MDS in Public Health Dentistry is a pg course for doctors who have graduated from the Dental Science program and desire to work as dentists in India or abroad. They do it after completing their BDS or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Dental Council of India and should have obtained permanent registration with the State Dental Council.

This Postgraduate course is three years and focuses on the science and art of preventing and controlling Dental illnesses and promoting Dental health through organized community efforts.

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The course is a full-time program followed at various recognized institutes across the country. Some of the best-accredited institutes offering this course include Maulana Azad Dental College & Hospital, New Delhi, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, and many more.

Admission to this program is made via the NEET-MDS Entrance exam conducted by the (NBEMS)National Board of Examinations in Medical Science, followed by counseling based on the exam scores that DGHS/DCI/State Authorities conduct. However, several colleges, such as AIIMS, conduct a university-level entrance exam to propose MDS Admission in the AIIMS, New Delhi, based on the AIIMS INI CET. The Dental Council of India regulates dental education in the country.

The fee for pursuing this BDS course varies from accredited institute/hospital to hospital and may range from Rs. 20,000 to Rs.30 lakhs per year.

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After completing their respective program, doctors can join the job market or pursue Fellowship programs recognized by DCI. Candidates can work as dentists in government or private hospitals or nursing homes or start dental clinics. The average starting salary is from Rs. 4 lakhs to Rs. 11 lakhs per year.

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Eligibility Criteria

• A candidate for admission to MDS recognized under section 10(2) of the Act, 1948 must possess a recognized degree of BDS awarded by an Indian University in respect of a Dental College or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Dental Council of India Should have obtained permanent registration with the State Dental Council.
• Students with a PG diploma recognized by the DCI with a duration of 2 years (proposed) in a particular specialty are eligible for admission to MDS in the same specialty. The duration will be two years. The syllabus will be as per the concerned university guidelines.

• Selection Of PG Students:

(1) Students for postgraduate dental courses shall be selected strictly based on academic merit.

(2) For determining the academic merit, the institution may adopt any one of the following processes both for PG Diploma and MDS degree programs:

(i) based on merit as defined by a competitive exam by the State Government or by the competent administration appointed by the State Government or by the University/group of universities in the same state;

or

(ii) based on merit as specified by a centralized competitive exam held at the national level;

or

(iii) based on the separate cumulative performance at the first, second, third & Final BDS examinations, if such exams have been passed from the same university; or

(iv) Combination of (i) and (iii); (iii)

• Provided that wherever the entrance exam for PG admissions is conducted by a State Government or a university, or any other authorized examining body, the minimum percentage of scores for eligibility for admission to postgraduate Dental courses shall be 50% for general category students and 40% for the students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Further, in non-Governmental organizations, fifty percent of the total seats shall be filled by the competent authority and the remaining percent by the institution's management based on merit.

Admission Procedure

• National Eligibility Entrance (NBE) Test for MDS is a national-level pg level examination conducted by the NBE for admission to MDS courses in approved Dental Colleges/ Deemed Universities.
• These eligibility criteria are fixed by the Dental Council of India (DCI) with the approval of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The basic needs to appear for NEET MDS can be checked below:-

· Candidates must hold a BDS degree from a recognized institute to fulfill NEET MDS eligibility criteria 2023.

· Provisional/permanent registration with State Dental Council (SDC) or DCI by July 31, 2023.

· Completing a one-year compulsory rotatory internship by July 31 of the academic year a candidate is seeking admission is mandatory.