not getting membrane peeling cases. You get experience of all steps of all retinal surgeries. But numbers you get is average, as there is only single OT table for Retina. So consultants have to make time in their list to give you cases and steps. There is also a charity hospital attached to Main Center with simple OT setup having Retikare. Clinical exposure is good. You get to see independent OPD right from 3-4 months of fellowship. Any doubts you can cross consult with consultants. You see variety of cases. Definitely uveitis , paediatric retina cases. ROP not much exposure. No ROP laser exposure. Work timings are 10:00 am to 7:30 pm. On OT days it can extend a little. Work environment is not toxic . Sometimes can get little hectic. General night duty comes once in 2 weeks Sunday full-day and half-day duties once in 2 months You do surgeries under guidance of consultants throughout the whole fellowship. Lasers they have slit lamp (pattern also) and LIO. Laser exposure is great. You do independent laser from 3- 4th month of fellowship. Numbers are as high as 10-12 every day. Injections also very high load. No official peripheral postings. Rarely they may send fellow for 1-2 weeks to peripheral branch to manage OPD and lasers. Surgeries you commonly get: Diabetic vitrectomies- VH, TRD, CRD , TPHM RRD (very few cases) , 240 bands (few ) Macular hole (few), SFIOL (few) Overall exposure is good. Numbers not comparable to other high volume centres. First 3 Mondays of every month, Retina class will be there participated by Retina consultants of all branches and fellows from Coimbatore and RIK (Retina Institute of Karnataka), Bengaluru. 2 years fellowship = 18 months + 6 months Last 6 months, no night duty or Sunday full duty. Salary will be same throughout.

Duration 2+ yrs (2 yrs is minimum but Rohit Shetty sir might ask fellows to do 3-4 months extra, finishing point is upto sir) Fellow intake and number is random, they took fellows on monthly basis in 6 months in 2026 (needs to be confirmed with hospital if they are taking any more fellows for 2026) Selection- Interview Stipend- 56k per month You get liberal hands-on for cataracts and refractive cases in this fellowship. Cornea cases are relatively lesser. You are posted in 2 centres (random postings)- one for cataracts and Cornea and the other for refractives. You start getting cataract cases in 1st month itself, they start with SICS If you're good in SICS, they shift you to phaco within 1.5 months If you're not proficient, you'll spend more months in SICS and start phaco later Phaco hands-on is good, you get to do all kinds of cataract.. OT is 3 times a week, they increase case numbers per OT as you get better.. you also get to do topical phacos by the end Refractive cases hands-on also starts early.. they have daily OT so you start with lasik, PRK, trans-PRK etc and get lenticules, SMILE by the end. Cornea posting is not as structured as Cataract posting. Clinical exposure in Cornea is good though, you get to see all kinds of cases when posted. Surgical steps begin late.. usually within 6 months or after.. cases are less (and fellows are more) and you get mostly TPKs.. optical keratoplasties are sometimes given but you get only steps like graft trephination or suturing in those, not the whole case.. the only independent keratoplasty cases you're given are TPKs.. You get to do a few DALK cases in the last 2-3 months. Work punch in at 7.45 am, work goes till 6 pm Can also go till 8 pm occasionally if you have research lab meetings. You'll be part of all in-house research, collating and tabulating data and will also be expected to present/ speak in national and international conferences. All conferences are usually self-sponsored except for the very few that the hospital agrees to sponsor. Night duties 3-4/month, first on call. Sundays OP duty/ camp workup duty twice a month. Academics- no formal classes, mostly self learning. By the end, you can do phacos and refractive cases independently.. Cornea exposure is relatively limited but you will be made familiar with how to do cases.

