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.
The degree is regulated by the Dental Council of India (DCI). The various BDS 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 practice their profession after the completion of their degree.
In India, for admission to BDS courses, it is mandatory for students to qualify for a 10+2 exam or an equivalent degree with at least 85% from a recognized 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 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.
BDS Private College fees ranges between INR 6-9 Lakhs. During the internship period, the students may receive a monthly stipend of INR 15,000 – 40,000 (approx.) which entirely depends upon the college.
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 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 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, BSc Nursing etc.
- Aspiring candidates need to register themselves on the official website and fill in their personal details.
- They must then fill out the online application form available over there. Learn More: NEET Physics Syllabus
- 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. See Also: NEET Chemistry Syllabus
- If the student manages to clear the cut off set up for the exam they may proceed to the counseling sessions held for admissions to a college. Check Out: NEET Biology Syllabus
- 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.
- The 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.
How to Prepare for NEET Exams?
Since NEET is the only entrance conducted for admission to BDS courses in India, it requires the candidates to put in a lot of hard work to crack it off. Every year, more than 10 lac students appear for the exam which makes it one of the most competitive examinations conducted in India. Given below are certain tips which might help the students to prepare well for the exam:
- Beware of the latest exam pattern and syllabus for the exam which is usually available on the official website. This will help you not get confused and stay on the right track.
- Make a study plan and include all the topics that are mentioned in the syllabus. This will help you in knowing how much you have covered and how much more you have to.
- Make a proper time table and follow it strictly. This will help you to finish your syllabus well on time.
- Buy the best study material for NEET which covers all important topics. Also, be thorough with your NCERT books as questions might come from there as well.
- Read newspapers daily to stay updated about the happenings around you.
- Prepare notes of what you have studied. This will help you to revise well at the last minute.
- Sit for mock tests and follow the time limits strictly. This will give you an idea of the actual exam situation.
How to Get Admission in A Top-Notch BDS College?
If you wish to get admitted to top reputed colleges offering the course then you must work really hard to achieve it. In India, several reputed colleges are offering this course across different states. Provided are some guideline which must be followed so as to get into these colleges:
- Entrance to any good college requires a strong academic background, especially at the 10+2 level.
- The students must also clear the entrance exams with excellent marks to get into these colleges.
- To qualify for the entrances, one must start preparing a year before the exam.
- Once you clear the cut-off, then you must mandatorily attend the counseling sessions which are usually organized in three rounds.
- You must find out if the college you desire to get in is good enough for you or not. Do check the curriculum of the course available on the official website.
- You must have an idea of the placements offered by the college on completion of the course which is an important aspect these days.
- Check the fees structure of the college offering that course so that you can ensure if it matches your requirements or not.
What is BDS about?
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.