Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)

Five-and-a-half-year dental-surgery program producing clinically competent dental surgeons capable of preventive, promotive, curative, and community-oriented dental practice, with integrated pre-clinical, clinical, and internship training.
Program is structured around four-and-a-half years of academic and clinical study followed by a mandatory one-year rotating internship. Curriculum integrates basic medical sciences, dental sciences, clinical dentistry, community dentistry, and patient-centered care. Training develops diagnostic competence, procedural skill, surgical capability, ethics, communication, and community-health orientation. Emphasis on integrated teaching, problem-based learning, and exposure to real patient settings prepares graduates for general dental practice and higher specialization. The degree leads to NMC licensing eligibility.

Curricular structure (condensed table)

Semester distribution (summary)

Salient features
• Community-oriented, patient-based curriculum.
• Integrated teaching across medical and dental sciences.
• Problem-based learning and competency-driven assessment.
• Mandatory one-year rotating internship.
• Training in clinical, surgical, radiological, preventive, rehabilitative, and emergency dental care.
• Development of ethical, communicative, and team-based professional practice.

Eligibility
• 10+2 Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) with ≥ 50% aggregate or CGPA ≥ 2.4
OR
• A-Level/science-equivalent meeting the same percentage standard
OR
• Health Science PCL/Diploma containing PCB (General Medicine, MLT, Ophthalmic Science, Dental Science, Pharmacy, Ayurveda, Radiography, Physiotherapy) + equivalence + ≥ 50% in both diploma and equivalence exam
• Mandatory registration in the relevant professional council (NHPC, NPC, NPHC, etc.)

Admission criteria
• Entrance exam: MECEE-BL with ≥ 50 percentile to qualify.
• MCQ, single-best-response: 200 questions, 3 hours, −0.25 negative marking.
• Selected candidates must submit originals + copies of academic certificates, citizenship/passport, entrance admit card, reservation documents, and equivalence certificates (if applicable).
• Foreign applicants fill online form for vacant foreign-student seats within deadline.

Scholarship provisions
Distributed according to National Medical Education Act and Regulations.
• 55% open competition
• 45% reservation categories (female, Dalit, Adivasi Janajati, Khas Arya, Madhesi, Tharu, Muslim, backward community, disabled, conflict-victim families)

Prospect careers
• General dental surgeon
• Clinical practitioner in hospitals/clinics
• Government health-service postings
• Community-oriented dental-health programs
• Dental emergency and trauma-care roles
• Oral health educator
• Entry path to specialization: OMFS, orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, pedodontics, oral pathology, oral radiology, implantology
• Academia and dental-research roles
• International postgraduate opportunities