WHY NOT DENTAL CAREER ?
Why not BDS ?
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is a 5-years undergraduate program and the only approved professional dental course in India. It is a compulsory course for the students aspiring to work as dentists at government or private hospitals.BDS is one of the most popular medical courses after MBBS in India.
BDS mainly focuses on training and introducing the students to the dental sciences and surgeries.The 5-year program involves 4 years of classroom education and 1 year of compulsory rotating internship.
After MBBS, one of the most desired courses by students these days in the health sector is BDS.
The degree is regulated by the Dental Council of India ( DCI ). The various subjects taught in the program include Dental Histology, Oral Pathology, Oral Surgery, etc.
It is necessary for the students to register themselves in the Dental Council of India which regulates the BDS course so that they become eligible to practise their profession after the completion of their degree.
In India, for admission to BDS courses, it is mandatory for students to qualify a 10+2 exam or an equivalent degree with at least 85% from a recognised institute.
There is generally only one entrance exam conducted all over India. The entrance exam is named National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam ( NEET ) and is held as a national level exam once a year. As per the current data, there are approximately more than 300 dental colleges in India which means in a total there are 26,000 seats in both governments as well as private colleges. In India, the average course fee ranges between INR 1-8 lacs.
During the internship period, the students may receive a monthly stipend of INR 15,000 – 40,000 (approx.) which entirely depends upon the college. After the completion of graduation, students usually practice their skills in the field of dentistry in government or private hospitals.
The professionals of the course can find lucrative job opportunities as Dentists, Lecturer, Dental Research Scientist, at reputed hospitals and even in the education sector. The average initial salary of these professionals ranges within INR 4-10 lacs per annum.
Apart from the job prospects, students can also opt for further studies after BDS, such as MDS (Master of Dental Surgery).
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 takes 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 the entrance, they need to appear for the counseling sessions organized by the colleges.
- There are generally three rounds of counseling sessions held.
BDS Entrance Exams
In India, admission to BDS courses is based on the national level NEET exam only. Presented before is some more information regarding the exam:
- Not many entrances are conducted for admission to BDS. The national level exam NEET is the only exam conducted for admission to BDS courses.
- NEET is a national level exam conducted for admissions to undergraduate medical courses like MBBS, BDS, BAMS, etc.
- The aspiring candidates need to register themselves on the official website and fill in their personal details.
- They must then fill the online application form available over there.
- The admit cards will be sent to the students via email. The applicants are requested to appear for the exam on the prescribed date only.
- Results are announced as per the marks obtained in the exam
- If the student manages to clear the cut off set up for the exam they may proceed to the counselling sessions held for admissions to a college
- Since 2016, it has been made mandatory that admissions to courses like MBBS, BDS, BAMS, and any other medical course will take place only through the national level exam NEET.
- National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a national level exam for admissions in undergraduate medical courses like MBBS, BDS, etc.
- BDS admissions are entirely done through NEET in every institute be it a government college or a private college.
- Being one of the most competitive exams conducted in India, NEET is necessary enough for admissions to recognised dental colleges in the country.
Why Study BDS?
There are various reasons due to which the students opt for this course to build their career. 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 practised only at the completion of BDS.
- 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.
- 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.
- It is an incredible course for the students who desire to choose dentistry as their career.
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS): What is it about?
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 the 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 the students a variety of opportunities in terms of employment as well as higher education.
The above comparison has been done among the most chosen and desired courses by the students in the field of medical sciences. Also, a comparison between two very closely related courses will help the students to decide about their area of interest. These courses are taught in almost all the reputed medical colleges across the country.