BDS to MBBS Bridge Course: Eligibility, Duration, Admission, Best Universities

BDS to MBBS Bridge Course refers to the academic program of shifting from one discipline of study to another in medical sciences. Students in the medical field who are interested in changing their field of study after a certain point of time may consider BDS to MBBS Bridge Course. The BDS to MBBS Bridge Course was proposed by the Dental Council of India (DCI) in the year 2016 and recently got approved by the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog to address the shortage of specialized medical professionals in the field whenever in need due to the increased demand in the medical healthcare industry. Thus, the idea behind introducing a BDS to MBBS Bridge Course was to prepare medical students in a manner for them to be able to contribute largely to different fields of medical sciences. The following article highlights all the important details regarding BDS to MBBS Bridge Course eligibility criteria, admission procedures, best universities, etc. for all interested students to refer to.

With the booming demand for medical professionals in India across all fields, both BDS and MBBS are considered among the most respected career professions in today's world. A Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) allows a student to explore the prospects offered across the field of dental sciences whereas a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree offers a wide spectrum of opportunities to upcoming doctors across several interdisciplinary streams in Medical Sciences. A BDS course duration is 4 years, including a 1 year mandatory internship. On the other hand, an MBBS course is for 5 years with a mandatory 1 month internship period. The duration of BDS to MBBS Bridge Course is 3 years after students have successfully completed their BDS degrees. This has been designed keeping in mind that BDS graduates are already well-informed about the nitty-gritty of the medical field through their course curriculum.

What is the BDS to MBBS Bridge Course?

A bridge course is an academic degree designed for students who wish to transition from one medical field of study to another. Through this, a student is allowed to seek admission into their desired field of study and then choose their degree to pursue after it. Therefore, a BDS to MBBS Bridge Course is essentially offered to students who are pursuing a BDS degree and wish to transition to an MBBS course post completion of their UG course. There are several advantages of pursuing a BDS to MBBS Bridge Course, including the following:

• A BDS to MBBS Bridge Course guides eligible students to impart knowledge about the field in less time, by focusing on skill development and practical performances.
• A BDS to MBBS Bridge Course allows Dental Science students to practice in the field as general physicians across various government and private hospitals, clinics, and organizations.
• The course duration of BDS to MBBS bridge courses proves to be more convenient for students who aim to pursue a career in the field as soon as possible.

BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Highlights

The major highlights of the BDS to MBBS Bridge Course are mentioned in this table below for all students to draw references from:

BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Duration

The Dental Council of India had proposed the idea of BDS to MBBS Bridge Course in 2016 with a two-fold objective. The course duration of BDS to MBBS Bridge Course was suggested to be 3 years because students transferring from BDS to MBBS Bridge Course were considered already well-informed about the fundamentals of the medical field of study after their BDS degree. Therefore, instead of dealing with a full-time 5.5-year MBBS degree, BDS graduates could complete their BDS to MBBS Bridge Course within 3 years after graduation. Moreover, all those who successfully complete this course are required to mandatorily serve as medical professionals in rural areas across the country for 3 years in total. Thus, the factors influencing the BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Duration of 3 years are as follows:

• BDS graduates who are seeking employment opportunities in the medical healthcare industry urgently will be able to do so within less time in comparison to regular MBBS graduates.
• BDS to MBBS Bridge Courses act as a gateway of opportunities for HDS students who wish to change their field of study for a bright career prospect in future.
• Oftentimes, it poses a challenge to meet the increased demand for medical professionals in the field of Medicine and Surgery due to the number of limited working staff. Thus, to tackle this problem, BDS graduates who have qualified the BDS to MBBS Bridge Courses come into play to cater to the needs of the patients in such cases and other important situations.

BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for admission into the BDS to MBBS Bridge Course, students are required to meet the following criteria for qualification. The list of BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Eligibility Criteria has been laid down by the Dental Council of India, which was later approved and made to be practised. They are as follows:

• All students interested in applying for a BDS to MBBS Bridge Course must have successfully completed their BDS degrees from a recognized institute.
• All students must possess a valid medical registration with the Dental Council of India (DCI) to be eligible for BDS to MBBS Bridge Course.
• While there have been no solid instructions regarding the same, in some cases a mandatory clinical experience in dentistry may be required as per the individual requirements of a particular institution.
• Some universities may conduct an entrance exam for the admission process into a BDS to MBBS Bridge Course while others may offer admissions based on the marks secured by the students in their BDS degree.
• The eligibility of a student will be tested based on the combined scores secured in the entrance examination and the marks obtained in BDS graduation.
• The course curriculum of the BDS to MBBS Bridge Course is likely to be based on the syllabus of MBBS degree.

BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Admission Process

The important points to remember while applying for BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Admission are as follows:

• All students are required to secure a minimum of 50-55% marks in aggregate in their BDS degree for the BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Admission Process.
• All students must qualify the entrance exam for BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Admission which is conducted based on the combined syllabus of BDS and MBBS courses.

How to Switch from BDS to MBBS?

Mentioned below are a few important instructions to follow in order to switch from BDS to MBBS course:

• Students must be well-informed about the latest updates on changes introduced by the MCI or the NMC on important rules and regulations for BDS to MBBS Bridge Course.
• Students must focus on BDS to MBBS Bridge Course entrance exam preparations and avoid opting for a gap year to secure a better score at admission confirmation.
• All students must complete the BDS Course mandatory internships to successfully seek admission into the bridge course.
• Students must apply for a Dental Council of India (DCI) registration before applying for BDS to MBBS Bridge Course.

BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Syllabus

The list of subjects included in the BDS to MBBS Bridge Course Syllabus is given below for an example:

• Histology
• Bio-Chemistry
• Physiology
• Anatomy
• Oral Medicine
• Pathology
• Microbiology
• Pharmacology
• Forensic Dentistry
• Neurology
• Paediatrics
• General Surgery
• Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)
• Anesthesiology
• Cardiology
• Emergency Medicine

Best Universities for BDS to MBBS Bridge Course

Some of the best universities offering BDS to MBBS Bridge Courses to all eligible students are listed below for reference:

Difference Between BDS and MBBS Course

To understand the significance of the BDS to MBBS Bridge Course, it is important that students learn the fundamental differences between BDS and MBBS Course for a better analysis. The difference between BDS and MBBS Course has been provided below in the table for all interested students to glance through:

BDS To MBBS Bridge Course Job Opportunities

There are many job opportunities offered to students who have successfully completed their BDS to MBBS Bridge Course. They are listed below in this table:

To conclude, a BDS to MBBS Bridge Course is a good option for BDS students who wish to pursue a career in the field of medicine and surgery post their graduation. The following allows students to seek lucrative job opportunities in the field, allowing them to explore and expand their knowledge across the vast discipline of medical sciences.