PMDC restores BDS programme to four years

The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme will remain a four-year course, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) told a Senate panel on Monday.

PMDC officials informed the Senate Standing Committee on Health that the council had withdrawn its earlier notification extending the dental programme to five years.

The committee subsequently directed the PMDC to issue a fresh notification formally confirming the four-year duration of the BDS programme. The council had announced in November 2024 that the BDS programme would be extended by one year, making it a five-year course from the 2024-25 academic session.

The proposed change was based on recommendations from a committee of dental experts. The experts had called for changes to bring dental education in Pakistan closer to international standards.

The move, however, faced resistance from private dental colleges. Institutions across the country said they were not in a position to introduce the additional year because of a lack of infrastructure and other logistical difficulties.

A PMDC official had said that private dental colleges were not equipped to add another year to the programme, particularly because of shortages of teaching staff and the required infrastructure.