BDS: Course, Full Form, Admission 2024, Fees, Syllabus, Entrance Exam, Top Colleges, Career Scope

BDS full form in medical is Bachelor of Dental Surgery. The BDS course duration is 5 years and is focused on training students to become dental surgeons or dentists. During the BDS course, students learn about oral health, dental anatomy, diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases, dental surgery, and various dental procedures.

The BDS course curriculum consists of 4 years of classroom instruction and 1 year of mandatory rotating internship. BDS course usually include both theoretical studies and practical clinical training to prepare students for a career in dentistry. The Dental Council of India regulates the BDS course curriculum (DCI). Students must register with the Dental Council of India, which oversees the BDS course, to qualify for professional practice upon graduating. 

For BDS course admission, candidates must have passed Class 12 in the Science stream with PCB (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) subjects with at least 85% from a recognised institute. Candidates must appear and qualify in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) to be admitted to one of the nation's 313 government, private, and recognised institutes offering a total of 26,949 seats for the BDS course. The BDS course fees range between INR 1 Lakh and INR 6 Lakh. Popular colleges offering BDS courses include KGMU, SRIHER, SRM Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, etc. 

After completing BDS, graduates can pursue further specialization through postgraduate programs like MDS or enter into dental practice. On graduation with the BDS course, candidates can opt for job profiles such as Dentists, Dental Officers in Defense Services, Dentists in Indian Railways, Lecturers, Researchers, etc. The average salary a BDS course graduate can earn ranges between INR 3 LPA and INR 9 LPA.