Can be customised 15 days/ 1 month. Fees- as listed on their website. Accommodation provided within campus (at extra charge). You get 1 case per OT but if your trainer feels you are doing well or if you have some phaco fluency, they might give you more cases (numbers are variable). First 2-3 days you will have to do SICS so they can judge your technique. After that, you are started on phaco.   Daily routine- You are assigned a resident who informs trainees of their daily schedule and centre posting  In the morning you have to go with other trainees to one of their centres for observation OT from 10 am.. you are there till 12 pm Then from 1-5 pm you have to go to their community centre (this is different from the first centre) where you have to select your case, do pre-op assessment and then you are assigned a table to operate your patient  Once you finish your case, you can go back to hostel Next day you have to do post-op rounds for ur patient at the main hospital at 7 am And then you can head for breakfast and report to the observation centre at 10 am like before Surgical technique in phaco training- You make 2 incisions-  - Temporal clear corneal incision thru which you do phaco - And a superior corneo-scleral tunnel thru which you implant rigid IOL (No training in foldable IOL provided) After 5 pm everyday, you can also go to the main hospital and use their wet lab to practice your technique. MM Joshi also has shuttle services which you can use to travel to their centres every day.. or else, you take auto. Overall, a good training program, highly recommended by reviewer since this is one of the few places where you are trained in phaco using clear corneal incision method.

Duration- 1.5 yrs  1-2 fellows taken every 6 months Stipend 50k  Selection- Interview  No SICS, only phaco is done for all pts here (camp & private) Initial 2 weeks are for observation  Then you start OT OT runs every day Fellows get OT twice a week with one phaco per OT  Fellows operate only on camp cases (average of 5-7 pts posted per OT)... these have to be shared with short term phaco trainees and junior consultants too so you might sometimes not get a pt to operate in some OTs.. but they make up for missed cases in the next OT They give you normal NS 2 cataracts first and then as you get confident, you can do small pupils and harder cataracts too.. complications are managed by consultants (usually they take over before it happens) Work timings 7 am - 7 pm All Sundays are working but half day OPD So your Sundays will be spent either in OP or else going for camps Weekdays you start by attending private OT where you watch senior consultant operate from 7- 8 am Then from 8.30 -10.30 am the camp OT runs and the fellow gets their turn  After camp OT, whoever is posted for camp OP sees pts till 3.30 pm After 3.30, you head to private OP where you sit with consultants and observe cases they see (not allowed to treat or dispose any private pts).. goes on till 7/7.30 pm Work is hectic  Consultants are approachable No night duties  They're starting a new centre so postings to that hospital will be included in duties from next session onwards You get to observe and do refractive pt workup, no hands-on given Also get to do many Yag caps No academics/ classes Clinical exposure- not much variety, mostly common cases

Duration 2 yrs 2-3 Fellows taken per session Selection- Interview  Stipend 45k 1 lac admission fees, not refunded  Accommodation provided, no separate charges  No phaco training.  First 3 months is mainly observation (OPD and retina investigations) Then you get posted to OT and they start you gradually on steps in cases  You get steps for all common surgeries  No hands-on for RD surgeries  But they allow you to do steps in macular surgeries  You observe secondary IOL implantations and nucleus/ IOL drop surgeries, no hands-on given  You are allowed to operate independent cases towards the end in camp pts Intravit injections and lasers are given after first 3 months Clinical exposure is good  ROP exposure is good, mostly screening, rarely you may get chance to do lasers Intravitreal injections in ROP babies are done here but you're not given hands-on for that Dept is hectic, work timings 8 am to 7/8 pm  Night duties- once a month as 2nd on call Sunday duties every 2-3 months as 2nd on call No peripheral postings  No camp duties. You're able to do common retinal surgeries by the time you finish fellowship, good experience.

