MBBS vs BDS - Which is Better?

After graduating from class 12, one of the most common career paths for students is medicine. Many students desire to be doctors and pick Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as their primary courses after completing Class 10. MBBS and BDS are the two most common medical courses in India, out of all the options. When it comes to picking a course, most students are torn between MBBS and BDS. This is due to their lack of knowledge regarding the breadth and relevance of both courses. Both the MBBS and BDS programmes are important and provide promising job opportunities. Although it is difficult to pick between MBBS and BDS after Class 12, students must make an informed selection depending on their areas of interest and academic scope.

Table of Contents

• Course Highlights
• Overview
• Eligibility Criteria
• Specializations
• Benefits of Pursuing
• Career Scopes and Salary
• Which One to Choose?

MBBS vs BDS - Course Highlights

MBBS is a five-year undergraduate degree that aspirants can complete in 5.5 years. It consists of 4.5 years of coursework and academic knowledge and one year of internship, which gives them practical exposure. Students might work as consultants, physicians, or medical assistants in hospitals or healthcare centres. Candidates who finish the MBBS programme successfully become licenced physicians in India. They have medical licences issued by the Medical Council of India.

Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) is a 5-year undergraduate programme in dentistry. It consists of a four-year academic curriculum and a one-year required internship. Candidates who obtain a BDS degree go on to work as dentists. The oral health of the patients is the responsibility of these specialists.

	MBBS	BDS
Full-form	Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery	Bachelor of Dental Surgery
Duration	5.5 years (including 1-year internship)	5 years (including 1-year internship)
Entrance Exams	NEET-UG, AIIMS, JIPMER	NEET-UG, AIIMS, JIPMER
Fee Structure	INR 7.5 - 30 LPA	INR 50,000 - 12 LPA

MBBS vs BDS - Overview

MBBS stands for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. The MBBS programme lasts 5 1/2 years. For four and a half years, the MBBS curriculum includes practical and theoretical study, followed by a one-year mandatory internship in several disciplines of medicine and surgery.

The course provides comprehensive knowledge of diverse and common diseases/health problems of the human body and surgical/medicinal procedures for analyzing and operating on them. Graduates of this programme are offered attractive career possibilities with a variety of hospitals and clinics.

Read more on MBBS

Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS) is a four-year bachelor's degree programme in dentistry. If a student chooses to do an internship, the BDS programme can be prolonged up to 5 years. BDS is a dentistry school that focuses on dental health and cleanliness. The Bachelor of Dental Science [BDS] course curriculum covers a wide range of significant and necessary topics, including General Medicine, Surgery, Oral Pathology, and Microbiology.

BDS graduates can easily find work because they have the option of opening their clinic or working in hospitals. Dentists are well compensated, and with expertise, they may earn a lot of money. Both the public and private sectors provide BDS positions.

Read more on BDS

MBBS vs BDS - Eligibility

Students who wish to pursue any of the medical careers must have a background in the science field in their class 12 exams. For medical courses such as BDS and MBBS, students must have mandatory Physics, Chemistry, and Biology classes in class 12. The eligibility criteria for both programs is the same. Students must fulfil the following conditions.

• Completed class 12 from a recognized university or board of examination
• Scored at least 50% in these exams
• Have mandatorily taken classes in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in class 12
• Students should not be less than 17 years of age.
• Students must appear for a qualifying examination to get admission to their desired colleges. These competitive exams can be NEET-UG, AIIMS or JIPMER, depending on the students' colleges.
• Students must refer to the eligibility criteria of each of their desired colleges before appearing for the entrance exams.

After students can clear the cutoffs requirements, they are called in for counselling sessions, following which seats are offered based on merit.

MBBS vs BDS - Specializations

In medicine, almost all doctors and dental surgeons require some specialized training to become experts in their field. There are multiple specializations for both to choose from. Depending on the specialization, students can expect better job opportunities and salaries.

Specializations for MBBS Graduates

After completing their graduation, students can opt for higher education as MD (Doctor of Medicine), MS, or pursue a postgraduate diploma that helps them become experts in their fields. MD and MS programs are usually for three years, while diploma programs take only two years.