18 months Selection- Exam followed by interview Intake- twice a year, 2-3 fellows per session Stipend 40k per month First month is suture practice and block room postings Then you start SICS from 2nd month onwards You get 2 OTs per week and 2 hours per OT (1 hour per sics in the beginning) As your speed picks up, you do more number of SICS in those 2 hours, so case number per OT increases. First 100 SICS you have to put tunnel sutures since pts are sent home the day they are operated and follow up only after 1 month. Next 100 SICS cases are supero-temporal section. Next 100 SICS are temporal sections. You get to learn SICS in all types of cataract. You also learn to manage your own complications. In fact after 7-8 months, you will be posted for observation duty in OT where you supervise your juniors as they operate and step in when they have complications. Also trained in iris claws, CTRs, ant vitrectomy etc By the end of first year, they start giving you 1 phaco case per OT Usually, the phaco's the 11th case, meaning if you manage 10 SICS in 2 hours, you can do the 11th one as phaco. Phaco numbers increase per OT depending on skill and learning curve.. but initially it's 1 case per OT for initial 1-2 months You get topical phacos towards the end. Phaco numbers average around 80-90 cases over 6 months, however these tend to be normal NS 2-3 cases, not advanced cases. Also, phacos are all done under scleral section since you can implant only rigid IOLs, no corneal or limbal sections since foldable IOLs are not implanted for camp pts. OPD posting- Work timings 9-6 Initial 5-6 months, fellows are posted solely in camp OP managing pts. After 6 months they shift to general OP where they see pts and refer to respective specialties. IOL fellows come under an In-Charge who is usually a consultant of another speciality.. earlier, fellows used to be under a Retina consultant.. recently the faculty in charge of IOL fellows has changed to a Paed Ophthal consultant who is proactive and supervises fellows' numbers and progress. You have stay camps every month, from Fri- Sun where you travel to an outstation. 2 weekends go for stay camps. 3rd Sunday for OP duty. 1 Sunday in a month is free. Once you complete 1 year of fellowship, you don't have stay camps, it's more or day camps and Sunday OP duties. Also, cataract numbers tend to be limited for Coimbatore fellows since cases are shared between primary & secondary DNBs along with other speciality fellows as well.. compared to Sankara Banglore, you get lesser numbers in Coimbatore. Usually no peripheral postings. Very rarely they may post you to their other centres if they face fellow shortage there. Overall, you come out as an SICS surgeon who can operate all cataracts and manage their own complications.. you gain some confidence in phaco but more exposure is needed post fellowship for advanced cases.

Duration 2 yrs 1 fellow taken every 6 months Selection- Exam+ interview Stipend 40k (Caution deposit of 80k taken from first 2 months' salary) No phaco training. First month is orientation period, you are posted in diff depts to understand how the system works. Second month onwards you're posted in VR dept. Initial 6 months you're mostly in the retinal investigations room doing B scans, FFAs, OCTs. Thereafter you're posted in OP and can see cases and manage them on your own or in consultation with seniors. You are posted for 3 months with each VR consultant. Surgical hands-on starts with steps from the time you enter VR dept. Fellows get OT twice a week. Liberal hands-on for retinal lasers and intravit injections. ROP training in last 6 months. You learn screening and also get hands-on for ROP lasers and injections in last 3 months. No ROP surgeries done here. You get to assist and see all kinds of retinal surgeries done here... RD surgeries are not commonly given. You do get chances for macular surgeries though, ILM peelings are given if the consultant thinks you can do it. One shortcoming of this program is that even when you're posted in OP, you don't spend much time in OP seeing patients, you're running around either for investigations or OT.. so clinical exposure can be limited in that way. Last 6 months as SR, you're given your own cabin and you see more OP pts that way. Independent cases for surgery also given at the end but again, numbers vary based on your ability to handle them. Dept is not hectic, consultants are friendly. Work timings 9- 6pm, can end late on OT days. You have Sunday duties twice in a month (either Sunday OP or else sunday camp) No peripheral postings for VR fellows. You may also get chances to do SICS or phacos once in a while (if you know how to operate).. but that is only after all your dept work is done, like on those rare days where retina OT gets over early. Overall, a decent fellowship that provides basic foundation. Limited OP exposure is a concern. Plus, you get mostly steps in surgery till the end- unless you are exceptionally skilled and pick up unusually quickly... which is not the norm with VR training, which is why even 2 yrs is not adequate for most fellowships. Will need more clinical and surgical experience post fellowship.