Duration: 1 year During the first two months, fellows are mainly posted in the OPD, where the work primarily involves general patient work-up of retina consultants, FFA reporting, and B-scans.  Opportunities to examine post-dilatation patients are relatively limited during this period, but fellows can evaluate non-paying patients. The program provides good exposure to the diagnostic side, including SD-OCT, SS-OCT, SS-OCTA, FFA, and other investigations. From the fourth month onward, fellows begin performing retinal lasers, with a decent number of procedures such as PRP and barrage laser. From around the sixth month, fellows are posted in the injection clinic, where they usually get exposure to approximately 150–200 intravitreal injections during the fellowship. This fellowship is particularly beneficial for those who already have good postgraduate exposure and are comfortable with indirect ophthalmoscopy (IDO). The academic program is very strong, with at least 2-3 classes conducted every week. For those interested in research, this is a good place, as fellows are encouraged and supported in research activities. Work timings  8:00 AM to around 7:00–7:30 PM every day.  Fellows start getting independent OP consultations after six months, and the workload tends to become somewhat more hectic during that period. Fellows selected per session The number of fellows depends on the number of applications received. There is no fixed number of seats, usually 2-3 fellows / year Selection  is done through an online interview only. After the interview, candidates are informed whether they have been selected. Fellows are usually taken twice a year, typically in April and October. Stipend - ₹40,000 per month Admission fees  of ₹1 lakh needs to be paid at the beginning of the course. Not refunded. Dept environment - The consultants are approachable and the department is quite hectic due to the large patient load.  For consultants' patients, the anterior segment work-up is usually done by PGs and fellows. Most of the time PGs are not available, so fellows have to handle the work-up, documentation, and reply letter writing themselves. Because of the busy OPD schedule, opportunities to do fundus exams on these worked-up patients can be limited. Duties - There are about 3–4 on-call duties per month, mainly for retina-related cases. PGs will inform the fellows if any retina related cases comes in, and fellows attend only when required.  There is also one Sunday duty per month, which is usually on-call.  Medical Retina fellows are not required to attend camps. Cataract surgery training is not included in this fellowship. There is limited exposure to ROP, usually during the last two months, and this typically includes around four days of ROP postings. Uvea cases are present, but the exposure is relatively limited.

This course is for 3 months  You are trained in SICS while also working for them Initial fee 30k, they'll give you monthly 15k stipend (figures are for 2024, it might be different now) - They'll give daily one case, if you are confident they'll give 2  - It's 3 months of training  - They used to take 1 seat per batch back then, but now I heard it's 3 people  - First 2-3 days is observation, then they'll assign you a case with the consultant . - Camp cases comes around 8 in morning , then you have to workup all the patients and send for fitness, prepare ot list... DNB students will also be there with you for workup and case-sheet and stuff Afternoon will be OTs and you'll have to start blocking other cases.. when your case comes, you need to wash in and then the assigned consultant will teach you , step by step , they are all really good. They teach you with patience . - Monday to Friday OTs will be there and Saturday you are asked to present some classes and you can do wet lab practice . - Sunday off . - 4 night duties monthly   Post op patients will be there next day you have to see them and discharge . - Timings is 8- 6 pm ***** For admission to this training, you have to call them and you'll have an interview with superintendent after which you are selected No prerequisites for joining this training. They can select you even if your SICS count is 0. (No phaco training included in this) If you are learning from scratch you'll need little more surgical exposure even after you finish this training  But if you are somewhat knowledgeable about SICS before joining, you'll be able to refine to a reasonably confident level by end of 3 months .

