BDS or Bachelor of Dental Surgery is the top dental undergraduate course in India. Students are selected based on their performance in entrance exams, divided into 3 categories by the Dental Council of India (DCI):
The All India Pre-Medical/Dental Entrance Examination
State Medical Entrance Exam
Other- entrance exams conducted by private universities
The 5-year programme is divided into 2 parts i.e. four years of studying and 1 year compulsory internship.
What’s in the course?
BDS course offers students a bunch of opportunities to learn. They are taught about surgeries, dental problems and denture procedures. It’s a true fact that the course is challenging. However, it’s also true that in a profession like medical, ‘tough and danger’ are words that mean a whole lot to the students as well as professionals.
The DCI registers all those completing the course as ‘Doctors’ to practice further dentistry. Most graduates join either a government hospital or a government medical college to get a realistic experience of the profession which helps them master the techniques.
Subjects
There are two types of subject combinations i.e. Medical & Dental which also include the specializations. All subjects require constant reading and practice.
Some medical subjects include: Anatomy, Embryology, Histology, Biochemistry, General Surgery, Pharmacology etc.
Some dental subjects include: Dental Material Science, Oral Pathology, Periodontics, Oral Anatomy & Histology, Endodontics, Conservative Dentistry, Community Dentistry and a whole lot more.
Along with these, clinical exposure/expertise is a must. It involves the social skills & basics to learn while interacting and treating patients.
Internship
The internship programme is a 1-year compulsory rotary internship. The students apply their acquired and learning skills into practice. This is more like training in the field. Students can choose to work with experienced dentists as well as nurses and learn what it takes to be a dentist. The main idea behind internships is to prepare the students mentally (of certain procedures as well as the life of dentists).
Further Studies
Once done with graduation, students can opt for post-graduate studies i.e. MDS (Master of Dental Surgery). Here, they learn about laser surgeries, trauma, tissue grafting and many other aspects. If there is way too much competition in MDS (which there is), you can certainly opt for different diploma courses provided by government as well as private institutes.
Job & Earning Outlook
There are tremendous job opportunities available.
Dental researchers in pharmaceutical departments of oral care product makers like toothpastes, mouth wash etc.
A teaching career in dental colleges
Armed forces and state services
Jobs in dental clinics, nursing homes & health departments of hospitals
Medical insurance corporations
Professional actors/models also need private dental hygienists where the pay scale is quite good
Foreign aspects should also not be undermined. There is a huge demand of dentists in USA, UK & Europe who need good dental professionals
In fact, in this avenue self-employment is a very rich job prospect. If you are confident in what you do then you can start your own venture as well
A career in BDS is challenging, innovative, exciting & respectful but on the other hand there’s stress, unpredictability & high physical risk (from wastes). A fool will look at the cons as what really moves you ahead are your “Determination & Strength”.