Duration 3 yrs 3-4 fellows taken every year Selection- Series of clinical assessment interviews Stipend- 50k in first 2 yrs, 75k in 3rd yr All LVP fellowships are divided into 3 periods- First 9 months is "induction posting" (posted in other speciality depts) Next 1 year is in a secondary centre Last 15 months is in your speciality The first 9 months is again divided- initial 4 months is in other dept postings and last 4-5 months in Cornea dept In the initial 4 months, you are trained in SICS and phaco (simultaneously). Initially you are posted in what is called a "training OR" where there are alloted trainers to teach you surgery. This OR happens one week every month. For eg if one month you're in glaucoma, then one week in that month is cataract posting rest 3 weeks glaucoma posting. In that one week, depending on the roster they give cases, some people get 5 cases, some get 7. When you're doing Cornea posting in the latter 4 months of the induction period, you get smaller speciality-related surgeries like pterygiums, excisions, few TPKs etc During induction period, once you get surgically proficient in training OR, you are shifted to what is called "fellow OR" where you do 8-10 cases per OT... you get 2-3 such OTs every month. If you pick up surgical skills well in this period, then they will post you to the secondary centre early. So instead of 9 months, if you had to do only 7 months and then they sent you to the secondary centre, the remaining 2 months of the induction period are carried over to the last speciality period of 15 months. The secondary centre posting of 1 year is fixed, cannot be reduced or increased. During this time, you manage the centre yourself and do all surgeries. Last phase of 15/+ months are spent in speciality. You get training for all major corneal surgeries in the last phase. Hands on for lamellar keratoplasties and refractive surgeries given only in last 6 months and tends to be limited- ~6 nos/ month. Complicated cataracts are managed by Cornea dept, so good exposure that way. Clinical exposure is extensive, dept is hectic, OPD runs till 7 or 8 pm. OTs tend to finish late, may even go past 10 pm. Emergency duties- 2/month Sundays mostly working, only 1 Sunday free in a month Daily classes + Cornea program in the main KAR campus tends to be more hectic compared to other centres of LVP.

Duration 3 yrs MCh fellowship so you acquire an officially recognised formal degree at the end of fellowship. You have to do a thesis as well. 1 General category, 1 sponsored and 1 foreign candidate taken every 6 months Selection- Entrance exam followed by interview (they prefer someone with at least 2 yrs SRship) Stipend- 1.3 lakh in first yr, 1.4L in second yr, 1.5L in 3rd yr You enter Cornea dept directly from first month, no general Ophthal or other speciality postings By the end of first month, you will have been started on the therapeutic/emergency procedures- patch grafts, AMTs etc Fellows have OT twice a week. You're posted with each Cornea consultant for 3 months. They also train in phacos, but if you're an SICS beginner or know only SICS, it might be delayed, they will start phaco training slowly. You also start getting refractive cases, depending on the consultant, they might give you hands-on as early as 2nd month onwards or at the latest, from 6th month onwards. You get ample cases for surgery, whether cornea, phaco or refractive (SMILE, LASIK, PRK, approx 100+) Liberal numbers for penetrating keratoplasties in 3 yrs, easily 1000+ cases Phacos ~800 topical phacos Lamellar keratoplasty is more limited since there is a bit of scarcity of donor tissue, even then you get to do around 10 cases or less.. you will be given few independent cases of lamellar to do by the end (~ 3-4 independently) Work timings 9 am- 5 pm But Cornea clinic can go till 6.30 pm depending on pt load and how fast you see cases Doesn't usually cross 7 pm All consultants are friendly, dept is not toxic. Sundays off Public holidays are off unless you have ward patients or postops from day before. No peripheral postings. Night duties- once a month (rarely twice a month) You are 2nd on call but you have to manage and operate all the trauma cases that come. Camp duties may very rarely be assigned to MCh fellows. Academics- regular weekly classes PPTs usually made by MCh fellows and are exhaustive (helpful for the internal exams as well as the final exit exam) Exit exam+ Internal exams also conducted every 6 months. Overall, a good fellowship since you come out independent in all corneal surgeries, phacos and refractive procedures.

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.

