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

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

3 mins read8.5K Views 1 Comment
CallCall 8585951111Got Doubts?
Parul
Parul Thapa
Assistant Manager
Updated on Dec 2, 2025 17:14 IST
In India, both Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and Bachelor of Medicine, as well as Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), are among the most respected degrees in the healthcare sector. While BDS focuses on dental studies, MBBS covers a broad spectrum of medical sciences, preparing students to become licensed doctors.
Many discussions in India about possibility of transitioning from BDS to MBBS is going on. For now, there is no approval for this transition. The National Medical Commission (NMC) replaced Medical Council of India (MCI), has not sanctioned any such bridge courses or lateral entry programs that allows BDS graduates to directly pursue MBBS.
Knowing about this shift is very important for both students and professionals to grow in their Medical careers. Say there is a BDS graduate wants to pursue MBBS, they must appear and qualify NEET-UG examination to secure a seat in MBBS program. It is important to depend on rely on verified updates and official announcements.
Table of contents
  • What is a Bridge Course?
  • Best Colleges for BDS Courses
  • Best Colleges for MBBS Courses
  • What is the Difference Between BDS and MBBS?

What is a Bridge Course?

As name suggest it acts as bridge between two field of study or practice. They fill gap between disciplines and provide qualifications and skills for new domain. It is useful in case where one practitioner such as dentist wants to be eligible for other allopathic practices. However, in India, there is no options for such transition from BDS to MBBS.

Quick Links:

BDS Courses

MBBS Courses 

BDS Career

MBBS Career
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the cutoff for NEET?
A: 

The NEET 2026 cutoff will be released along with the results. The NTA will release the NEET UG cutoff marks based on the difficulty level. Till then, take a look at the NEET 2025 cutoff for reference. 

Category

NEET 2025 Cutoff percentile

NEET 2025 Cutoff score

UR/EWS

50th

686-144

OBC, SC, ST

40th

143-113

UR/EWS-PwD

45th

143-127

OBC/SC/St-PwD

40th

126-113

 

Q:   What is the category-wise NEET cutoff percentile?
A: 

 The category-wise NEET cutoff percentile is given in the table below:

Category

NEET Cut Off Percentile

 General Category/Unreserved (UR) Category

50

OBC/SC/ST

40

PwD (General/UR)

45

PwD (Reserved)

40

Q:   What is the qualifying NEET cut off for General category candidates?
A: 

The qualifying NEET 2025 cutoff marks for General category candidates is 144. Last year it was 162. As expected, the NEET 2025 cutoff for General category candidates is lower than last year. The reason is, the difficulty level of NEET was tougher this year as compared to last year. The competition level has become even higher, along with the increase in the number of seats.

Q:   When did NTA release the official cutoff for NEET 2025?
A: 

The NEET 2025 cutoff was released along with the result on June 14, 2025. The NEET cutoff for each candidate category was mentioned on the result PDF. The NTA lowered the NEET cut off 2025 as the level of difficulty was higher and the number of test-takers was lower. 

Best Colleges for BDS Courses

If you want to complete BDS course in India, several colleges stand out for exceptional education, top facilities, and clinical exposure. See table below for list of best colleges that offer BDS courses in India:

BDS Colleges  BDS Course Fees in Government College (in INR)
KGMU  1.9 Lakh
Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research  19.4 Lakh
Institute of Medical Sciences 1.67 Lakh
Jamia Millia Islamia 1.55 Lakh
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University 3.5 Lakh
SRIHER 24 Lakh
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Poonamallee 43 Lakh
Maharishi Markandeshwar University 9.6 Lakh
Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies 15.63 Lakh
Padmashree Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Navi Mumbai 31 Lakh

Suggested Links:

Know all about the MDS course

List of Medical Colleges in India accepting NEET Scores

Total AIIMS Colleges in India: Complete List with Fees, Courses, Ranking, and Total Seats

Staying updated about the latest educational events is just a click away
Enter Mobile Number

Best Colleges for MBBS Courses

India boasts some of best colleges for pursuing an MBBS course, offering world class facilities and rigorous academic training. See below for list of best colleges that offer MBBS courses in India:

MBBS Colleges 

MBBS Course Fees (in INR)

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi

6,000

King George Medical University

2,00,000

JIPMER Puducherry 

7,000

Madras Medical College, Chennai

68,000

AIIMS Jodhpur

24,000

Christian Medical College, Vellore

14,000

Kasturba Medical College

44,00,000

Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research

1,00,00,000

St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences

30,00,000

KIMS - Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences

83,00,000

Relevant Links:

What is a Good Score in NEET UG?

