LAHORE – The University of Health Sciences (UHS) approved a new integrated curriculum set to be implemented in Punjab’s dental colleges starting from the 2024-25 academic session, transitioning the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program from four years to a five-year degree.
Board of Studies in Dentistry meeting held on Thursday with UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore in the chair also decided that both public and private dental colleges will not charge fees for the fifth year, which will be designated as a clerkship year.
This change aligns with international standards, ensuring that students complete an additional year focusing on practical experience. The implementation of the new curriculum will involve training subject specialists and medical education experts in all affiliated dental colleges.
Prof. Rathore emphasized that faculty training for the new curriculum would be completed by December and January. He noted that the fifth year, aimed at clerkship, would provide workforce support to dental colleges. He advocated for a stipend model, suggesting that if dental colleges cannot pay students like house officers, they should at least waive the fee for this year. This suggestion was unanimously supported by board members.
The UHS Vice Chancellor described the new curriculum as a “living document,” adaptable to future needs. He expressed his ambition to see Pakistani medical and dental degrees recognized internationally, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, envisioning a time when graduates might be exempt from foreign licensing exams as a mark of success.
He added that the updated dental curriculum would incorporate life-saving skills, ensuring every graduate is trained in basic life support, advanced life support, cardiac first response, and emergency.
