Duration= 3 months, can be extended to 6 months for more ROP exposure (esp ROP laser) Fees- 45000 for 3 months, no stipend Accomodation not provided, can request for it, will be given based on availability for extra charge 2 fellows taken per session OPD starts at 8:30 till 2-3 PM There's afternoon IO screening for DM/ HTN patients after OPD Lasers and Injections are given in turns for both fellows. If the fellow already has some experience, then they will be supervised initially, then independent lasers and injections will be given. If the fellow has minimal experience, they will teach and supervise till the fellow gains confidence , followed by independent cases. Clinical exposure- Good variety of cases - There's good exposure to common variety of cases, you will be well versed with management of DME, RVO disorders, CSCR among other common retinal disorders. Since it is a multispecialty hospital, a good load of cases are cross referrals from other depts, so there'll be chance to see unique manifestations, including pediatric retina cases. Number of lasers and injection depends on the pt load, but can expect minimum one laser every day. You also get chances for Ozurdex injections but only in last month. Also, If you end up doing the first sitting of laser for a patient then you can follow up and finish the rest of the sittings on subsequent visits. ROP training There's weekly screening in NICU every Tues, fellows will take turns every week to see ROP screening with the consultant Initially, there's emphasis on documentation and techniques, then the fellow is taught to screen (with IO) under supervision for the rest of the posting. They will also be able to screen babies requiring follow-up screening, post NICU stay during OPD hours. Will get exposure to Retcam as well, babies with ROP stages photo documentation is done both in NICU and OPD ROP laser is given after adequate experience with IO laser in adults, will be allowed under supervision in the last month of the fellowship. The option for 6 month fellowship is for those who want more focus on ROP training (both laser and injection) Work timings - 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM No night duties Sunday off Expect one day camp duty once a month at a Bangalore urban health center. Academics- strong emphasis, with weekly Monday seminar presentations, classes on the basics by consultants They encourage fellows to present in conferences and write up case reports etc. Overall, a good program for a total beginner since you are skilled in lasers and injections by the end of 3 months. If your focus is ROP training, it's best to extend it to 6 months.

Duration= 2 yrs Selection- MCQ exam plus interview Stipend- 65k a month Fellows taken- 1 to 2/ year Phaco training began from first month Since I (reviewer) was a novice and didn’t have any surg exposure, my mentor was generous in teaching me from the beginning, he personally guided me the whole way till I reached proficiency. No SICS training. If you already know SICS then you can operate on the hard cataracts if your mentor says so. Final phaco numbers you get depends on the individual's learning curve. Can expect 200-300 minimum. 500 at most. You are trained in med retina procedures - PRP, intravitreal injections, post sub tenon injections Investigations also - FFA, OCT, Biometry, Pentacam, B scan Med Retina training starts at the same time you start OT. Lasers - you can expect in hundreds (150-200) Intravit inj - ~ 250 nos ROP training- ROP cases come in sparsely. You learn to screen them them under your mentor's guidance. Laser wasn't given in my time. Peripheral postings- none No night duties Camps twice a month at max. Academics- very strong You have regular online classes Ppt presentations by fellows Very exhaustive discussions by mentors. This is a key highlight of this fellowship. There are internal exams as you approach the end of training. Vivas are intense, can feel overwhelming at times. But the academic rigor definitely helps (personally helped me clear FAICO in phaco), helps with other exams like ICO too. OPD exposure is comprehensive- you see cases across all specialties. In the first year, you mostly assist your consultant and observe closely. With time, you are given an independent cabin (sometimes earlier, depending on performance). Work environment- Non-toxic and supportive Mentor-based system- experience can vary depending on whom you’re posted with. But no unnecessary hierarchy issues. Timings - 11- 8 pm, can go late on OT days. You are expected to stay aligned with your mentor’s OPD + OT schedule Longer OT hours can be tiring but also means more surgical exposure. Pros - Strong one-on-one mentorship - Good foundation in phaco from basics - Excellent access to diagnostic machinery - Balanced, non-toxic work environment - Academics are taken seriously Cons - Lower surgical volume compared to high-volume/trust setups - Learning is mentor-dependent - Long hours without strict cut-offs - Requires self-drive to maximize opportunities Overall a good fellowship, you come out as an independent phaco surgeon with medical retina skills.