NEET Last Minute Preparation Tips by Experts and Toppers

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the NEET cutoff score?
A: 

The NEET cut off score generally changes every year, based on the exam difficulty level. The NEET 2025 cut off score was reduced from that of 2024. Have a look at the cut off scores of NEET 2025 exam below-

Category

NEET 2025 Cutoff percentile

NEET 2025 Cutoff score

UR/EWS

50th

686-144

OBC, SC, ST

40th

143-113

UR/EWS-PwD

45th

143-127

OBC/SC/St-PwD

40th

126-113

Q:   Can I get AIIMS with 550 NEET scores?
A: 

The AIIMS accepts NEET scores for admission to the MBBS. Students need to obtain the NEET cut off percentile and scores to get shortlisted for counselling in AIIMS MBBS course. The NEET 2025 cutoff scores for generally category was 686-144. So, a general category student with 550 marks cannot take admissions to AIIMS. 

Q:   What is the passing marks for NEET exam?
A: 

Candidates need to obtain the NEET exam pass marks to clear the exam. The minimum NEET cutoff percentile that candidates must obtain is shared below-

Category

NEET Cut off percentile

UR/EWS

50th

OBC, SC, ST

40th

UR/EWS-PwD

45th

OBC/SC/St-PwD

40th

Q:   What is the minimum score to qualify NEET?
A: 

The minimum qualifying percentile for NEET UG exam is shared below-

Category

NEET 2025 Cutoff percentile

UR/EWS

50th

OBC, SC, ST

40th

UR/EWS-PwD

45th

OBC/SC/St-PwD

40th

Explore colleges based on NEET

Delhi
₹6.08 K
Vellore
₹15.00 K
Lucknow
₹2.14 L

Want better recommendations?

There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
Manipal
₹43.95 L
Rishikesh
₹51.52 K
Chennai
₹1.25 Cr
Bhubaneswar
₹89.78 L
Chennai
₹68.02 K
Bhubaneswar
₹26.35 K
Confused about which college or exam to opt for?assitentRcpRhsImage
  • Chat with our counselor
  • Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
View allCollections

Explore more Medicine & Health Sciences exams with upcoming dates

Form Correction

17 May '26 - 19 May '26

Last date to apply for June Attempt

22 May '26

NTA NEET 2026 Exam Date

1 May '26 - 31 May '26

RE NEET Admit Card 2026

25 May '26 - 31 May '26

FMGE 2026 Application Correcti...

21 May '26 - 10 Jun '26

KALSEE 2026 Exam Dates

12 Jul '26

RUHS Pharmacy Admit Card 2026

15 May '26 - 20 May '26

What is the Difference Between BDS and MBBS?

See below table:

Particulars

MBBS

BDS

Course Level

UG

UG

Course Duration

5 years + 6 months internship

5 years

Course Fees

Government: INR 10,000 - INR 50,000 per year

Private: INR 3 Lakh - INR 25 Lakh per year  

INR 16,500 - INR 42.5 Lakh

Admission Criteria

Entrance-Based

Entrance-Based

Eligibility Criteria

Class 12 & NEET

Class 12 & NEET

Entrance Exams

NEET

NEET & KEAM 

Popular Colleges

Government - AIIMS Delhi, JIPMER, KGMU, AIIMS Rishikesh, etc.

KGMU, SRIHER, SRM Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, etc. 

Job Profiles

MBBS Doctors, Medical Surgeons, Medical Officers, Paediatricians, General Physicians, Medical Assistants (Surgery), etc.

Dentists, Dental officers in Defense Services, Dentists in Indian Railways, Lecturers, Researchers, etc.

Average Salary

INR 2.5 LPA - INR 15 LPA 

INR 3 LPA - INR 9 LPA

Top Recruiters

Medanta Hospitals, Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Fortis Healthcare Ltd, Wockhardt Ltd, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd, etc.

Hospitals, Dental Clinics, Educational Institutes, Dental Product Manufacturers etc.

Useful Links:

Top 20 Medical Colleges in India Based on NIRF Ranking

BAMS vs BDS – Differences, Eligibility, Syllabus, Jobs, Salaries, and More!

Videos you may like
About the Author
author-image
Parul Thapa
Assistant Manager
Parul Thapa is an MA English graduate and the Assistant Manager at Shiksha, with over 5 years of experience in content writing. She specializes in Medical, Hospitality, and Mass Communication courses, crafting clear Read Full Bio
qna

Comments

(1)

F

Farhaan

a year ago

Is this true and the latest news?

Reply to Farhaan