Dr. Aditya Kelkar – Know your president 2017-18

Dr Aditya was born on 5th Jan 1975 to senior ophthalmologist Dr Shreekant Kelkar and Mrs Aruna Kelkar.

Being in a “doctor” family (his grandfather, too was a doctor), it was assumed that he too will follow the suit and pursue medicine.

However, he had different plans in childhood and medicine seemed a far fetched cry. An outstanding sportsman, all his energies were concentrated on the love of his life “mallakhamb” and dreamt endlessly as to how he could give back to the sport which gave him pinnacles of success.

Wanting to be a sports physio, his mother guided him onto the right path and he found himself in Bharti Vidyapeeth Medical College. He finished his MBBS in 1998 securing the top rank in Gen. Surgery and Ophthalmology. He then joined BJ medical college and under the guidance of then Dean BJMC and HOD of Ophthalmology, Dr Arvind Labhsetwar, Aditya found his passion for ophthalmology. He passed his MS in the year 2001 with a gold medal, and he followed it up with a gold medal in DNB in the same year.

Dr Udayan Dixit deserves special mention who, being the thorough academician that he is, not just guided him, but studied with him and the results were there for all to see!

He learnt phacoemulsification from the master of the game, Dr. Amar Agarwal, Chennai.

He then went to Retina Foundation, headed by Dr. PN Nagpal, a pioneer and visionary in ophthalmology, for Vitreo Retinal fellowship.

After finishing his fellowship he obtained the coveted FRCS ophthalmology, Glasgow in 2003.

He also worked closely with Dr Winfred Amaoaku in medical retina at the Queens medical centre, Glasgow.

He then went to Belgium for ICO fellowship in medical and surgical retina, under venerable Dr Jean Delaey and later under Prof Peter Stalmans for surgical retina.

After returning to India, Dr. Aditya Kelkar started  independent  vitreo retinal surgeries at NIO, and Dr. Vidyadhar Patwardhan, a dear friend, was instrumental in helping him gain a sound footing.

He is now into clinical practice since past 13 years and works as additional director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO), which is a multispeciality eye hospital which is accreditated by the JCI and NABH. At NIO he imparts surgical training to junior doctors and performs charitable surgeries for vitreo retinal disorders and cataract every week.

He is very well decorated as awards have followed him in each path of his life. Beginning with winning innumerable medals for mallakhamb at state and national levels, he was honoured with the prestigious Shiv Chattrapati Award for mallakhamb. He has won best paper awards during his residency like the FDC and Bell Pharma award and recently IMA felicitated him with the young achievers award. He is also Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary. He has several publications in peer reviewed journals and is invited to various state and national level conferences for performing live surgeries. JCRS online journal had put up his article on endophthalmitis on the its cover page.

On the family front he is wholeheartedly supported by his wife Dr. Jai Kelkar in all his endeavors. They have two daughters. He is a doting father to them just as he is Jai’s best friend.

We are sure POS will flourish under his presidency and he will live up to all your expectations though the task ahead of him is challenging as POS has always been helmed by very able senior ophthalmologists. So as he stands on the threshold of taking over the reins of POS, seeks blessings of all elders & peers for guidance, let us all together take POS to newer heights.