1 year fellowship Selection- Interview 2 fellows taken per session Intake usually from Jan- April Stipend- 60k No application fees/ caution deposits  There's 1 month observation after which they start you on surgery (SICS) You get 8-10 OTs in a month Phaco training is in the last 6 months and fellows get 50-80 phacos on average No advanced cataracts given  No complication management training No topical phacos You also get to do laser procedures like YAG caps and PIs Work timings 8.30- 5 pm Fellows see charity OP but pt inflow tends to be low. So case variety is less. Peripheral postings + No night duties. Camp duties + after 5 pm where you have to do pre-ops. On days when you have post-op duty, you come before 8.30 am.

Duration= 1 year Selection- interview  1 fellow taken per session, taken on need basis  Stipend- 40k  Surgical training starts after 15 days You start with SICS and continue for 6 months Phaco training given only in last 6 months  You get 300 SICS + 50 phacos during this fellowship  Management of complications can be picked up on your own, they let you manage if capable. Advanced cataract cases given only for SICS. No topical phaco hands-on.  No refrac sx training included. OPD- great clinical exposure with 150 patients daily. Non toxic work environment. Very helpful consultants.  Peripheral posting 2 times/ week - Kandhala/ Baraut  No camp duties or night calls. Academics- Classes every Monday at 3.30 pm

Course is for 3 months  Fee has been updated to 50k/month, so total fee is 1.5 lakhs 1 fellow taken per session. No stipend. No observation period, your hands-on starts from first day. Timing 9-6, Mon-Sat  Sunday and festival are off. Lots of cases, you can see every possible case that walks in. Staff is very friendly. You will be under Dr Ram sir's supervision, he's very helpful and eager to teach. Every case is seen by sir, you are not permitted to dispose general OP pts by yourself. Fellow is given their own cabin Sir sees case first, if there's any retinal finding, he will call us to his cabin and explain, make us see fundus and investigate. FFA, OCT are done by fellow. FFA and OCT, PRP/barrage laser, intra vitreal injections happen almost every day. In 3 months you'll easily do 100+ intravit, both antivegf and antibiotic combined.  However, it's done only under supervision, no free hand. I (reviewer) did approximately 20 laser treatments. Overall, really good option if you are looking for short term fellowship. There's usually waiting period for about an year, so you have to book your slot well in advance.

Selection- by interview Recently fellowship duration has been increased to total of 2 yrs 6 months posted in Gen Ophthal dept + 18 months in Cornea dept Fellow intake is random and happens frequently, sometimes every 3 months.. so as many as 5 fellows may exit in a month when their fellowship is over Stipend 40k in 1st yr, 50k in 2nd yr They start you on SICS from 3rd month of gen ophthal posting Phaco training is now included since it's been increased to 2 yrs but no fixed number is promised However fellows get phaco only after they have done at least 500-1000 SICS which can mean you get phacos only in last 3 months Every fellow has 1 cataract OT and 1 cornea OT per week- usually 1 SICS/phaco per cataract OT- number increases based on your skill and speed  Cornea OP - good range of exposure to all kinds of Cornea cases You get hands-on for all common corneal procedures, AMG, pterygiums, corneal tear repairs etc  Penetrating KPs- minimum of 15 cases, no fixed number is promised Good exposure to lamellar surgeries but hands-on not given.. one or two lucky fellows may get 1 DSEK in the very end and that too, mostly steps Refractive cases- there is good exposure and you are trained in workup and selection of patients  Hands-on for 1-2 PRKs may be given towards end of fellowship  Mostly LASIK & PRK done here, no SMILE Night duties once a month and Sunday duties once in 3-6 months, however your other Sundays may still be occupied with camp/ post-op duty Academics- classes+ Hectic dept

Selection- by interview Total of 2 yrs First six months posted in Gen Ophthal dept + 18 months in Glaucoma dept Fellow intake is random and happens frequently, they may take in fellows every alternate month as well depending on the no: of fellows abt to finish  Stipend 40k in 1st yr, 50k in 2nd yr They start you on SICS from 3rd month of Gen Ophthal posting Phaco training included.. given in last 5-6 months of fellowship, you get an average of 40 phacos   Good hands-on for trabs and SICS trabs, total no of trabs you get around 40 Glaucoma OP- good range of cases, every textbook case seen  You get liberal hands-on for glaucoma lasers   Exposure to AGV and MIGS is ++ But hands-on is limited- you may get 1 AGV and some 4-5 MIGS towards the latter end of fellowship  Night duties once a month, Sunday duties once in 3-6 months but Sundays may still be occupied with camps or post-op duties Academics- classes usually with DNB PGs Work timings 7.30 - 7.30 pm

Duration 2/ 3 yrs, depending on which one you opt for. Fellows taken throughout the year depending on vacancy  Fellows who agree to 3 yrs are taken in sooner, 2 yr fellows have to wait for next available slot (can be up to a year in advance) Selection- interview Stipend 40k for first yr, 50k in second yr No phaco training.  First 3 months you are posted in Gen Ophthal (except for the 3 yr fellowshp where you're posted for 1 yr in Gen Ophthal) From 4th month (or 1 year later for 3 yr fellows) you are posted in Retina dept and start getting lasers and intravit injections in the 5th or 6th month.. you also start retina OT from 6th month.   You start with steps and then get to do more and more as your skills progress. You are even given independent cases towards the end depending on your skill. You also get to do macular surgeries and TRD surgeries if your hands are good.. however fellows with poor tissue handling skills may not get chances. Clinically, OPD is good and you get to see almost every retina case. ROP exposure minimal- mostly screening, no chances for ROP lasers Oncology cases seen once in a while  Dept is hectic Work starts from 7.30 and can go up to 6.30 or 7 pm Night calls once a month  Once every 3-4 months you may get a Sunday duty  No camp duties. No formal classes, mostly self-learning.   Overall, you get more surgical hands-on for VR fellowship in Aravind Pondicherry compared to Aravind Madurai.

