(This is the only fellowship program the hospital has.) Selection- interview Duration 18 months Fellow intake is random ie, on need basis Fellows per session- Two Stipend- 30k/m No admission fees, no caution deposits They start with SICS at around 2-3 months and phaco around 8-9 months... but it depends on the fellow's calibre also.. I (reviewer) was fluent in SICS when I joined. Approx 800 SICS 700 Phacos I got. Getting advanced cataracts (PXF, hard cataract, small pupil etc) depends on fellow's calibre... if they believe you have a good hand they will give... I have done almost every complicated case. I learnt complication management also, was taught to put iris claw, ant vitrectomy etc  They also let you do topical phaco if you're good enough.  Clinical exposure is really good.. we see all cases... We were posted in every department...Glaucoma...retina... pediatric.... Also charity OPD is seen independently so ... Clinical exposure is really good....  Work environment is hectic but only in season  Not toxic at all  We have both dedicated senior consultants to train and senior fellows training us  Refractive training is included.. Observation only ...but no hands on Peripheral postings are there.... Camp duties almost 2-3 per week but you're back home by evening... And night duties around 2 per month  Occasionally Sunday duties+

Duration 2 yrs 6 months of Gen Ophthal posting+ 18 months of Cornea posting Selection- exam + interview Exit exam + 1 fellow taken every 6 months 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  At the start, you are assigned a senior consultant as mentor (can be from any speciality dept) who trains you one-on-one in SICS and phaco and also in managing complications. They start you on SICS after 1st month while in Gen Ophthal, you get an average of 1000+ SICS over 2 years. While doing SICS, you are also given advanced cataract cases (PXF, small pupil, mature cataract etc) and gradually taught to manage your own complications (put CTR, iris hooks, iris claws, do ant vitrectomy etc)  Phaco cases are given in last 6 months, can expect 70-80 cases (some cross 100). No topical phacos given. Cornea surgeries- You get TPKs, opticals (some 30-35 cases) Also ocular surface procedures like SLET, MMG, AMG etc Lamellar procedure hands-on depends on whether pts are there when you are posted- mostly get few DSEKs; DMEK and DALK are rare Refractive procedures-  In last 6 months, you are given refractive OTs  You get only PRKs (3-4 independent cases, otherwise mostly steps)  Lasik not given  SMILE not done here (no machine) Timings 8-6 pm On call- you have 2-3 rotations of weekly call in the first 6 months.. and it's literally for 1 whole week (Sun- Sat).. you start Sunday duty at 8 pm do till 8am Monday then off for the day to come back again at 8pm Monday to do call till 8 am Tuesday and so on.. till Saturday. As cornea fellow, you are on call for the dept every day.. may be called by DNBs for any c/o redness that comes at night. Sunday OP duties (8-1), Sunday camp duties+

Duration 2 yrs 6 months of Gen Ophthal posting+ 18 months of Oculoplasty posting Selection- exam + interview Fellows taken every Jan and July- usually 1 fellow per centre Stipend 40k No admission fees 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  They start you on SICS from 1st month itself, initially if you are in learning phase your mentor will help you in learning Later once you start doing independently, every fellow is assigned 2 cataract OT days in a week. You do max 25 SICS till the end of your session, they keep giving you cases esp if you can do fast and well. No penalties imposed for any cataract surgery complications. Cataract OTs are usually half day OTs (meaning you operate either in the morning session or the evening session) Phaco cases are given in last 10 months, you can expect an average of 200-300 phacos. Once you join Plasty dept, they assign you 2 days for Plasty OT as well. You get hands-on for all orbit surgeries- blepharoplasty, ptosis, entropion/ entropion correction, external DCR, Botox (complicated cases consultants will teach how to do it) The 2 cataract OT days continue and if you finish your half day and OP is not busy, they might send you to the Plasty OT to do cases there as well. On the dedicated Plasty OT days, you do only Plasty cases. On the dedicated cataract OT days, you do mostly cataracts for half day. And later, have to be in OPD.. if Opd is less and patient are posted for plasty surgeries, they will send you to do plasty cases. Paeds cases are also handled by this dept- they do NLD probings, ptosis repairs etc  Work timings is 9-6  Except on OT days if there are GA cases are posted then you have to come early to check everything is ready around 8 Peripheral posting to other Sankara centres may happen in between, for eg if you're good in cataract, you may get posted to their branches in other states to help with cataract load there.. this gives you very high cataract numbers. Similarly you may also be posted for speciality postings to other Sankara branches in the first 6 months during General Opd, you have night duty in which you have to evaluate the camp patients who come and make them ready for next days surgeries and it's literally the same routine for 1 whole week (Sun- Sat).. you start Sunday duty at 8 pm do till 8 am Monday then off for the day to come back again at 8 pm Monday to do till 8 am Tuesday and so on.. till Sunday morning During that night duty if emergency cases come at night in Opd, you have to see them. And calls have to be attended by speciality fellows depending on case, this continuous weekly duty will be once or twice in initial 6 months (Gen Ophthal posting). This weekly night duty never happen once you enter your speciality dept but you do have night calls where fellows may be called for any emergencies pertaining to their speciality.. usually such night calls are not busy. No night surgeries are done. Good exposure to orbital tumours in dept but intraocular tumours (RB, uveal melanomas etc) are dealt with by the VR dept You are expected to do at least 1 presentation and 1 publication during fellowship- compulsory- otherwise you receive a partial fellowship completion certificate in the end. There is an exit exam at the end of fellowship. Fellowship is good since you exit as an independent Oculoplasty and phaco surgeon.. however you don't get any exposure for topical phacos here.

