Internship must for dental students?

Updated on: Saturday, April 09, 2011

It could once again become mandatory for all undergraduate dental students to undergo a one-year internship before getting their BDS degree.

After making the BDS a five-year degree “all classroom” course in 2007, dropping the need for any hands-on-training with real patients, the Dental Council of India has decided to revive the one-year internship programme for dental students. Once finalised and given the go-ahead by the Union health ministry, students after completing four years of BDS in theory, will have to undertake the year-long clinical programme, much like what the Medical Council of India has done with the revised MBBS programme.

According to DCI officials, the rationale behind dropping the internship in 2007 was the lack of seriousness on the part of the students. “Most of the dental colleges in India are private. Most of the students would not attend the internship and get a fake certificate. On the other hand, the final year had nine subjects which were difficult to complete in one year causing too much pressure on students. That’s why BDS was made a five-year course without internship that made India part of only a handful of countries where there is no internship,” an official said. “However, it is now felt that internship is crucial. It will give the student a hands-on experience,” the official added.

Internships were first introduced in 1992-93 after dental science was recognised as a professional course like medicine and engineering. India has 249 private dental colleges and 40 government colleges jointly producing 23, 380 dentists a year.

Internship must for dental students?

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