What Makes a Good Cataract Fellowship? Simply put, it should have 4 levels of training. Level 1- SICS training Level 2- Phaco training in basic cataracts (NS 2-3, well dilated pupils) Level 3- Phaco training in advanced cataracts (hard cataracts, mature cataract, PXF, small pupil etc) Level 4- Training to manage your complications (sulcus IOLs, iris claws, anterior vitrectomy etc) You can add a 5th (based on what many corporate hospitals are asking for these days) Level 5- Training to do topical phacos (phaco under topical anesthesia) So if someone asked you what's the best phaco fellowship out there, your reply should be- the one that trains you in all 5 levels. Now for the bad news. The reality of cataract fellowships in India? Most of them train you to be a level 2 surgeon. The reality of hospitals in India? They want level 4 surgeons. So clearly there’s a gap between what most fellowships are churning out and what the market actually wants. The good news is that not all fellowships are like this. And that’s one way to decide which fellowship is better. The more levels of training a fellowship offers, the better it is. So a fellowship that trains you to level 3 is any day better than the one that refuses to go past level 2. Ok, Is That All? There's something else many beginners fail to see. To acquire level 4 or 5 proficiency, you can't be looking at 1 year or 1.5 year programs. Many beginners want surgical independence on a short timeline. That’s not how it works. If you’re an SICS newbie, you cannot expect full surgical maturity from a 1 year fellowship or worse, a few months of short-term phaco training. Time is your strongest ally. Time is what gives quality. Time is what makes you a surgeon. If you’re looking to be a phaco surgeon, lesser fellowship duration means all that happens is you get trained in steps of phaco (level 2). And that's what many trainees settle for. Now there are many young (and old) doctors whose life circumstances make it difficult for them to commit to long cataract fellowships. Realities like pregnancy or a baby at home or financial struggles. But barring those real circumstances, majority of trainees settle for shorter fellowships simply because they are averse to the thought of spending another 2 or 3 years for fellowships… especially when they already gave that much time for PG. But you can't let PG nostalgia get in the way of making important decisions. If your aim is to be a market-ready surgeon, everything has its price. And time commitment. I Have a Better Plan. I’ll Do a Short Phaco Course and Then Join a Hospital to Refine My Skills. Yea, you can learn SICS and Phaco by doing some 20 or 30 cases. But that's not going to make you a surgeon. It only trains you in technique. If your plan is to just learn technique and then refine it elsewhere (maybe your own setup), then good. But if your plan is to do shorter fellowships or do short term phaco training and hope the next hospital you apply to will hire you, then you're fooling yourself. See, hospitals are very clear on what they want. They want someone who can operate all kinds of cataract. manage his/ her own complications. If you can't do both, you're not a surgeon (to them) and you won't qualify. That’s it. Most hospitals won’t hire you with just short training and freely give you their patients. Hospitals are not that generous. Even when they hire someone who has had short term training, they are hesitant. They will not give cases freely. They will not give cases regularly. But let’s say you’re ok working for such a hospital. Even if you get just 3-4 cases a week (and assuming they have mercy on you and increase case numbers by second or third year), it will take anywhere from 3-5 years with that hospital for it to train you to be a level 4 surgeon. Meanwhile, you reach level 4 or level 5 proficiency with a long term fellowship in WAY LESSER TIME. Or at max, 3 years (going by the longest IOL fellowship out there). They may be called long fellowships but they’re actually the fastest way to become a market-ready surgeon in shortest time (even if the shortest time is 1.5 years or 3.) Think about it. So whether you’re looking at reviews on the site or talking to past fellows or directly asking a fellowship coordinator about their program, always look at what training level is their end point and then decide if the cataract fellowship will be suited to your needs.