18 months Fellowship  Selection- MCQ exam followed by interview  2 fellows/ year Fellow intake every Jan, July Stipend 55k No phaco training but you get to operate cataracts (SICS) First month- orientation- shadow posting 1 month posting in Retina 2 months in Neuro Ophthal  1 month in Oculoplasty  After this you're in Paed Ophthal dept and posted with consultants First 6 months you do mostly SICS (Blumenthal technique used here) You have OT twice a week First 6 months also is when you do research/ paper work, one day per week is allotted for this (tends to be the 'day off' for the consultant you are posted with) You get mostly squints and some paed cataracts  Squints- mostly simple squints, R&Rs, plications- you get around 30 cases You are usually given only 1 muscle/ 1 eye to operate in squints- till the end of fellowship No independent cases given  Very rarely you might get a free/camp case to do 'independently' Paed cataracts, you get around 5-10 cases  Work timings 8-5 pm Hectic but not toxic Academics- squint meet weekly, mostly journal clubs Last 3 months are when you become SR and see OP independently and post cases to your name You exit as someone with good exposure to clinical paed ophthal but surgical finessing still required post fellowship. Also, no phaco training.

Duration 1.5 yrs 2 fellows taken per session but 2nd fellow joins 7-8 months after the 1st fellow. Stipend 50k Only fellows who know phaco are selected, at the minimum you should be able to put IOL in sulcus in case of a PCR. You get good hands-on in refrac procedures, allowed to do Lasik, SMILE etc independently within 3-4 months of joining. Corneal surgeries- much lesser hands-on compared to cataracts, you get 10-12 keratoplasties (KP) at most, mostly therapeutic KP (final numbers depend on fellow's surgical proficiency). You get to do 1 lamellar surgery at the very end of fellowship. Free hands-on for other corneal procedures like pterygiums, C3R. Fellows get trained by consultants in corneal procedures. But phaco cases are left entirely to the fellow's discretion to operate and handle complications on their own when in OT, other consultants will be busy doing their own cases. So if you know basic phaco, the program is good in helping you get better at it. Timings  If one fellow works 9-7.30 pm, then the other fellow works 10- 8 pm the same day and then both alternate timings next day. You share night calls and Sunday duties with PGs, but often times they are posted in periphery so fellows end up getting more call duties. Sunday duties 7 am- 7 am next day, 3 hour break, followed by joining back at duty from 10 am Sundays- OP till 3 pm (avg 50 pts) and then you attend calls.. can get busy at times

1 year duration 1 fellow per session Stipend= 15,000 Selection- MCQ exam+ interview No phaco/ cataract hands-on  You get many penetrating keratoplasties, hands-on start after 1st month. Lamellar surgeries also given, around 10-15, depends on your tissue handling skills... if not good, you may not get any case at all. Refrac training also there- you start with PRK then Lasik.. they don't have femto so no SMILE or femtolasik OP- see wide variety of cases, work timings 9-6 pm. Fellow has to take enucleation calls. Sundays usually free except for post-op morning rounds.

[This is the only fellowship program in this hospital.] Duration= 18 months 1 fellow per session Selection by interview, intake based on when present fellow is finishing  Stipend 25k No phaco training  Starts with medical retina work- you do retinal lasers, B scans in first 3 months. From 4th month onwards, you start getting steps in retina cases. You are posted 2 monthly with each retina consultant, you tag with them whole day. Academics- some classes+ You get mostly steps in surgery during the fellowship and based on your skill level, you may get to do some independent cases towards the end. ROP exposure is ok, you get to do some ROP lasers but no intravitreal injections given. Work timings 9-7 pm, not hectic. No night calls or Sunday duties. But you will be posted for Sunday general ophthal camps.

