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Published on: February 23
Read Time: 1 min
Fellowship Overview
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NAME OF THE HOSPITAL: Not Disclosed
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STATE: Not Disclosed
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STIPEND: ₹40,000/month
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DURATION: 2 Years
Honest Review of the Fellowship
This is a structured 2-year cornea fellowship with moderate-to-heavy clinical workload and a gradual learning curve.
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Intake: 3 fellows every 6 months
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Selection Process: MCQ exam followed by interview
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Caution Deposit: ₹80,000 (₹40k deducted from 1st month, ₹20k from 2nd & 3rd month; refundable at completion)
The first 6 months focus on general ophthalmology, with the initial 2 months limited to OPD exposure. Cataract surgeries (mainly SICS) begin around the 2nd–3rd month.
From the 7th month, fellows move into the cornea department. Cataract OT exposure reduces significantly (only ~2 days/month), and phaco training is limited, given only in the last 3 months with approximately 20–30 cases. Advanced cataracts are reserved for SICS rather than phaco, and no topical phaco experience is provided.
Training Experience
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Strong hands-on exposure in corneal surgeries, including:
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Therapeutic keratoplasty
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Optical keratoplasty
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Patch grafts
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Corneal repair
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C3R (Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking)
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MMG (Mucous Membrane Grafting)
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Lamellar keratoplasty exposure is present but limited (mainly DALK towards the end)
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Exposure to refractive procedures, but no hands-on experience provided
Overall, the fellowship is cornea-heavy, making it suitable for those specifically targeting corneal subspecialization rather than cataract/phaco expertise.
Work Culture & Duties
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Working Hours: 9 AM – 6 PM (can extend till 7:30 PM)
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Department: Hectic workload
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Daily Classes: 8 AM
Additional Responsibilities:
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Sunday camp duties (1–2/month)
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Night duty once a month (continuous, no comp-off)
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Enucleation calls (1–2/month)
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Weekly pre-op workups for camp patients (7–10 PM)
Academic Requirements
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Mandatory:
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1 Publication
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1 Presentation
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Exit Exam: Conducted at the end of fellowship
Personal Opinion
This fellowship is best suited for those who want strong surgical exposure in cornea and are comfortable with a hectic schedule and high workload.
However, if your goal is to gain extensive phaco or refractive surgery hands-on, this program may feel limited. The late introduction of phaco and restricted surgical numbers could be a drawback for some candidates.
Note
Kindly share your honest feedback on the ophthalmology fellowship to help others make an informed choice. Your response will remain anonymous.