I went there for a 3 week hands-on phaco training in 2025 which included 15 cases. I extended it for another week for 5 extra cases at extra cost. One case is given each day but they are flexible and cases can be adjusted if required.  In the morning, you get to observe all the paying phaco and discuss or enquire any questions you might have. You can also observe other surgeries if you are free. Hands-on is done after the paying list is completed, usually in the afternoon. After that, you are free.  The consultants are helpful and approachable. Different consultants teach you on different days. So you get to observe and learn different techniques. They are patient and guide you. They do not take over the case unless you’ve messed up real bad. If you’re stuck during a step, they tell you how to do it and let you proceed.  Phacos are taught through a clear corneal incision with a foldable IOL. Wet lab is also there to practice in your free time.  Overall it was a great experience and they make sure that you learn phaco by the time you’re done. They charge 5500 + 18% GST per  extra case. Fee (as of 2025) was 1,05,000 + 18% GST for 3 weeks, 15 cases. They do provide single accommodation for 2500 per night.

They have short term SICS and phaco training- with 1/ 3/ 6 months options for either SICS or Phaco. For short term Phaco they have 3 months and 6 months course but specifically they want only experienced SICS surgeons - where 1000 cases done already. They are not taking novice surgeons with few hundred numbers. But these beginners can opt for long term IOL fellowship; just that short term training is off-limits to them ...but even for short term training, an initial interview will be done. They teach phaco by clear corneal incision and foldable IOLs. All short training options (1 month, 3 months and 6 months) are only for efficient surgeons.

Duration - 1 month  Starting 2-3 SICS will be given to assess our skills, based on that, you progress to Phaco.  If well versed with SICS, then 30-35 phaco cases can be done in 1 month duration.  They provide you stay in an apartment but drawback is, it is far away from the centre. In a week Monday and Saturday are for observation, rest 4 days are for surgical training.  They even make you practice on wax eyeballs.  Trainers are all skilled and do their job very well.  In the beginning, they make you do phaco through tunnel incision and teach you divide and conquer and later chop and stop in the end. You may get few cases with clear corneal incision towards the end. Direct chop they will brief you about it theoretically . Fees something between 1-1.5 lacs

Did my (reviewer) short term 2 week phaco fellowships from ICARE Noida in 2023. Did around 25 cases in those 2 weeks since I was already doing phaco before that as well. The training faculty at ICARE was excellent at my time, I got to complete most of my cases even if I got stuck at a few steps. We were trained to do phaco through clear corneal incision. I would get to see all the preop cases early in the morning and decide what the ideal cases were for me and I would be called specifically to see all my postoperative cases. I would sit after OT with the trainer to discuss the steps I didn't do well. I would suggest if you require just a short term fellowship, then ICARE Noida is good.

1.5 yrs long. Selection is random, you can apply and they call you on need basis.  Starts with SICS, once you are proficient you will advance to Phaco. Phaco is not delayed to 2nd year unlike in some other places. You'll get minimum of 100 phacos in 1.5 yrs (more if you master SICS sooner). Daily timings 8 - 6pm. Sundays usually off unless camp pts come- fellows will have to workup if DNB PGs not there. Regular classes + You are rotated between diff specialty depts, Cornea exposure is more extensive than other specialties. Stipend 30k, last 6 months 35k. Not too hectic, not toxic.

Duration 18 months 2 fellows taken every 6 months  Selection- interview  Stipend 35k  First month is observation period. From 2nd month on, you are started on retinal lasers and intravit injections. You are given good amount of lasers and intravit injection chances. Ozurdex injections opportunities very rare. For cataract, you are started on SICS, goes on x 6 months and then from 7th month, phaco training is given You are given only 1 phaco case per week while the rest of the cases you do SICS. You get phaco only for normal NS2 cataracts, not for advanced cases.   This MR & Cataract program has undergone changes since the previous MR Chief Dr Sucheta ma'am left, because of which MR-Cataract fellows now do not get cataract cases like before. As a result, there is talk that the MR & Cataract program might be discontinued from next session (2026) onwards. Or else if it continues, the cataract chances will not be guaranteed or promised. OP exposure is good, you see a good number of cases  Work timings 9- 4.30 pm Dept is chill, consultants are friendly. ROP exposure is good but screening is image-based (since screening is done by optometrists who use Retcam to take images and send them to doctors)... however, you are given chances for ROP lasers in babies so you learn how to do ROP staging that way... injections are also given in ROP babies but no hands-on for the same is given to fellows. You have camp opinion duties 4-5 times a month Sunday duties are on rotation with all fellows. No night duties. ( Admin Note - the latest ad inviting fellowship applications for HV Desai Eye Hospital's July 2026 session no longer mentions a Medical Retina & Cataract fellowship. They have now what is called the Medical Retina & ROP fellowship which implies that cataract training is not part of this 1 year program.)