Specializations after MBBS include:

• Anatomy
• Dermatology & Venereology,
• Biochemistry,
• Internal Medicine
• Orthopaedics
• Paediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Surgery
• Anaesthesiology
• Pathology
• Microbiology
• Physiology and more.

Specializations for BDS graduates

After graduation, people with BDS degrees can choose to pursue higher education in dental science. There are many options to choose from, depending on the students' interest, expertise and preferred career path. A postgraduate degree offers more scopes in diverse fields depending on the specialization opted. Master of Dental Science is a 3-year course that mainly focuses on advanced dentistry and oral surgical techniques. The MDS course prepares students to become dental specialists and practitioners or consultants in their field of specialization. For example, doctors studying MDS can specialize in:

• Prosthodontics
• Orthodontics
• Operative Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial surgery
• Conservative Dentistry
• Periodontics
• Oral Medicine and Radiology, etc.

MBBS vs BDS - Benefits of Pursuing

There are many benefits for students enrolling in these highly technical and challenging fields in the medical field. Whether they become doctors or dentists after graduation, there are several benefits of pursuing either course in this field.

Benefits of MBBS

There are several advantages of pursuing a degree in medicine and surgery. The field has great scope for development with very exciting career opportunities.

• The profession of a doctor is noble and very rewarding. Doctors can be responsible for saving lives and significantly improving the quality of life for many patients.
• Apart from those gains, the field of medicine also has very lucrative opportunities. This is especially true for doctors that have years of experience and are superspecialized in their niches.

Benefits of BDS

The field of dentistry has plenty of opportunities in the private as well as the public sector. Dentists have many career options and paths after graduation.

• Dentists are responsible for the oral hygiene of their patients and, similar to doctors, can be responsible for significantly improving the lives of people.
• With the help of constant skill upgradation and staying up to date with the latest developments in the field, many dentists can find the career intellectually stimulating.

MBBS vs BDS - Career Scopes and Salary

An average BDS graduate may expect to earn INR 3 lakh per annum. Depending on the field of speciality, experience, and capabilities, this varies. Dentists may expect to earn roughly INR 2.5 LPA in entry-level positions, and as their expertise grows, they may earn up to INR 7-8 LPA. Dentists can leverage their experience in the later phases of their careers to earn roughly INR 25- 30 LPA salaries.

Job designation	Average salary
Private clinic dentist	3.5 LPA
Oral Surgeon	3.9 LPA
Prosthodontic	3.25 LPA
Orthodontist	5.8 LPA

Read more on BDS Job Scope & Salary

The salaries of dentists range widely based on experience and the skills of the dentists. The field is excelling, and dentists can expect high salaries to grow their expertise in their fields.

MBBS graduates, however, can expect to earn as must as INR 5.5 LPA. As they move towards their work experience and career specializations, doctors can earn as high as INR 7 LPA in the beginning, progressing to a higher salary with increased experience.

Some general medical practice fields and their salaries are mentioned below.

Job Role	Salary
General Physician	INR 6.95 LPA
Internal Medicine	INR 7.2 LPA
Surgeon	INR 9.8 LPA

Read more on MBBS Job Scope & Salary

MBBS vs BDS - Which One to Choose?

From the onset, the medical field is not easy. With highly competitive examinations and rigorous amounts of testing a student's ability, the courses are widely regarded as some of the toughest undergraduate programs in India.

Job Opportunities: The demand for dentists and doctors has increased in India. New graduates have many opportunities to train and develop more experience and expertise. There are many opportunities for advancement in this area. They can gain trust in their abilities due to their experience and solve their patients' problems quickly.

Rewarding Career Path: The career path is very satisfying. From the start of their careers, graduates should anticipate adequate compensation for their qualifications. The incomes of practising dentists and doctors vary depending on their background and skills, but the general tendency is for their salaries to rise exponentially with expertise.

There is large scope for personal as well as career growth in this field. The allure of an illustrious career as a dentist does not fade year over year, and there is an increasing demand for skilled professionals in this field across the globe. Therefore, graduates need to take these courses to broaden their work opportunities and advance their careers.