Duration: 18 months. First 4 months: General Ophthal posting.  You'll be put in their peripheral centre for a month too. You'll get to start SICS surgery then. 1 OT day per week. No exposure to Oculoplasty for the first 4 months.  Next 14 months you'll be posted in Oculoplasty department.  First two months will be just opd.  Oculoplasty OT starts from third month.     The regular 1 day SICS OT and 1 day oculoplasty OT will be the norm.  If there are less fellows in the dept, you'll get more OT days as you'll be assisting the consultants in OT.  Camps:   You will have to go for camps twice or thrice a month. It'll be on weekends. Guys get more number of camps and longer camps than the ladies (ahem). They go for camps as far away as Kodungallur, Munnar etc in Kerala and Hosur in Karnataka. But some long distance camps like in Ooty and Munnar are really enjoyable and worth it.  Academics:   No formal classes. There are classes for DNBs, none for fellows. You'll have to read on your own.  No exams at the end of your fellowship.  You'll be asked to take classes for the sisters during the fellowship.  You can present cases or studies for conferences. They allow you to attend conferences only if you are presenting something.  Consultants and exposure to Oculoplasty:   The consultants are pretty chill and usually good. An odd toxic consultant maybe there. They give you DCR initially and then the lid and orbit procedures. No exposure to ocular oncology. There's a separate 1 week posting at Aravind Madurai for that at the end of your fellowship.  Duties:   Emergency night duty once in a month or two months. Other fellows and DNBs also take night duties, so it'll be quite rare to get duty often.  Cataract exposure:   SICS only. No phaco.  It starts from 3rd/4th month during your general posting. The numbers will depend upon your speed and how you pick up. One cataract OT per week till the end of your fellowship.  Can expect to do around 100 to 200 SICS by the end of your fellowship. There will be a Consultant to teach you all the steps systematically. Timings:   Opd timings are usually from 7:30am to 6pm. Some days it might go beyond too, depending on patient load.  Two 15 mins break in the morning and afternoon.  A 1 hour lunch break at noon. The short breaks may be cut depending on opd patient load. The head sister of opd decides that for you.  Emergency duty is from 6pm to 8am the next day.  Camp timings are from 1pm on Fridays or Saturdays to Sunday 2pm. Depending on the camp and transport, it'll vary.  Accommodation:  They provide hostel accommodation. It's a 30 year old hostel, cramped and as small as opd cubicles. Most fellows and DNBs survive there.  You do get decent accommodation at nearby apartments. But the rent maybe high.  Water is all hard water. You can't take a head bath with it, unless you like stiff hair. Some fellows complain of hair loss too. You'll have to find some alternatives for that (the water, not the hair).  Food:   Hospital has a canteen which provides terrible vegetarian food. You can have it if you don't have any other choice. Most people order from outside or take a mess subscription. There are decent mess subscriptions available including Jain food. Area:   The hospital is in the outskirts of Coimbatore city near the airport, so flights are easy to catch. There's also an IMAX movie theatre nearby with a few decent restaurants, so weekend chill out plans do work. There's a few restobars in the more centre of the city like 10-15kms away. My take:   Aravind Coimbatore is better than Madurai for Oculoplasty as you get to do other procedures like lid/orbit procedures than just DCR. Aravind is a hospital with a name in Ophthalmology since the last 30-40 years and the sheer patient load is something that you'll never get anywhere but if you want to be up to date with the absolute latest procedures, Aravind can be lacking in some aspects.

It's for 2 yrs Selection was by Zoom interview.  I knew how to do SICS when I joined and I got to do around 150+ phacos including lots of topical phaco as well.  Training starts with SICS and then based on your progress, they move you to phaco. They let you operate all kinds of cataract and you are also allowed to manage complications but they will not train you specifically in it. On the refractive side, I got plenty of hands on in LASIK, PRK, SMILE, INTACS, ICL, C3R. You also learn to work up for toric IOLs, how to select good candidates etc Work starts at 8 am, finishes typically by 6.30 pm but in the initial 6 months, you will work late evenings. You don't get much off-time after work. Research participation is mandatory at NN so case workups and data collation works (excels, powerpoints etc) are something you are expected to pick up. It might feel crazy but it's balanced by their conference opportunities- you can attend national or international conferences as many as you want- and the plus is you get to represent NN at the conferences which builds your professional reputation. There are of course night duties, camp duties, Sunday duties. Almost all Sunday mornings are working- after morning Refractive rounds, the rest of the day is free. Stipend is 56k per month. They require a 1 lac caution deposit upfront when you join and if you decide to drop out in between, you have to pay back all the stipend you got before you can get your certificates and leave the program.

2 years duration. Most of the surgical training happens in their trust/charitable hospital. Stipend= 75k/ month Admission fee= 2 lacs (non-refundable) First 3 to 5 months you get SICS, then they start Phaco training.  You start Phaco first with learning bimanual I&A, then you progress to Phaco tunnel construction and then topical Phaco in the last 4 to 6 months. You get around150 - 250 cases (SICS + phaco) in two years. You get exposure to all premium and latest IOLs in the market (no hands-on, though). Refractive department exposure is good and you will be doing few PRK, LASIK, SMILE, C3Rs as well. Expect to be busy with regards to research work. You get opportunities to present papers in all major national and international conferences. One minus for some fellows is that you won't be trained to handle special cases like iris claws, anterior vitrectomy etc Monetary penalties exist- For nucleus drops- you have to pay 10,000/ drop. For any camp pt OT cancel (camp pt who decides not to do sx)= 5000 charged from the fellow who went as camp doctor Penalty for leaving fellowship midway is 5 lacs + you have to return all the stipend earned till then.

