Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) building can be seen in this image. — PMDC website/FilePakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Monday announced it would revert the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme to four years after extending it to five years two years ago.
The PMDC officials told the Senate Standing Committee on Health that the BDS would remain a four-year programme.
The committee was informed that the PMDC’s previous notification regarding the duration of dental education had been withdrawn.
The Senate committee directed the PMDC to issue a notification formally announcing the four-year duration of dental education.
In November 2024, the PMDC had mandated an extension of the BDS programme to five years, effective from the 2024-2025 academic session.
The extension was proposed following recommendations by a committee of dental experts that highlighted the need to align Pakistan's dental education standards with international practices.
However, private dental colleges across the country had reportedly expressed their inability to implement the changes this year, citing insufficient infrastructure and logistical challenges.
"Most private dental colleges lack the resources and faculty to extend the programme by an additional year at this stage," an official had said, explaining the rationale behind the council's decision to delay the implementation.
However, the PMDC, in January 2025, had postponed the implementation of the BDS programme's conversion from four to five years for one year.