The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) at Maharajgunj Medical Campus (MMC), Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, is an undergraduate dental program under the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Tribhuvan University. Maharajgunj Medical Campus introduced the BDS program in 2018 as part of its medical, dental, and allied health science academic portfolio.
The program combines basic medical sciences, dental sciences, preclinical training, clinical dentistry, community dentistry, and a compulsory one-year rotatory internship. MMC operates as a constituent campus of the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University within the academic structure of Tribhuvan University.
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Course | Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Institution | Maharajgunj Medical Campus |
| Location | Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Institute | Institute of Medicine |
| University | Tribhuvan University |
| Duration: | 5½ years |
| Academic study | 4½ years |
| Internship | 1-year rotatory internship |
| Entrance | MECEE-BL |
| Admission authority | Medical Education Commission |
| Professional council | Nepal Medical Council |
The BDS program is structured to prepare graduates for dental health care through scientific study, practical training, clinical exposure, and community-oriented dental education.
The curriculum begins with basic medical sciences such as Anatomy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology. Dental-specific subjects are then introduced progressively through Dental Material Science, Oral Anatomy, preclinical restorative work, oral pathology, clinical dental specialties, and community dentistry.
By the later stages of the program, students study major areas of clinical dentistry including Oral Medicine and Radiology, Orthodontics, Pedodontics, Prosthodontics, Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Oral Surgery, and Periodontics.
The course is designed around both individual patient care and the wider public-health role of dentistry. Graduates are expected to understand the scientific basis of dentistry, identify dental health problems, plan appropriate investigation and management, support prevention and health promotion, communicate with patients and families, and work within professional and ethical boundaries.
Duration: 5½ years
The total BDS program consists of:
The academic period progresses from basic medical sciences and preclinical dental preparation to clinical dental disciplines. The internship follows the academic phase and provides supervised exposure across the principal dental departments.
This progression is important because clinical dental practice depends on both medical understanding and technical dental skills. Students first build knowledge of the human body and disease processes before moving into oral diagnosis, restorative procedures, surgical dentistry, periodontal care, orthodontics, child dental care, prosthodontics, and community-based dental health.
The first year establishes the medical-science foundation of dental education. Subjects include:
Dental Material Science introduces students to materials used in dental procedures while the medical subjects establish knowledge required for understanding normal structure, function, disease, infection, and the effects of medicines.
The second year continues the integrated medical-science foundation while introducing subjects directly related to dental anatomy and preclinical practice.
Students study:
Preclinical Conservative and Prosthodontics prepare students for later clinical work by introducing technical procedures before they move into direct patient-based dental training.
The third year marks a stronger transition toward disease-oriented and clinical study.
Subjects include:
General Medicine and General Surgery give dental students a broader clinical understanding of medical and surgical conditions that may affect dental treatment. Anaesthesiology contributes to knowledge relevant to pain control and procedural care, while Oral Pathology focuses on diseases affecting oral and related structures.
The fourth year introduces several core clinical dental specialties:
Oral Medicine and Radiology develops knowledge related to oral diagnosis and imaging. Orthodontics addresses abnormalities in tooth and jaw alignment, while Pedodontics focuses on dental care for children. Community Dentistry extends learning beyond individual clinical treatment to preventive and promotive oral health at community level.
The final academic phase includes:
These subjects represent major areas of clinical dental practice. Students work with the restoration and replacement of teeth, management of pulpal and related dental conditions, oral surgical procedures, and the prevention and management of periodontal disease.
The final year of the BDS pathway is a compulsory rotatory internship.
Internship rotations cover the principal dental departments:
The internship provides structured clinical experience after completion of the academic phase. Students rotate through different departments rather than remaining within a single dental specialty.
This arrangement allows graduates to consolidate knowledge and practical skills across diagnostic, preventive, restorative, surgical, periodontal, prosthetic, orthodontic, pediatric, and community dental care before completing the full BDS training pathway.
Eligibility: The academic eligibility routes include 10+2/A-Level or equivalent education with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, with the required marks or CGPA specified for the program.
The BDS eligibility framework also includes specified alternative academic routes. These include a recognized Bachelor of Science qualification meeting the relevant science-subject requirements, or a Diploma in General Medicine or Dental Science with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English under the stated academic conditions.
For diploma-based applicants, registration with the concerned professional council is required where applicable.
Because bachelor-level medical education admissions operate under the Medical Education Commission, applicants must also satisfy the prevailing eligibility provisions applicable to the relevant MECEE-BL admission cycle.
Admission to BDS at Maharajgunj Medical Campus is conducted through the national medical education admission framework administered by the Medical Education Commission.
Candidates must appear in MECEE-BL and qualify under the applicable MEC requirements. Selection and institutional placement follow the prevailing merit and matching process rather than direct campus-level selection alone.
The admission system follows MEC provisions concerning:
Seat numbers are determined through the MEC framework and may vary between admission cycles. They should not be treated as permanently fixed figures for the program.
Scholarship provisions, seat distribution, matching procedures, entrance rules, and the admission calendar may also be revised according to MEC decisions.
The BDS program develops knowledge and abilities across science, clinical dentistry, prevention, communication, ethics, and community oral health.
On completion of the program, graduates are expected to be able to:
The course therefore combines technical dental education with medical knowledge, patient communication, prevention, professional conduct, and community health responsibilities.
MMC includes Dental - Clinical Science Dentistry I and Dental - Clinical Science Dentistry II within its academic department structure. Dental education also operates within the broader IOM health-profession environment in Maharajgunj.
Students study alongside departments covering basic sciences and major medical specialties, including Anatomy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Anaesthesiology, General Medicine-related disciplines, Surgery, Radiology, and other clinical areas relevant to multidisciplinary health education.
The wider academic-health complex also includes Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and Tribhuvan University Dental Teaching Hospital, providing an institutional setting for clinical and professional education.
Completion of BDS and entry into professional dental practice are separate stages.
After completing the academic program and compulsory internship, graduates must meet the applicable licensing and registration requirements of the Nepal Medical Council before entering professional dental practice in Nepal.
The professional pathway can therefore be understood in three stages:
MMC also conducts postgraduate dental education. Its dental postgraduate portfolio includes MDS in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and MDS in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics.
Progression to postgraduate dental study requires completion of the relevant BDS qualification and fulfillment of the admission, professional registration, experience, entrance, and other requirements applicable to the postgraduate program.
The BDS program is 5½ years. It consists of 4½ years of dental school education followed by a one-year compulsory rotatory internship.
Maharajgunj Medical Campus is a constituent campus of the Institute of Medicine under Tribhuvan University, and the BDS program operates within the TU-IOM academic framework.
Yes. Admission is conducted through the Medical Education Commission's bachelor-level common entrance and matching framework.
The curriculum covers basic medical sciences, Dental Material Science, Oral Anatomy, Oral Pathology, General Medicine, General Surgery, Anaesthesiology, Oral Medicine and Radiology, Orthodontics, Pedodontics, Community Dentistry, Prosthodontics, Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Oral Surgery, and Periodontics.
Yes. A compulsory one-year rotatory internship is included after the 4½-year academic phase and covers the major dental departments.
Yes. Graduates must meet the applicable Nepal Medical Council licensing and registration requirements before entering professional dental practice in Nepal.