Duration of fellowship - 2 years (used to be 1 year till 2025) Earlier the requirement was that only those who were 2 or 3 yrs post PG/ SRs could join this program But now they are taking candidates immediately post MS & DNB, hence increased to 2 years. Fellows per session- 1 Stipend- 1.1 -1.5 lakhs/ month Caution deposit= 30,000 (refunded at end of fellowship) Penalty for quitting fellowship midway- 3 lakhs if within 6 months of joining, 5 lakhs if after 6 months of joining. First 9 months will be in General Ophthal where you'll be seeing mostly OPD. If you know SICS or phaco well, you will be given cases also in this time. But if you're not fluent in either, the case allocation will be really low (primarily because it will be up to you to learn and pick up, the program per se is not intended to build your cataract skills). Cataract OT days not fixed.. OT list is made by SRs so they decide how many cases you are allotted. After 9 months in General, you are shifted to Glaucoma where you will see glaucoma cases and do glaucoma lasers in plenty. In this time, you have 3 OT days a week in Glaucoma.. you'll be scrubbed in with Subhashini ma'am who allocates cases according to your proficiency. OPD is not too hectic but it can feel chaotic in the beginning when you're settling into the system. Clinical exposure is very good. You get trabs, phacotrabs and MIGS (good number of BANGs, KDBs). GATT not commonly done here. One of the fellows who did it for 1 year (a proficient phaco surgeon) got around 60-70 trabs & phaco trabs. On the other hand, fellows who were not surgically fluent got much lesser cases. Since the duration has now been raised to 2 years, you can expect more numbers. Work timings 9-4 pm Usually free after OP, work is not too hectic (since there are JRs and SRs also). No camp duties or Sunday duties. You may have night duties occasionally (but you'll be 4th or 5th on call since there are JRs and SRs under you). Public holidays plus lots of paid leaves (24 days in 1st yr, 30 in 2nd yr). No peripheral postings. No formal classes though, it's up to the fellow to read up.. Dr Subhashini ma'am who heads this fellowship is a good teacher and well versed in her subject. Overall, this wud be a good fellowship for a phaco surgeon. SICS surgeons might also find it worthwhile but don't expect any personalized phaco training. They do have dry labs, wet labs and simulators in the dept so you can try learning and training on those but you have to make time for it. Not suited for SICS beginners who are looking to learn phaco as well.

Duration= 2 yrs Selection- through NBEMS exam Stipend- 1.21 lakh/ month Admission fee- 1.25 lakh yearly Fellows taken per session- 1/year You also get phaco on rotation basis with DNB and other SRs, no junior-senior hierarchy in assigning of cases, everyone gets equal turns to operate in a particular unit. Retinal sx training starts from beginning, I (reviewer) got my first SOR within a month. A lot depends on how much you know beforehand. I had some retinal sx exposure in my PG before joining fellowship. But overall, they don't delay giving you steps even if you don't know. Gradual approach is followed. In OT, it's the junior consultants who train fellows in retinal sx. They decide when to give, what to give and how much to give. You get to give a lot of intravit injections Retinal lasers- not much, like once in 3 months. You learn steps for all common surgeries. Some cases like lens drop, RD sx have been given to my seniors to operate independently. They don't exactly train you one-on-one, if you do well then they let you keep doing steps till you finish or till you get stuck at which point, they take over and finish the case. OT is a bit chaotic since you need assistants for all retinal sx and the nursing dept never sends them regularly. We use contact lenses in retinal sx so an assistant has to be present the whole time the sx is going on, holding the lens above the patient's eye. There is no BIOM (microscope-attached viewing system that lets you see fundus without having to use any contact lens). It gets frustrating because you're dependent on the assistant to keep your field of view clear but they find it cumbersome to stand the whole time like that. You get at least 2 phaco chances every OT but it depends on whether you're free to take it up. If you haven't finished your retina case, but then your phaco turn comes, you have to decide whether you want to continue with your retinal sx or drop that and take up phaco. I prefer retinal sx over doing phaco, so I tell the JRs to do the phaco. It's a question of whether you want to get better in retinal sx or phaco and you decide accordingly. That can mean missed phaco chances. OPD runs from 9-5/6 pm Starts with general OPD (9-11 am) which is managed by fellows and residents and then private OPD with consultants till 5/6 pm. Since General OPD runs only for 2 hours every day and they take all types of cases, this means the actual number of retina cases you see is less.. it takes 1hr for dilatation, you may see at most 20 dilated cases in 2 hours, of which most of them are common pathologies like DR. So clinical exposure that way is limited. In private OP you don't manage patients but are mostly involved in doing OCT, fundus photos, NCT, vision and other paperwork like filling insurance forms, preparing OT lists, giving instructions to private patients etc. ROP screening is done by consultant, they get lot of ROP cases in OPD but fellows don't get to see much. ROP lasers? Forget about it. There are 2 retina units- Unit 1 (dedicated to Uvea) and Unit 3. You get rotated between the units on a 3-monthly basis. Work environment- neither hectic not toxic. DNB first years can be difficult to work with and are dismissive of FNB fellows. Because there are very few residents and since consultants are dependent on residents for workup of private patients, DNBs tend to be favoured over FNBs if any issues arise. No camp duties. Night duties 3-5/ month. One Saturday night duty in a month where you're the sole doctor on duty. You manage everything yourself including workup like you used to as a first year PG (people post SRship might find it a little difficult initially to work like a first year). Daily work timings 8-5 pm mostly on OT days, if OT finishes early, then you go back to private OPD of the consultant you are posted with. 9-5/6 pm on OPD day. Academics Every Saturday there is an FNB class As there are 2 FNB fellows at any given time, fellow will present every alternate Saturday. There is an internal exam conducted at the end of 1st year where there is both written and viva exam. Both internal and external examiners come for this. A similar exam is there at the end of fellowship (2nd yr) along with an interview. Once you clear that, you get the FNB degree.

