Course Description and Organization of BDS Degree Program, Institute of Dentistry, CMH Lahore Medical College, Lahore

The Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program prepares students for careers in the modern world of dental practice by combining clinical studies with basic and advanced dental sciences. Once students have mastered basic competencies in the institute's skills laboratories, they rapidly move on to treating patients in the Dental Hospital.

BDS Dentistry is taught in a top-ranked institution proud of its facilities, research reputation, student support, excellent innovative program and student-centered curriculum. The program aims to develop professional and ethical dentists who can:

Take a patient-centered approach to clinical care within the dental team
Apply the skills, knowledge, behaviors and abilities to independently practice safely and efficiently
Be a reflective practitioner, committed to lifelong learning

ORGANIZATION OF BDS DEGREE PROGRAM

As part of the CMH,ID commitment to enhancing educational excellence we introduced a new curriculum in 2008. This curriculum is delivered over four years.

The new curriculum has been developed to accommodate changing educational practice, changing patterns in oral and dental diseases and, most importantly, the needs of patients and practitioners today. The traditional preclinical/clinical division of the curriculum has been replaced with a fully integrated program and you will be involved in clinically based activities from the first year. The emphasis is on preparing the dental graduate for lifelong learning and continuing professional development.

The curriculum includes an integrated course in biomedical science, relevant to the practice of dentistry, which will be undertaken in the early years of the program. The clinical relevance of the subject will be emphasized and enhanced by patient-centered teaching.

Clinical experience

Throughout the program you will have close contact with the teaching staff and senior students, which allows learning by example and peer review. Your clinical skills and judgment will improve with experience as you learn to become a more responsible clinician with each year of the program.

Clinical dentistry teaching is also carried out in state-of-the-art clinical technique laboratories using simulated patient models. The clinical techniques laboratory, sedation suite and emergency training simulator facility significantly enhance the educational experience of our dental undergraduate students.

WHAT ACADEMIC SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE?

Certain members of the academic staff have been appointed as advisers to BDS students. They will assist you with any problems, whether academic or personal, in a confidential manner.

You are also assigned a mentor for the duration of the BDS program. You will meet with your mentor on a regular basis to discuss your work and progress. A portfolio is used to encourage reflection and to help you monitor your progress and achievements against specific learning objectives.

WHAT ARE MY CAREER PROSPECTS?

Most dental graduates become general dental practitioners. Other possible careers lie in the hospital service or the community dental service. In all spheres of Dentistry, education is recognized as a lifelong experience and continuing education is increasingly recognized as important for the professional development of a graduate.

Choosing a career as general dental practice requires you to undertake a period of supervised training (house job) designed to ease the transition between dental college and general dental practice. This house job period lasts one year.

Graduates may choose to study for one of the higher diplomas or degrees awarded by the University of Health Sciences or College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan. The University of Health Sciences offers various graduate degrees: PhD, M Phil, MDS (taught and research), while College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan awards Fellowships in the clinical subjects that include Operative Dentistry, Prosthodontis, Orthodontics and Oral Surgery.

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The additional study is essential if you wish to follow a hospital or university career but appropriate further qualifications may be pursued by those in all branches of the profession. Contact with the Dental College can be maintained during your professional life.

The institute is proud of taking active participation in hosting many workshops and seminars presented by national and international speakers. This helps the members of dental community to keep themselves up to date with advances made in medical and dental sciences and incorporate cutting edge technology in their practice.

1st CMH Dental Conference is planned in April 2009 and international and national speakers are invited to present state of the art lectures to enlighten the knowledge of our community. Clinical workshops are also organized by the faculty of institute to deliver and share clinical skills with the participants.

The institute plans a distance learning unit with up-to-date computer technology in which continuing education programs are being developed for general dental practitioners to use in their own surgeries.

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