I (reviewer) did short term refractive training in Lotus Eye Hospital, Coimbatore under Dr. Ananth. I am not one to explain a lot but the fellowship is excellent... was better than I expected... sir is genuinely a very nice and empathetic trainer. Selection is by interview, they have fixed intake of trainees per month. Charges were 50k for one month training. Since I stayed in hospital, accommodation charges were 5k. Training was in a very guided manner, I started doing cases after a basic foundation course. Lotus hospital has mostly premium patients... don't expect to operate on camp cases. Hectic period if you want to shadow the consultant... otherwise ok. I got PRK, PRK+, Lasik, SMILE, ICL  At least 2-3 cases per week, sometimes more. And refractive training x 1-2 months is more than enough. After 1 month, I was ready to extend the training but sir himself said it was more than enough for what I'd gotten to do. I saw every possible refractive patient.. from workup to surgery. I did PRK 15, Lasik 10+, SMILE 6, ICL 2 Side Note: I got to know of this refrac training through a whatsapp job agent's group. The middleman told me initially it costs 1.5 lakhs for the 1 month course. I didn't pay the middleman after I got him to connect me with the hospital and confirming my slot. He tried to intimidate me by saying I would 'lose my seat' for refractive training and they would give it to the next candidate who would pay them... but I took a flight to Coimbatore as soon as I could. On reaching hospital, turns out Lotus didn't involve any middleman. And the hospital took only the prescribed 50k from me for the refractive training. Since I stayed in the hospital, another 5k extra was also paid but that was it. Beware of agents who promise training slots for such short term programs... especially without the said hospital's notice.

2 yrs fellowship  Phaco training is included  Phaco hands-on is given based on how good you are in SICS- they start you on phaco in 1st yr itself. If you know phaco before joining fellowship, you will be allowed to operate freely, no restriction on cataract numbers. When glaucoma fellowship initially started here around 2020, phaco numbers were good- they are less now. Hosp does many MIGS and GATT- so exposure is good but hands-on is minimal. Trabs are not done commonly, so not much hands-on. Clinical exposure is good. Work not very hectic, not toxic, timings are reasonable.  Academics- no formal classes, mostly self learning.

Duration 18 months Stipend 40k in 1st yr, 50k in 2nd yr No phaco training included  Fellows taken every 4-5 months, on need basis 1st four months are Gen Ophthal posting. Then 5th month onwards, you are posted in Paed Ophthal dept. From 6th month onwards, they start giving you single muscle surgeries step wise and based on how well you pick up, you will be given more surgeries and even independent chances.  Can expect to operate on approx 50-60 muscles. Paed cataracts hands-on are less, average is 15-20 per fellow, fellows who do poorly may get even less. You are taught to use I&A probe of phaco for cataract emulsification.. but not taught phaco per se. You get exposure to other surgeries like botox injections given in squints or complex squint/ cataract surgeries in babies- but no hands-on given. OP is very hectic, works starts 7.30 goes till 6 pm  No NLD probings since those are done by Orbit dept No Neuro-Ophthal posting like in Aravind Madurai. Fellows get evening duty (6-7.30 pm OP only) once a month, night duty once a month and 2 camps every month Very last month you will have 15 days of ROP + 15 days of Orbit postings. ROP posting you shadow a VR fellow/ consultant, no hands-on there. In Orbit posting you can observe for NL D probings.

Duration 2 yrs 1st year in Kolkata, 2nd yr in Chennai Stipend 55k 2 fellows per session The number of PGs and consultants in Kolkata are less so it's more hectic since more workload and duties fall on the fellows. 7-8 call duties in a month, alternate Sunday rounds. 1st month is shadowing period where you tag with a consultant, you are given procedures like B scans and lasers to be done.  Hands-on for surgeries start within 2-3 months, depending on the consultant you are posted with, you are given steps. Good range of cases seen in op, very busy. Work timings 9- 5.30/6 ROP exposure is less compared to Chennai, you are sent to an outside hospital infrequently for ROP screening but you don't get hands-on for lasers or intravit injections. Academics- weekly one class, common for all PGs and fellows  2nd yr you are posted in Chennai, there you get more cases and hands-on with regards to procedures and surgeries. Last 6 months you are an SR and can post independent retina cases which you will operate. (This fellowship is well-recommended by the reviewer.)

1.5 yr fellowship Only those knowing SICS are selected since fellow will be supervising PGs when they are operating. You can call in between if you can’t deal may be a PCR/ difficult prolapse .. but sir expects you to manage simple complications. Later, bigger ones also. If you know SICS, you are given paying patients to operate. Phaco case volume for training is comparatively less . You get only steps. But you will be able to learn. Ample volume of refractive procedures is there. But hands-on is given quite late. YAG cap you will get, that’s very simple, if you do 2-3 of those, you will learn. Work is extremely light compared to other similar fellowship programs. Some Sundays you may have to come for half day duties.