In an earlier post, I broke cataract fellowships into a framework of 5 training levels. If you haven’t read that, start there first- The Best Phaco Fellowship in India Quick recap: Level 1 → SICS training Level 2 → Phaco in basic cataracts Level 3 → Phaco in advanced cataracts Level 4 → Complication management Level 5 → Topical phaco surgery At a glance, this framework simplifies fellowship reviews. You can quickly understand whether a program is producing an SICS surgeon a basic phaco surgeon or an independent surgeon who can handle most cataracts and manage complications That’s useful. But there are situations where this classification breaks down. Example 1: When Progression ≠ Mastery Take Agarwal Eye Hospital’s IOL Fellowship. As a fellowship option, it looks attractive. Just 1 year long and fellows are exposed to multiple levels within a year: SICS → basic phaco → advanced phaco → anterior vitrectomy, glued IOLs Or to put it another way, SICS (level 1) → basic phaco (level 2) → advanced phaco (level 3) → anterior vitrectomy, glued IOLs (level 4) Just this overview would cause us to think the program offers level 4 training. But look at the numbers- you get a handful of SICS followed by ~80 phacos at most. It takes way more than 80 phacos to cross level 2 in the first place. So there’s no way you are attaining even level 3 mastery with only these many cases by the end of fellowship. What’s happening here is that you are progressing up the ladder (in terms of exposure to levels) but you are not mastering each level before moving to the next one. That’s a big disadvantage. You do not exit the program as an independent surgeon. *** Or, consider HV Desai Hospital’s Cataract & Refractive Surgery fellowship. It's 18 months long, starts with SICS and introduces phaco after ~6 months. Looks like a great start. But there’s a constraint. You get only one phaco per week, despite 3 OT days in a week. So by the end, you've done around ~60–70 phacos total, get some exposure to managing complications in last 2 months (level 4), and also get a few token topical cases (level 5) toward the end as well. Using the framework, it appears to reach Level 5. But when you look at the numbers, they say a different story. 70 phacos including those training cases for complications and topical phacos. Nope, you do not exit as a level 4 or 5 surgeon with this one either. Example 2 Where the Framework Breaks: Pure Phaco Fellowships ASG Eye Hospital is a good example to use here. Their phaco-focused fellowships often produce surgeons who are comfortable with topical phaco by the end. That’s Level 5. But there’s no SICS training. So how do you classify such a program? Effectively, it produces a Level 5 surgeon without Level 1 training. This highlights a limitation of the framework (not the fellowship!)- In phaco-dominant programs, Level 1 may be minimal or absent. In such cases, the classification must be applied without level 1. Which also tells you something else- ASG-like programs are better suited for surgeons who are already comfortable with SICS (Level 1 proficient). So Who Are These Fellowships Actually For? Programs like Agarwal’s (with limited numbers and fast progression)- not suited for SICS beginners but also, not clear who their target base really is. Maybe basic phaco surgeons? HV Desai- decent for SICS mastery, fair for phaco foundation, weak for phaco independence. ASG-type programs- good fit for SICS surgeons who want to master phaco. Once you look at both numbers + training levels of a fellowship, the ideal target audience becomes clearer. Does Skipping Level 1 Really Matter? It depends entirely on where you plan to work after fellowship. If you’re entering a phaco-only setup, it may not matter. But if you get into setups with heavy dense cataract volume, camp work, manual conversion scenarios or limited phaco access, then lack of SICS training absolutely matters. Where Applicants Tend To Go Wrong They will hear statements like “You’ll be doing advanced cases” “You’ll manage complications” “You’ll get topical phacos” And think it means higher-level training. But without knowing numbers, these statements mean very little. What Actually Matters A program claiming to produce a “Level 4 surgeon” means nothing if complication exposure is minimal or given towards the end of fellowship. On the other hand, a “Level 2 program” may be far stronger if it builds phaco fundamentals and gives repetition in level 2 cases till the end. So when assessing cataract fellowships, you have to evaluate three things together- Starting level of fellowship Case numbers End outcome level Ignore any one of these and you're likely to misjudge the program. So Why Use This Framework At All? Because without it, discussing fellowships become vague. “This program is good.” “That one is better.” “This one has good exposure.” Good according to what? Exposure to what exactly? The training levels framework gives you milestone markers to work with. It's not perfect. It's not absolute, either. But it's still better than judging fellowships based on stipend or brand name or random opinions. Used correctly, along with factors like case numbers and duration, the Framework is an effective way to quickly understand what a fellowship actually offers. Those who go for long fellowships should ideally look for programs offering at least Level 3 proficiency. A program that makes you skilled in all 5 levels is the best (of course).

