The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has cancelled its earlier decision to make the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme five years long, according to reports on Tuesday.
Is PMDC increasing BDS programme tenure?
The BDS degree will remain a four-year programme. Students will then complete a one-year house job.
The decision was discussed at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination at Parliament House in Islamabad.
PMDC withdraws five-year BDS decision
The committee reviewed the steps taken after its meeting on August 20, 2026.
Members said the BDS programme should have four years of academic study followed by one year of house job.
They said that it should not have five years of academic study followed by a house job.
PMDC officials told the committee that the council had withdrawn its earlier notification that increased the academic period to five years.
The committee also directed the PMDC to publicly announce the decision. The notice must be shared on the council’s official website and social media accounts.
Why had PMDC increased BDS programme time?
The PMDC had increased the BDS programme from four years to five years in November 2024.
The change was planned for students starting the programme in the 2024-25 academic session.
The decision was based on recommendations from a group of dental experts. The group said the change would help bring dental education in Pakistan closer to international standards.
The latest decision means students will continue with four years of BDS studies followed by a one-year house job.
PMDC makes fire safety training compulsory for house officers
Previously, the PMDC decided to make fire safety training compulsory for house officers. The decision comes after the recent tragedy at PIMS hospital in Islamabad.
Under the new programme, house officers will learn how to deal with fire emergencies.
They will receive training on fire safety, emergency drills and the safe evacuation of patients.
The training will become a required part of house job programmes at medical and dental colleges across the country.