1 year duration 2-4 fellows/ session Selection- interview, no exam Fellow intake is usually in April, Oct Stipend 30k No admission fees, no bond You are promised 50 phacos over this 1 year but fellows on average get slightly more (80+ phacos). You start with SICS and then after 10-15 cases, they start you on phacos. Phaco technique taught here is supracapsular method- where the cataract is popped out of the bag and emulsified in AC. You are started on phaco early on, fellow is usually give full cases to do, the training consultant takes over only where required. You get very less SICS numbers compared to phacos. You may get to do advanced cases (PXF, small pupil, hard cataracts) if you show proficiency. No training for iris claws. No topical phacos. You get hands-on for glued IOLs (some 3-4 cases) so you get to use the vitrector then and get a feel for ant vitrectomy. Also get hands-on for refractive procedures Around 80-90 SMILE Pro (they do more of SMILEs at Agarwal's) 20-30 PRK Less of femto lasik (15-20) Work timings 8 - 5 pm Not hectic No lasers given, Yag caps are done by their PGs. IOL fellows sit in Cornea OP but see mostly their Refrac cases, not cornea pts They also have camp pt duties (seeing pre-ops and post-ops) Camps- once every month/ every 2 months Night duties- once/ month Sunday duties- half day OP (8-1 pm), no compensatory off Evening duties- seeing OP from 5-8 pm No peripheral postings but the hospital can post you on short notice to any of their other hospitals (even in other states) in the event of last min emergencies. Academics- no formal classes, mostly self learning. They've started encouraging papers and publication work during fellowship.

