Share This Article
NAME OF THE INSTITUTE
Sankara Eye Hospital, Sathy Road, Coimbatore
(Part of the Sankara Eye Care Institutions India, known for its high-volume community outreach and structured “Gift of Vision” charitable model.)
STIPEND & LOGISTICS
- Monthly Remuneration: Competitive for the region (Standardized across Sankara India branches for 2026).
- Accommodation: Not provided. The hospital offers a temporary stay for the first 2–3 weeks while you find local housing.
- Food: Decent in-house vegetarian canteen available.
- Work-Life Balance: Excellent. Routine hours are 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM; extra duties are rare.
DURATION
18 Months (1.5 Years)
- Structure: 6 months of General Ophthalmology (mornings) + 12 months core Retina department posting.
HONEST REVIEW
- Surgical Hands-on (Cataract):
- The “Generalist” Focus: This program is uniquely suited for those who lacked surgical volume during their MS/DNB.
- SICS: Extensive hands-on starting from the 3rd month. Expect to perform 600–1,000 SICS procedures.
- Phacoemulsification: Only introduced in the last 3 months. Volume is low (20–50 cases total), typically one case per OT turn.
- The Verdict: If you are already a proficient Phaco surgeon, you will not find much value here for cataract skill-upgrading. However, it is a “gold mine” for mastering SICS.
- Medical Retina Exposure:
- Autonomy: You get “free hands” for all diagnostic investigations (OCT, FFA, B-Scan) and patient workups.
- Procedures: High volume of Retinal Lasers (PRP, Barrage) and Intravitreal Injections.
- Consultants: The Retina team is noted for being “chill,” approachable, and friendly, contrasting with the sometimes more intense Cataract OT environment.
- Work Culture & Duties:
- Camps: Mandatory outreach camp duties once or twice a month during the first year.
- Night Duty: Once a month during the first 6 months only.
- Academics: Primarily self-learning. There is a weekly All-India Sankara online combined class with faculty across India, but daily learning depends on your own initiative.
PERSONAL OPINION
Sankara Coimbatore is the “Perfect Bridge Fellowship.” It is ideal for the candidate who wants to be a “Comprehensive Surgeon with a Retina Edge.” You will come out with “iron hands” in SICS and total confidence in Medical Retina diagnostics. While you might need a short 2-month Phaco “finishing” course afterward to perfect your speed, the clinical and SICS foundation built here is rock solid.
