Update on 2024-04-15

What Should I Do After BDS? - Courses, Colleges, Jobs & Salary

BDS stands for "Bachelor of Dental Surgery". There was a time when being a Dentist was considered a lucrative profession, at that time students used to pursue BDS Course to become a dentist, but over the years some of us started finding it a cliche profession for a BDS student. As a career enthusiast, every student aspires to become successful in a field that offers more than just a good package, something which offers more reliability. After BDS if you thinking "What Should I Do After BDS?" then stop overthinking and read this article carefully.

Career as a Dentist:

Most of the students think that this course has the least no. of career choices. Well, It isn’t necessary to become a Dental-core Doctor ( dentist) after completing Bachelors's in Dental Surgery. One can opt for another profession like a lecturer or to do further studies in different or related fields

What are the career choices after BDS?.

If you are BDS graduated and still confused about your next move, Read this article till the end.

(1). Pursuing MDS degree - To build up your profile as an expert, the best thing you can mention in your resume is an MDS Degree, this will profoundly help you to get placed in any college as an MDS faculty, however, it is not that easy to get a position of MDS faculty in a college but still Higher studies always help you to increase your brand value and knowledge. Also, if you aspire to work in reputed hospital Setups like ( Max, Apollo, Escorts Fortis ) then the MDS degree is a must-have educational qualification. If you are already convinced with the fact that you want to pursue MDS Course, first you have to qualify for NEET examinations and secure a seat in a medical college. All the admissions of dental students in private and government colleges entirely depend on your NEET score.

(2). Opening your own Clinic:- This is the most common career move taken by most dental surgeons, after all, who doesn't want to be the CEO of their own ventures. But managing your own dental Clinic is easier to be said than done. From initial investments and finance to managing vast no. of patients, setting up your own clinic is a very difficult career option. But sooner or later, practising dentistry in your own Clinic is a dream of most BDS aspirants.

(3). Masters in Public Health:- MPH is a non-thesis, graduate degree designed to train students to protect and improve the health of the public/population worldwide. Many corporate companies and government research organizations are looking for MPH’s. The main attraction of this course is that it increases the chance to settle abroad.

(4). Clinical Research:- Our country is the second-largest pharmaceutical market in Asia, so, a large no. of research practices are outsourced by the pharmaceutical industries, So if you are a BDS graduate, you can have various job roles in this sector like Clinical Research Physician, Drug Developer, Medical Advisor, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Principal Investigator or Co-Investigators. All of these are lucrative job professions.

(5). Become a Dietician:- A BDS graduate has a keen knowledge of dental care and can also apply for the Nutrition and Dietitian Course and work with renowned hospital set-ups across the country.

(6). Dental Blogging:- This is a new career option, if you have done BDS Course, you can create blogs, share informative videos and news, and well-researched facts. This way you can educate and earn, if the information you share is credible and correct then you can get paid by google, sponsors, and affiliates.

What are the Career Options after MPH?

The following are some other career options after pursuing MPH:

Health Informatics Specialist
Healthcare Administrator
Epidemiologist
Public Health Project Manager
Health and Safety Engineer
Public Health Educator
Healthcare Consultant

List of government jobs as a Dentist:-

There are various government jobs after BDS, that you can apply for. Some of them are:

(i) Army Dental Corps

(ii) Territorial Army Officer in Indian Army

(iii) State Government Jobs as Dental Surgeon

(iv) Join the Indian Army or Indian Airforce as a Dental officer.

Dental Cosmetology- Nowadays, everyone wants to look good and want to have that picture-perfect smile, to achieve that, they don't mind spending a heavy sum of money, and this makes the profession high in demand So being a dentist, you can further opt for a Dental Cosmetology to gain extensive knowledge about dental cosmetology practice.
Break the line and pursue MBA in Hospital Management - If you are a BDS graduate and don’t want to practice traditional dentistry, then your best choice is pursuing MBA in Hospital Management and administration. This is a new generation course, The eligibility criteria are different in all colleges. For example, the Indian School of Business demands 2 years of working experience as the eligibility criteria.
To practice dentistry abroad- You can boost up your career and practice dentistry overseas. Countries like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, UAE, Australia have high demands of dentists but please note that every country has its own rule for practising dentistry. Make sure to do your research before deciding to practice overseas.
Become a lecturer- This is a common career option after completing BDS, you can join a dental college. The Average Salary of a BDS faculty in dental colleges is Rs 5.8 lacs per annum. If you want to apply for the post of senior faculty, pursuing MDS Course is recommended.
Apply in Gulf countries to practice dentistry - If you want to work as a health professional in Gulf Countries like the United Arab Emirates ( UAE is a federation of seven emirates Abu-Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras-al-Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm-al-Qaiwain), there are three separate health Board functions in UAE and its Emirates, and you have to qualify the assessment and evaluation test to get authorized license from the health boards to practice under the governance.

Important points to know after BDS:-

1. To practice in Dubai, you have to qualify for DHA exams (Dubai Health Authority) and then you can practice as a dentist in Dubai.

2. If you are planning to work as a Health Professional in Abu-Dhabi and Al-Ain, you have to qualify for the HAAD (Health Authority of Abu Dhabi.)exam.

3. To practice in Sharjah, Ajman, Ras-al-Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm-al-Qaiwain, you have to appear for MAH examinations, and then only you will be allowed to practice as a dentist in the above-mentioned emirates.

Can I do MBBS after BDS?

We all know that pursuing BDS Course is a secondary option to enter the medical field, every year many students opt for BDS due to the lack of seats in MBBS courses in colleges. But now a BDS student can enter the field of medicines and surgery. DCI (Dental Council of India) urged MDI (Medical Council of India) to introduce a 3-year MBBS bridge course for BDS graduates.

The plan was later approved by Neeti- Aayog, but the pandemic struck after that, but now the plan is again in progress. Soon, BDS students will be able to enrol in the MBBS bridge course and will get a chance to become General Physicians. This course will allow a student to gain extensive knowledge in less time and open more career paths for the student. if you want to pursue MBBS then read the article "How to become an MBBS?".

Eligibility Criteria of BDS to MBBS bridge Course:

Either the student has to take the entrance examination.
Or the marks secured by the student in the BDS examination will be taken into consideration.
Or the admission will be given by combining the average of both mentioned above.

If you are pursuing BDS Course and planning to take the BDS-MBBS bridge course, make sure to score good marks as your cumulative marks may be given preference to take admission. Also, another step is to prepare for an entrance exam which requires deep knowledge of BDS as well as MBBS subjects. Now, hope you do not need to worry about "What to do After BDS?".

List of Medical Colleges soon to offer BDS-MBBS Bridge Course:

All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry
Christian Medical College, Vellore
King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
Madras Medical College, Chennai

The best countries considered to pursue MBBS after BDS are :