New review Duration= 2 yrs 1 fellow taken every year Stipend 70k in first year, 80k in 2nd year Selection- Online exam followed by interview Only phaco is done for all pts here (camp & private), no SICS training. Almost all cases done under topical anesthesia except in few cases where local block is indicated. You start OT after an induction period of about 2 weeks. Given steps initially, and depending on your starting surgical skill and tissue handling, you can expect to be doing independently by 3-4 months (earlier if you already know phaco). OT for fellows is twice a week (they have same OT days as the consultant they are under), phaco numbers per OT increase with time. They have a secondary centre where you may be posted every alternate day in first year (posting may be monthly in 2nd yr).. this centre sees mostly Ayushman scheme patients. You see OP and you also get OT (3-4 cases per OT) there when posted. This is the place where you get to learn to manage complications, you can also learn ant vitrectomy.. no iris claws since secondary IOLs are done by VR surgeons. Summer months see a sharp drop in cases, sometimes you may not get any case at all in few OTs. Phaco numbers- The first 2-3 fellows in this program were exclusive fellows (meaning there were no other fellows in the hospital in their time) so they recorded doing 600-800+ cases. ASG Varanasi added fellowship seats for MR and Paed Ophthal in 2025 and now all fellows get phaco training. This means that final numbers for all 3 fellows (PhacoRef, MR and Paed Ophthal) will be lesser than before. Estimated case numbers now are likely 300-400 per fellow (also depends on individual learning curve). However this does not affect the final outcome, you are an independent phaco surgeon by the end. Other than phaco, you get to do Yag caps, pterygiums, few DCRs. Refractive exposure is good, you get hands-on for LASIK, PRK, ICL (they don't do SMILE here).. can expect around 50 cases over 2 years- patient load is relatively low. No formal postings in other depts. Still, if you're keen on doing other procedures, they won't stop you but it's on you to make/ find time to make it happen without neglecting your routine work. Work timings 10 am - 8/8.30 pm Sundays are working day as any week day You get a week off in lieu of Sunday (your week off depends on your consultant's week off.. if he's off on Someday, so are you). OP exposure is extensive, you get to see a good variety, initially you're not allowed to dispose patients.. you can manage patients when Pratyush sir (dept head) is on leave, otherwise you sit in OPD with him. As your experience grows, you see patients on your own. Working environment is good, no toxicity, consultants are friendly. Night duties are shared between all fellows depending on number. Even so they don't tend to be busy.. rare emergency cases come, maybe 2-3 times in a month. Academics- Zoom classes twice a week. Good fellowship, you exit as an independent topical phaco surgeon.. for SICS exposure, you'll have to consider alternate options. ************************************** Old review (2024) 24 months duration. You get ample hands-on and are rotated across all speciality depts so when posted in other depts you may also get chances to do their surgeries as well if interested. Recent (2024) Phaco-Ref fellow had done some 100 SICS in PG before joining (he was covid batch) and he has done around 600+ phacos independently till now.. also doing LASIK independently so they give you good hands-on in refractive procedures as well. When posted in other specialities, he got to do independent phaco-trab, retinal lasers and injections and has even been offered steps in retinal surgery (like making ports for PPV). You also get hands-on in oculoplastic procedures, DCR, even squint surgeries. Work timings across all ASG centres is 9-9 (am to pm). Sundays duties are there, you get weekly offs accordingly. Work is not hectic and definitely not toxic, seniors and consultants are very friendly and approachable. Good program overall.

Actually, read this first. The Best Phaco Fellowship in India Because you need to understand what short term phaco training can (and cannot) do for your long term surgical growth. Now, if you’ve decided to go ahead with a short phaco course, there’s one detail many trainees commonly miss. What type of incision are they training you in? Short-term phaco programs train through either Clear corneal incision Sclero-corneal / scleral tunnel incision They are not the same. Thing is, modern phaco is built around clear corneal incision. That’s the standard in most setups. The whole point of phaco was smaller incisions. So why do some programs still train through scleral tunnels? Usually because they’re implanting rigid IOLs, which require larger wounds. This often happens in camp patients who cannot opt for foldable lenses. That's fine for serving camp patients. But it cannot become the reason to train surgeons using tunnel incisions. Some hospitals might say, we’ll start with scleral tunnel and later transition you to clear corneal. Then you should ask one question. How many actual clear corneal cases will you get before the course ends? If most of your course is spent doing scleral tunnel phaco and clear corneal exposure is minimal, it's not worth your time and money. When you apply to hospitals later, they will want clear corneal surgeons who can implant foldable lenses. Also, most, if not all, short phaco courses start with the divide and conquer technique. Some courses may graduate you into the stop and chop method towards the last few cases or they may train you in stop and chop from the beginning. As a beginner, it's good to do more of divide and conquer since it gives you a feel for how deep a cataract really is and how the phaco dynamics play when operating. So before paying for any short term phaco course, ask Clear corneal or scleral tunnel? How many cases of each? Foldable or rigid IOLs? Most short term phaco courses train you in clear corneal incision and in implanting foldable lenses. Best not to opt for programs that don't give you both.

