Oculoplasty & Orbit Fellowship

Prepared by : Ms Dillibai Reviewed by : Dr. E. Ravindra Mohan Date : 19/03/08

The fellowship is a 2 year comprehensive clinical fellowship. Positions are available for courses starting in April and October. The details of the fellowship are as follows:

Faculty 

The faculty with diverse backgrounds and interests provide a comprehensive and varied exposure to various aspects of the speciality. The candidate, spending time with each of them, gains a different perspective from each, leading to a comprehensive and well rounded development. Links to faculty profiles on www.sankaranethralaya.org/ask_doctor.asp.

Surgical training

The fellowship position involves extensive hands - on surgical experience in assisting and performing oculoplastic operations, both under supervision and independently. Since the fellowship also involves training in cataract surgery, candidates get extensive closely supervised training in extra capsular cataract surgery, small incision cataract surgery and phacoemulsification. This is an added asset for the trainee surgeon who may wish to pursue cataract surgery in addition to oculoplastic surgery in his/ her career.

Senior residency is a period of intensive surgical training with 3 surgical sessions every week.

A detailed surgical logbook is maintained and analysed regularly.

 Unique features of the department & fellowship program :

While the speciality is a young one and the department and fellowship program are younger than most at Sankara Nethralaya, the following unique aspects need to be highlighted.

1. Thyroid eye clinic :

The country's first comprehensive thyroid eye clinic started functioning 2 year ago. We perform, possibly the largest number of orbital decompressions for thyroid orbitopathy in any centre in the country.

2. Comprehensive Lacrimal Clinic and Minimally Invasive Lacrimal Clinic :

The country's first centre to perform and offer balloon dacryoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure in the management of nasolocrimal duct block.

3. Ocular Oncology :

The department is involved in work in tumours of eyelids adnexa and orbit. The vast referral base and an excellent Ocular Pathology and Radiology service provides enormous learning opportunities.

4. Anophthalmia Rehabilitation and Ocular Prosthetic Service :

With one of the country's first hospital based ocular prosthetic service and laboratory, the service provides a wide range of services essential for optimal results and cosmetic rehabilitation of an ophthalmic patients. Oculoplasty is unique among the sub specialities of ophthalmology in needing extensive coordination and team work with a large number of medical and surgical specialities.

Chennai is widely known as the " medical capital of India " and is also a hub for medical tourism. ENT and endoscopic surgery, facio-maxillary surgery, interventional radiology, plastic surgery, medical oncology, dermatology and Neurosurgery are the main related specialities and excellent onsite and offsite co-ordination is available to deal with complex situations.

Seats available :

The number varies from session to session with atleast one, and not more than 2 vacancies every session.

Competition for selection is usually intense, both in view of the few comprehensive training positions available in the speciality in the country, as well as the quality of supervised training offered. International fellows are required to go through the selection process, but the application is processed as per relevent rules and conditions governing the area of medical training of foreign nationals. Two international fellows, one each from Kenya and Srilanka have successfully completed the fellowship in the last 3 years.

Selection :

The selection process involves a multiple choice objective theory examination followed by an interview, usually held on the same day. For the course starting 1st April, the application process starts in January / February with the examination & interview in March. For the course starting 1st October, the examination & interview is in September, with the application process starting in July/ August. All relevent details are available on our website www.sankaranethralaya.org.

Posting and rotations :

Selected candidates go through a formal orientation lasting one month followed by 5 months of rotation, for a month each including in the related speciality areas of Cornea, Paediatric, Ophthalmology & Community Opthalmology.

This is followed by a year of Oculoplasty, Orbit & Trauma rotation with the candidates spending time, variably 2-3 months with each of the consultants in the department. The last 6 months involve independent and supervised surgical & outpatient work in the capacity of senior resident.

Research Opportunites :

Sankara Nethralaya is a hub for basic, clinical and applied research. Fellows have virtually unlimited opportunity to conduct prospective and retrospective studies and to present and publish. Guidance and support for this purpose is readily available.

Eligiblity :

Recognized postgraduate qualification in ophthalmology - MD/ MS/ D.O/ FRCS.

Duration - 2 years

Please click here to download Application Form

Queries :

These may be addressed to Dr. E. Ravindra Mohan MD FRCSED Director, Oculoplasty and Orbit Service Sankara Nethralaya ( email : drerm@snmail.org )