OPHTHALMOLOGY & ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT
Ophthalmology is the investigation and study of the eye’s anatomy, physiology, and diseases. As per the World Health Organization report, 285 million individuals overall are visually impaired, 39 million are blind, and 246 million suffer from the issue of low vision. Despite technological advancements and overall improvements in eye health facilities, the numbers have not improved much and have remained more or less the same.
Especially, when it comes to India, as per media reports, there are only 12,000 ophthalmologists in India for its overall population of more than a billion people. If we calculate the ratio further, we come to the conclusion that India has only one ophthalmologist for 90,000 people. Now that is a worrisome situation as the ratio is clearly not great when it comes to ensuring a robust eye healthcare system for India.
And, that is why ophthalmology in India is a promising career. Now, let’s take a look at different types of ophthalmology courses that you can pursue at the PG level.
TYPES OF OPHTHALMOLOGY COURSES AT THE PG LEVEL
At the PG level, there are three types of ophthalmology courses. These are MD Ophthalmology, MS Ophthalmology, and PG Diploma in Ophthalmology. Here MD and MS stand for Doctor of Medicine, and Master of Surgery. Both are three-year courses while the PG Diploma is a two-year course. However, here we will focus on MD Ophthalmology and discuss the same in detail.
OPHTHALMOLOGY COURSE DETAILS
MD Ophthalmology is a 3-year long, post-graduate programme. It is designed and aimed to teach the students about details of eye anatomy, its functions, and vision-related diseases to make them experts in the subject. The program covers concepts connected to the eyes and treatment methodology for diseases like glaucoma, injury, orbital cellulite, cancers, iritis, and other illnesses.
TOP-RANKED GOVERNMENT & PRIVATE COLLEGES FOR MD OPHTHALMOLOGY
Since medicine is one of the most sought-after courses in India, there are hundreds of colleges, both government and private, that offer a PG in ophthalmology programme.
Talking specifically about MD Ophthalmology, then AIIMS in New Delhi, Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune, Grant Medical College in Mumbai, Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, and Government Medical College in Surat are some of the high-ranked government colleges. Government colleges are really popular because they provide quality education at affordable fees.
On the other hand, when it comes to private medical colleges, there are multiple reputed ones that offer this course. People’s University in Bhopal, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University Medical College and Hospital in Sangli, Christian Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana, Coimbatore Medical College in Coimbatore, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Kalinga, Singhania University in Jhunjhunu, and National Institute of Ophthalmology in Aundh are some of the most popular names.
OPHTHALMOLOGY MD COURSE FEE STRUCTURE
The fee for the MD ophthalmology course can range anywhere from INR 1-3 lakhs for government colleges and INR 10-15 lacs for private medical colleges.
ADMISSION PROCESS FOR THE DOCTOR OF MEDICINE IN OPHTHALMOLOGY COURSE FOR A PRIVATE MEDICAL COLLEGE IN INDIA
Candidates with a minimum score of 55% in MBBS from an MCI-recognized university and candidates with additional or equivalent diplomas in MD can appear for the Post-Graduate Medical Entrance examination, NEET-PG conducted by the National Board of Examinations or INI-CET, conducted by AIIMS, New Delhi. The candidate must also have completed one year of internship during their MBBS study.
Once a candidate has successfully cleared the entrance test, they need to go through central-level and state-level counselling. After the counselling round, the candidates are assigned colleges where they can take admission to begin their studies.