UPDATED (May 2026) The salary range for fellows is wide across fellowships in the country (data pulled from reviews on IOFAR, cited figures are as of May 2026). The highest stipend (₹1.21 lakhs per month) is given to VR FNB fellows in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi. While the lowest stipend tracked from our reviews is by KBHB Charitable Hospital in Mumbai, at ₹22,000 per month. Most other fellowships fall somewhere in between. The lower-paying fellowships tend to fall around ₹30,000 - ₹40,000/month While higher-paying fellowships cluster around ₹60,000 - ₹70,000/month There are places where stipend is not fixed throughout the fellowship. Some increase it with time. For eg, SNC in Chitrakoot- ₹50,000 in 1st year and ₹60,000 in 2nd year ASG Eye Hospital- ₹70,000 in their 1st year and ₹80,000 in 2nd year Hospitals that impose a pre-fellowship service period can offer a different stipend compared to their fellowship. For eg, Ahalia Foundation Eye Hospital in Palakkad, Kerala pays ₹80,000 in pre-fellowship year (negotiable in some cases) which drops to ₹30,000 during fellowship And then you have some hospitals that pay more during bond/ consultancy year. For eg, Ahalia Foundation Eye Hospital offers ₹1.2 lakhs during bond While Susrut Eye Hospital offers ₹1.5 lakhs with increments This was a peek at the salary landscape in India for Ophthalmology fellowships. As more reviews come in, this article will be updated. Stipends are a concern for all fellows but don't neglect other important factors when looking at fellowships, like the training quality of the program you apply for. Training quality is what ultimately determines your long term earning power.

Duration 2 yrs 2 fellows taken every year (was 6 fellows per session till 2025) Selection- Clinical interview. Stipend 35k in 1st yr, 45k in 2nd yr. No admission fees/ caution deposits. Accommodation available- charged 5k per month. No phaco training. First month you're posted in refraction and opticals (Dr Giridhar is particular that VR fellows shud know refraction well) Second month you're posted in retinal investigations. 3rd month onwards you're in VR dept, initially it's observation, you attend OP with senior consultants. You have monthly postings with each VR consultant. They start you on steps when you enter VR and then based on your calibre and learning curve, you are given more. OT days for fellows are twice a week. You have Uvea posting for a month. And ROP posting for 2 months. ROP visits- usually 2-3 per week, ~4-5 babies screened visit You learn screening and also get hands-on for ROP lasers and injections. No ROP surgeries done here. Mondays- evening classes where you have to present something, case or article or surgical video. Good classes, fellows are expected to come well prepared. You are also started on retinal lasers and intravit injections from the beginning- 2 or 3 days a week you are posted in lasers room or just for injections- generous hands-on given till the end. Surgery numbers between fellows can be variable depending on skill. Consultants expect you to know everything about the cases so if you stroll into OT just for hands-on, don't expect to get many chances afterwards. Your performance in Monday classes is also a significant factor in deciding your OT chances. You get to assist and see all kinds of retinal surgeries done here... OPD exposure is also extensive. You are posted in Giridhar sir's OT in the last 3 months- you are given hands-on there as well. You're allowed to operate independently by the end if the consultant thinks you can do it.. in 2025 session, there were 6 fellows and only 2 fellows were doing independent cases towards the end. Dept is not hectic, consultants are friendly. Work timings 9- 5pm No night duties You have Sunday duties once in 2 months (shared between all fellows) No peripheral postings for VR fellows. If you quit fellowship midway, you have to pay back 2 months' stipend (ie if you work 5 months and quit, then you have to return the last 2 months stipend). Overall, a good fellowship for VR with strong academics as well.

Duration- 6 months No fees. Stipend -30k per month No accommodation provided Fellows taken at a time- usually 3. Sometimes they may take 4. Daily routine- We take turns to go to OT for injections/ lasers. OP schedule for this is prepared beforehand. There are no OT postings for medical retina. You will be called if there are injections. Every fellow is posted with a consultant. You will also be given files to see in their absence/according to the schedule. Retinal lasers hands-on begin after 1 month of joining. Injections after 3 months of joining. No cataract training included. Fellows can expect 300+ eyes for lasers and 30+ injections by the end. Ozurdex towards the end of the course you get chances. Numbers vary with total number of fellows in the batch. No ROP training. Clinical exposure- Good exposure. Variety of cases seen. You have to pick up IDO skills on your own. All consultants are busy clearing OPs.They will be available to clear your doubts. But learning is on us. Work timings- 9 to 5pm everyday. 5 to 6pm fellows take turns to see evening OP. Duties during this course- Monthly once night duty Sunday duty (9 to 5pm- compensatory off the next week which cannot b taken on Sat or Mon) Camp duties+ but no cataract cases given for MR fellows. Periphery postings- Yes. Depending on the need, they will post you in their other branches. Number of days posted per month varies. You come out confident in retinal lasers and injections by the end of fellowship.