MD in Ophthalmology at Maharajgunj Medical Campus (MMC), Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, is a three-year postgraduate medical residency under the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Tribhuvan University. MMC started the MD Ophthalmology program in 2044 BS (1987 AD), and Ophthalmology is one of the campus's established academic departments.
The residency develops competence in medical, surgical, and optical ophthalmic problems through supervised patient care, hands-on clinical work, specialty rotations, community eye-care activities, research, and structured assessment. Clinical training is conducted through the Department of Ophthalmology at BP Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, with additional rotations to eye hospitals at national and regional levels.
Maharajgunj Medical Campus is a constituent campus of the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University under Tribhuvan University.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | MD in Ophthalmology |
| Degree | Doctor of Medicine in Ophthalmology (MD Ophth) |
| Level | Postgraduate medical residency |
| Institution | Maharajgunj Medical Campus |
| Location | Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Institute | Institute of Medicine |
| University | Tribhuvan University |
| Department | Ophthalmology |
| Duration: | 3 years |
| Program started at MMC | 2044 BS (1987 AD) |
| Training mode | Full-time residential |
| Entrance | MECEE-PG |
| Admission framework | Medical Education Commission |
| Professional registration | Nepal Medical Council |
MD in Ophthalmology is designed to prepare comprehensive and community-oriented ophthalmologists who can use sound clinical judgment in ophthalmic medical, surgical, and optical problems.
The program combines diagnosis and management of common eye diseases with recognition of complicated ophthalmic conditions, emergency management, referral after primary care, participation in complex specialty surgery, community eye-care planning, research, teaching, and professional communication.
Residents are also expected to recognize the limits of their competence and maintain appropriate ethical standards in clinical practice.
The three-year residency aims to develop the ability to:
The course therefore combines specialist patient care with community eye health, research, teaching, and continuing professional learning.
Duration: 3 years
Residents undergo three years of full-time residential postgraduate training.
The teaching approach includes:
Formal lectures are kept to a minimum. The teacher or preceptor primarily functions as a guide while residents learn through work in outpatient, inpatient, and special clinics under faculty supervision.
Clinical training is conducted through the Department of Ophthalmology at:
Residents are given progressively graded responsibilities in patient-care management.
The residency also includes rotations to eye hospitals at national and regional levels. These rotations form part of the broader clinical training structure and expose residents to different eye-care settings.
MMC's 2024 prospectus identifies BP Koirala Lions Center for Ophthalmic Studies as one of its medical teaching-learning sites.
The course goal specifically includes competence in ophthalmic medical, surgical, and optical problems.
Residents develop clinical judgment for common eye diseases and are expected to recognize conditions that require higher-level care.
The program also includes the management of ophthalmic emergencies and participation in complex super-specialty ophthalmic surgery under the training framework.
This combination places diagnostic ophthalmology, medical treatment, surgical care, emergency management, and referral judgment within the same residency.
Community orientation is a defined part of the MD Ophthalmology curriculum.
Residents are expected to develop the ability to plan and implement community-based eye-care delivery systems.
The program therefore extends beyond tertiary clinical practice and includes the organization and delivery of eye-care services within the community.
Teaching responsibilities may also involve community eye-health workers, linking specialist ophthalmology training with broader eye-health education.
Research is an integral part of the residency.
The thesis subject must be selected and approved by the end of the first six months of training.
The thesis should be completed by the end of the second year, and the final draft must be submitted to the department six months before the final examination.
The thesis is examined by internal and external examiners.
Approval of the thesis is compulsory before the resident can appear in the final examination.
In addition to thesis work, the program aims to develop skills in:
Evaluation has formative and summative components.
Formative assessment is conducted every six months and takes place five times during the residency.
It includes short questions based on the competencies expected at each stage of training.
Resident performance in outpatient and inpatient work is recorded in the logbook. The logbook is used to assess whether required competencies have been achieved.
Scores from formative evaluations contribute to the internal assessment for the final examination.
A minimum of 50% in the required formative assessment is necessary to become eligible to appear in the final examination.
The summative examination is conducted through the Examination Section of the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University.
It includes Applied Basic Sciences and Ophthalmology components.
| Examination Component | Full Marks | Pass Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Basic Science Theory | 100 | 50 |
| Applied Basic Science Practical | 100 | 50 |
| Medical Ophthalmology Theory | 100 | 50 |
| Surgical Ophthalmology Theory | 100 | 50 |
| Clinical Case Presentations | 100 | 50 |
| Practical OSCE + Viva | 100 | 50 |
The Applied Basic Science theory component covers Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, and Genetics.
Clinical case assessment includes long and short cases.
The practical component includes OSCE and viva.
Candidates who successfully complete the examination requirements are awarded the Doctor of Medicine in Ophthalmology (MD Ophth) degree by Tribhuvan University.
Eligibility: Applicants must hold an MBBS or equivalent qualification from an institution recognized by the Government of Nepal.
The postgraduate eligibility requirements include:
MD Ophthalmology is a clinical postgraduate program and is not included in the stated experience exemption for MDGP and MD/MS programs in Basic Medical Sciences.
Admission follows the Medical Education Common Entrance Examination for Postgraduate Level (MECEE-PG) framework administered by the Medical Education Commission.
Candidates must meet the academic and professional eligibility requirements and obtain at least 50% in the entrance examination.
Admission proceeds through the applicable merit and matching system, including:
Seat allocation may change between admission cycles under prevailing MEC decisions.
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Question type | Single best response MCQs |
| Options | Four: A, B, C, D |
| Number of questions | 200 |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Recall : Understanding : Application | 30 : 50 : 20 |
| Minimum qualifying score | 50% |
The entrance examination assesses the wider MBBS knowledge base rather than Ophthalmology alone.
Ophthalmology carries 7 marks within the clinical section.
Clinical subjects account for 115 marks, while Basic Medical Sciences contribute 60 marks. The remaining questions cover Community Medicine and Research Methodology, Forensic Medicine, and mandatory CPD-related areas such as medical ethics, rational use of drugs, infection prevention, BLS/ACLS, and communication skills.
Ophthalmology is one of MMC's established academic departments.
The campus's broader academic environment includes Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, General Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Radiology, Emergency Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology, Pathology, and other disciplines relevant to multidisciplinary medical training.
MMC's postgraduate medical portfolio formally includes MD in Ophthalmology.
The presence of BP Koirala Lions Center for Ophthalmic Studies as a medical teaching-learning site gives the program a dedicated ophthalmic training setting within the wider IOM academic environment.
The program is a three-year full-time residential postgraduate medical residency.
Maharajgunj Medical Campus started MD Ophthalmology in 2044 BS (1987 AD).
Applicants require an MBBS or equivalent qualification, applicable medical council registration, one year of experience, and qualification through the postgraduate entrance process.
Yes. Admission follows the Medical Education Commission's postgraduate common entrance, merit, and matching framework.
Clinical training is conducted through the Department of Ophthalmology at BP Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, with rotations to eye hospitals at national and regional levels.
Yes. The thesis subject must be approved by the end of six months, completed by the end of the second year, and approved before the resident can sit for the final examination.
Evaluation includes five six-monthly formative assessments, logbook-based review, Applied Basic Sciences examination, Medical and Surgical Ophthalmology theory, clinical cases, OSCE, viva, and thesis approval.
