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

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

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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.

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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.

Q:   What is the minimum marks to be scored for qualifying in NEET?
A:

Candidates belonging to the General category should secure 50 percentile. Those belonging to the PwD General category has to secure 45 percentile. The NEET cutoff percentile for the reserved category candidates is 40. The exact qualifying marks or cutoff scores will be announced by NTA along with the scorecards. This year, General category candidates had to score minimum 137 marks to qualify for the exam. 

Q:   Can I appear for NEET if I forget to carry my photo ID?
A:

No, candidates will not be allowed to appear for the examination without a valid photo ID. Candidates were advised to keep the following three things ready with them, a day before the examination; a valid photo ID proof, NEET admit card, and a recent passport-sized photograph. These are the mandatory documents to be produced during entry to the NEET exam centre. The valid photo identity card which will be allowed at the NEET exam centre include Aadhaar card/ Driving Licence/ PAN Card/ Passport/ Voter Id, etc. The NEET admit card is also required to have the passport and postcard-sized photographs pasted on it.

Q:   How many candidates appeared for NEET 2024?
A:

According to the reports, this year saw the highest number of NEET applications and appearance for the exam. A total of 24,06,079  candidates applied for the exam, out of which 23,33,297 candidates appeared. The exam was originally conducted on May 5, 2024, in 571 cities across India and abroad. A re-test for 1,563 candidates who were awarded grace marks on May 5, was conducted on June 23, 2024. In this exam, 813 candidates had appeared.

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BDS Courses

MBBS Courses 

BDS Career

MBBS Career

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

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:

Q:   Can a student do MBBS without NEET?
A:

Students cannot do Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) without qualifying the NEET UG exam. Clearing the NEET exam is the minimum eligibility requirement to pursue the MBBS course in India.

Q:   Which courses can I pursue after appearing for NEET exam?
A:

NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is a national level medical entrance exam for undergraduate courses. It is the gateway to admission to multiple medical and paramedical courses. Although earlier NEET scores were considered for MBBS and BDS courses only, but now, there are multiple courses including medical, dental, nursing and other paramedical courses, the admission to which are conducted through NEET scores. The course names are listed below:

1. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)

2. Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)

3. BSc Nursing

4. Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS)

5. Bachelor of Uninani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS)

6. Bachelor Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS)

7. Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS)

8. Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT)

9. Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOTh)

10. Bachelor of Audiology, Speech and Language Pathology (BASLP)

11. Bachelor of Prosthetics and Orthotics

These courses are offered at various colleges across India, and the admission is based on the NEET UG exam scores.

 

Q:   What are the regional language options available for NEET UG?
A:

NEET UG question paper is available in 13 languages. Apart from Hindi and English candidates can choose from Tamil, Urdu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Odia, Assamese, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Telugu. Candidates have to enter their language preferences in the application form and will have to choose their exam centre preference accordingly. During the exam, candidates must ensure that they have received the NEET question paper in the language they have opted for, otherwise, they should report the same to the invigilators. During preparation, candidates must prepare in the particular language and solve previous year question papers and mock tests in the regional language.

What is a Good Score in NEET UG?

NEET Last Minute Preparation Tips by Experts and Toppers

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!

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About the Author
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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
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Comments

(1)

F

Farhaan

a year ago

Is this true and the latest news?

Reply to Farhaan