Duration- 18 months, affiliated to RGUHS (Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences). There is entrance and exit exam. One of the very few institutes that train VR fellows for cataract (free hands for both SICS and Phaco). As far is retina is considered- Excellent staff with good knowledge, very good OPD load with variety of cases. Well equipped OPD and OT set up with high end machines.  Fellows get good chances for Lasers and Intravitreal injections.  Surgical chances in retina are not extensive. (Fellows get to do basic retina procedures hence there are no camp cases operated for retina surgeries and all are paid cases- unlike most fellowship institutes). ⁠All in all, Medical Retina experience is very good, surgical chances are slim. But fellows get to observe and assist all retina surgeries.  Coming to cataract surgeries- Retina fellows get near equal chances in cataract surgeries in comparison with Anterior Segment fellows.  3 - 4 night duties in a month that includes managing regular Ophthal casualties  ⁠Going to Camps are mandatory. ⁠Includes few months of Peripheral postings . Coming to academics, few teaching programs are there but mostly self learning  Pros- Extremely non toxic work environment.  Cons- Hectic days  Day typical starts at 8 and ends at 8 on a good  day.  Can start as early as 6 and end as late at 11 on some busy days.

It's technically 1.5 yrs long but they might ask you to work at one of their peripheral centres first for 6 months - 1 year, especially if your SICS numbers are low. In that case, total duration can run up to 2- 2.5 years by the time you are done. Cornea in Madurai has the highest number of fellow intake so dept is crowded. Cataract surgery opportunities are variable between fellows, depends on your skill, speed and lack of complications. OT sisters have a big role in deciding which fellow will be called to operate. That said, corneal surgery numbers are more or less same for every fellow- they give at least 50 keratoplasties (including therapeutic & optical PKs). But you get only penetrating keratoplasties there. Generally no hands-on given for lamellar surgeries generally, except to 1 or 2 fellows based on the Chief's discretion. Ocular surface disorders like AMG, MMG done but no SLET. Clinical exposure is very good, you see almost every textbook case  Lots and lots of all kinds of corneal ulcers- you get fed up after a while. They have all the diagnostic equipments, you can learn anterior segment photography also. Surgically you get keratoplasties, C3Rs, pterygiums, conjunctival grafts, few corneal tear repairs, amniotic membrane grafting; no corneal rings. There is 1 week posting for fellows for Refractive procedures- no hands-on, only observation. In my time they did LASIK, PRK but there was no SMILE or any of the other latest refractive procedures.. don't know the state now.  They give you only SICS chances in Aravind, no Phaco training. I find this a drawback compared to Cornea programs in other places like MM Joshi or LVP that include phaco training within their fellowships. However, you can fill that lacuna with Aravind's paid short term phaco training after finishing fellowship.

Duration= 2 years Exposure to all types of retina cases at Aravind is good, we will get lots of lasers and injections including in ROP cases, surgery number is also reasonable. 2 weeks uvea and ROP + ocular oncology training included, thereafter you will be going for ROP screening in the periphery where you will again see good number of ROPs.  At the end of fellowship you will be confident with basic cases but you won't get PDR membrane cases and macular hole (ILM peeling step). There are lot of fellows at any given time, so surgery numbers may vary between fellows.  Work load is huge, but toxicity in the department is less. No single mentor, you are trained by consultant posted in OT, fellows are rotated for OT.

(Note- this Medical Retina (MR) program is different from their Medical Retina & Uvea program which is 2 yrs) 1 YEAR duration Medical Retina (MR) program 1st month training For 8 months...1 month uvea posting, 1 month emergency posting, 1 month diagnostics posting, rest 5 months MR unit posting with different consultants in which we are in OP with them. Last 3 months known as SR-ship in which one gets their mentor under which they will start getting injections in OT. MR fellows are mostly in OP with consultants, so we get ample amount of almost all variety of cases.. so clinical OP exposure is really very good. Regarding hands on, in 1 month of diagnostic posting we start getting lasers and B-scans. In last 3 months when we become SR, we get 2 or 3 days per week of full day postings in lasers and similarly 2 or 3 days per week of full day postings in B-scan room- In 1 day we get 20-25 lasers if posted in lasers and if posted in B-scan room, we get 40-50  B-scans in 1 day. Injections we get in last 3 months of SR-ship only. It's not hectic.. timings are 8-5pm. Every month you have one emergency posting it's 7 pm (one day) to 7 pm (next day). It's not toxic at all. Cataract surgery is not given in 1 yr MR fellowship, it's given in the MR + Uvea fellowship. Once or twice a month we get night emergency duty or ward duty. Sundays are usually free. Occasionally we get emergency duties.