Study in India • Medical • BDS
BDS
BDS Admission in India
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is a 5-years undergraduate program and the
only approved professional dental course in India. Students become doctors
after the BDS course. It is a compulsory course for students aspiring to work as
dentists at government or private hospitals. BDS mainly focuses on training and
introducing students to the dental sciences and surgeries. The 5-year program
involves 4 years of classroom education and 1 year of compulsory rotating
internship.
As per the current data, there are approximately more than 300 dental colleges
in India which means in total there are 26,000 seats in both government as well
as private colleges. In India, BDS course fees range between INR 1-8 lacs.
The professionals of the course can find lucrative job opportunities as Dentists,
lecturers, Dental Research Scientists, at reputed hospitals and even in the
education sector. The average initial salary of these professionals ranges within
INR 4-10 lacs per annum. BDS Govt Jobs are available in Government hospitals
and clinics.
What is BDS?
BDS has been one of the most desirable medical courses among students after MBBS. A brief introduction of the subject has been given below:
• BDS is a 5-year undergraduate course for students who want to excel in the
field of Dental Sciences.
• It is a compulsory course for students if they wish to work as dentists at
government or private hospitals.
• BDS is one of the most popular medical courses after MBBS.
The students in their final year are required to do a 1 year paid internship
mandatorily which is rotation based wherein they have to take 2-3
rotations in various departments.
• Subjects like Oral Pathology, Dental Hygiene, Dental Histology, Public
Health Dentistry, etc.are taught to the students during the span of 5 years
of the course.
• The study of these subjects provides them with explicit knowledge and skill
to practice dentistry as their profession after completion of the course.
• After the completion of graduation, students usually practice their skills in
the field of dentistry in government or private hospitals.
• Those not willing to take up a job can further enhance their academic
background by opting for MDS ( Masters of Dental Surgery). This will also
provide them with better career opportunities.
• Apart from the above-listed details, BDS offers students a variety of
opportunities in terms of employment as well as higher education.
Why Study BDS?
There are various reasons why students opt for this course to build their careers. Some of the advantages of the course have been listed below:
• Due to the increased awareness about oral hygiene, the number of dental
patients has increased too in the country. To treat these patients, one must
possess a degree of BDS as it has been compulsory in India that dentistry
can be practiced only at the completion of BDS.
• Students expect a rise in employment opportunities in the near future. The
reason is that there has been a fast increase in the number of dental
patients as well as doctors and the government aims at providing better
job opportunities to dentists by increasing employment opportunities.
• During the period of a paid internship, the students may earn up to INR
15,000 - 40,000 (approx.) which increases with the increased expertise and
experience.
• Students can even practice their skills in countries like the US and Canada
to earn an increased income compared to what they get in India. However,
for this, they need to clear exams like NBDE or NDEB.
What is the BDS Admission Process?
Here is everything that you need to know about BDS that includes BDS course fees, entrance exams, etc.
• Admissions to BDS usually take place through the national level NEET exam
conducted across the country.
• It has been made mandatory since 2016 that admissions to medical courses
like MBBS, BDS, etc. require students to appear for NEET.
• In order to be eligible for the course, the student must attain a minimum of
50% in the 10+2 qualifying examination.
• The candidates are allowed to enter the admission process of the college
only if they meet the eligibility criteria.
• Once the students clear the cut-off set for the exam, they can proceed with
the counseling sessions for admission to the college.
What is the BDS Eligibility Criteria?
Being eligible for a course is a prerequisite for admission to a particular college and course. The basic eligibility criteria for admissions to BDS courses have been mentioned as follows:
• The aspiring candidate must have passed the 10+2 qualifying exam or an
equivalent degree with a minimum of 50% aggregate from a recognized
institute.
• They must have studied the subjects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology
compulsorily in their 10+2.
• In almost every college offering this course, the admissions are based on the
result of NEET. The student must clear the cut-off of the exam to be eligible
for admission.
• If the students manage to qualify for the entrance, they need to appear for •
the counseling sessions organized by the colleges.
• There are generally three rounds of counseling sessions held.
BDS Colleges State-wise list
What is the BDS Future Scope?
Students expect a rise in employment opportunities in the near future. The reason being that there has been a fast increase in the number of dental patients as well as doctors and the government aims at providing better job opportunities to dentists by increasing the employment opportunities.
• It has been noted that in India there are more dentists than the required
number. This issue can be resolved if the availability of dentists in rural and
urban areas is made equal.
• This is because many dentists are practising their skills in the urban areas
so if some of them are sent to the rural areas to provide their services there
will be an equal availability of dentists in both the regions.
• This transfer of areas will also result in increased employment
opportunities and equal employment distribution in the public or
government sector as well.
• It is expected that the employment rate is going to increase in the coming
years.
• Due to these issues in India, nowadays some students prefer to find
employment in Gulf countries due to the huge requirements and an
increased salary along with additional perks provided to them compared
to what is given in India.
BDS FAQs
Ans. Yes, after completion of BDS the students are given the title of a doctor and
can even practice dentistry.
Ans. For admission to BDS courses, you must compulsorily appear for NEET
exam.
Ans. The average course fee for BDS ranges between INR 1-6 lacs.
Ans. The average initial salary for the graduates of BDS ranges between INR 4 –
10 lacs (approx.)
Ans. BDS can be pursued in countries like the US and Canada. For this, you need
to clear exams like NBED, NDEB, etc.
Ans. The aspiring candidate must have passed the 10+2 qualifying exam or an
equivalent degree with a minimum of 50% aggregate from a recognised
institute. They must have studied the subjects of Physics, Chemistry and
Biology compulsorily in their 10+2.
Ans. Surely it is a good course as it is one of the top medical courses chosen by
students in India.
Ans. The course mainly focuses on training and introducing the students to the
dental sciences and surgeries.