Duration= 18 months Selection- interview 2 fellows taken every 6 months Stipend- 35k 40k in the last 6 months. Surgical training starts after 2 months You start with SICS. 3 OT days per week so 3 cases per week initially and numbers increase gradually based on how you pick up. Phaco training given after first 6 months 1 phaco per week, rest all SICS Can expect an average of 50-60 phacos in total Management of complications (ant vitrectomy and iris claws) are taught in last 2 months.. but numbers for this is less so you'll need to do more cases after fellowship to refine that skill Advanced cataract cases are given mostly for SICS, can get some for phaco if your skill is good. You also get to do a few topical phacos in last month. Refrac sx exposure starts after first 6 months but hands-on given only in last 6 months. Pt load is less so you get around 15-20 cases, all LASIK and PRK.. SMILE not given to fellows. OPD- 1st 6 months is exclusive Gen Ophthal OPD posting after that you get lasik OP/ refractive OP posting intermixed with Gen Ophthal OP OP is hectic, you get to see all speciality cases (since you're the one referring them to specialities) Work eviron is busy but not toxic. Consultants are friendly. No camp duties or night calls. Sunday duties 1-2/ month, either Sunday half day OP or Sunday pre-op camp duty. Enucleation duty is shared between all fellows. Academics- mostly self learning

Duration 2 months (going to be 3 months from next session in 2026) 1 trainee taken per session. Fees 20k (may change from next session, please confirm with hospital). They prefer candidates who are well versed with IO and can visualize periphery well. First month you're mostly in OPD. You see OP patients but cannot dispose them on your own. You start retinal lasers towards the last week of 1st month. You get lasers everyday, mostly LIO... so if you're not good with IO, you won't get that many lasers initially, it will depend on how fast you pick up. You also get to do B scans, FFAs and OCTs on your own. Intravitreal injections are given only in the 2nd month, with 2 OTs per week.. can expect an average of 10-15 pts.. only pseudophakic pts are given for injection.. no Ozurdex hands-on given ROP exposure is too less for 2 months.. you might pick up some screening skills but won't be adequate. Dept is not too hectic, not toxic Consultant is friendly Work timings 8.30- 5/6 pm This program is better suited for those who use IO regularly and see retina patients routinely.. not advised for total beginners.

Duration 6 months (going to be 1 year from next session in 2026) 2 MR fellows taken every 6 months Selection- MCQ exam (if more than 10 applicants) + interview If less than 10 applicants, only interview Stipend 45k First month is observation period. You see OP patients and learn findings but not allowed to manage patients on your own. You start getting retinal lasers towards the end of 1st month You get to do lasers everyday, mostly LIO... slit lamp lasers not very common You also get to do B scans, FFAs and OCTs on your own Intravitreal injections are given only in the last month, with 2 OTs per week.. can expect an average of 10-15 pts.. you get only pseudophakic pts for injection, hence the low numbers.. no Ozurdex hands-on given. ROP exposure + you pick up screening but minimal hands-on for lasers and injections given. Uvea- good exposure to diagnosis and management, good caseload. No phaco training. Dept is not too hectic, not toxic Consultants are good to work with Work timings 8.30- 5/6 pm No night duties/ camp duties Sundays free No peripheral postings Once program becomes 1 year long, you can expect more hands-on for retinal injections and ROP lasers.

Fees- 60,000 without accommodation (10k extra with accommodation) Accomodation availability isn't guaranteed. If it's available, then you will get it. You get 25 cases during this training. Training is for 1 month. Intakes per session- I (reviewer) do not know about maximum slots per month. But I have seen upto 4 slots for a month. They start off surgical steps straight away and titrate the training according to your starting point. Daily routine There's postop in the morning at 7:30am Then 8am-9am class And from 9am till camp patients arrive, you are free to attend OTs of senior surgeons and observe. Usually patients for surgical training arrive around 11am. And that's when the training starts. Morning class and OT observation happens in one centre. The post-op and SICS training is conducted in another centre (around 15 mins travel from the main hospital by bike/scooter). SICS training is usually overseen by final year PGs. Wet lab facility is available. Free to use wet lab any time during the day. Staffs will guide initially on how to use it and then you can use it as and when you want. If you're a total beginner and have no experience in operating, the trainer will stay with you , and as you progress, they gradually supervise you less. But there's always someone to manage any complication. No pre-requisites to join this course. Can't say that you will be confident in SICS in just 1 month, depends on the trainee as to how quickly they absorb. I took the course for 2 months and felt confident with my surgery by 45th day. MM Joshi's an excellent institute. Very skilled, knowledgeable and approachable staff.

No reviews available for this program since they have not had any fellows in the last 4 years.