PMDC begins phased implementation of five-year BDS programme nationwide

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has approved a new national framework extending the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme to five years of academic study, followed by a mandatory one-year House Job/Internship, introducing a major reform in dental education across the country.

The decision was conveyed through a notification issued on July 8 to vice chancellors of all PMDC-recognized universities. Rather than requiring immediate implementation, the council has opted for a phased rollout, allowing institutions to transition to the revised programme according to their academic and administrative readiness.

Under the new policy, universities that have already completed the necessary preparations may begin offering the five-year BDS programme immediately. Institutions requiring additional time have been given a two-year transition period before they are required to fully adopt the revised curriculum.

PMDC said it will continue reviewing and refining the curriculum during the transition period to strengthen its implementation based on feedback from universities and dental colleges.

The move follows the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore's earlier adoption of its Integrated Curriculum 2K25 Version 2.0, under which affiliated dental colleges are implementing a five-year modular BDS curriculum featuring competency-based education, integrated teaching, early clinical exposure, simulation-based training, research, professionalism, ethics, patient safety and continuous assessment.

The phased implementation has generated discussion within the academic community. Some educators believe the transition period could result in both four-year and five-year BDS graduates entering the workforce simultaneously, raising questions about consistency in qualifications during the interim. Others argue that the additional time will allow universities to strengthen faculty capacity, infrastructure and academic systems before introducing the revised programme.

PMDC has directed universities to begin the academic, administrative and regulatory preparations necessary for implementation and to communicate the revised framework to all affiliated dental colleges.

With the transition now underway, universities across Pakistan are expected to determine their implementation timelines as the country's dental education system prepares for one of its most significant curriculum reforms in recent years.