UHS makes five year BDS curriculum mandatory for its dental colleges as PMDC works on nationwide plan

The University of Health Sciences Lahore has formally implemented the Five Year Modular Integrated Bachelor of Dental Surgery

Islamabad: The University of Health Sciences Lahore has formally implemented the Five Year Modular Integrated Bachelor of Dental Surgery curriculum for all its constituent and affiliated dental colleges starting from the academic session 2025–2026.

According to UHS Notification No. UHS/VC-56-2026, issued on June 24, 2026, the new curriculum is titled BDS Integrated Curriculum 2K25 Version 2.0.

The notification states that the curriculum will apply to all constituent dental colleges of UHS, all affiliated public sector dental colleges and all affiliated private sector dental colleges.

UHS said the decision was taken under the University of Health Sciences Ordinance, 2002, after recommendations of the Academic Council and Syndicate and approval of the Board of Governors in its 58th meeting held on February 25, 2025.

The notification also states that the curriculum aligns with the policies, standards and requirements prescribed by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council for undergraduate dental education.

For decades, BDS in Pakistan was a four year academic programme followed by a compulsory one year house job. In the old system, basic sciences were mostly taught in the early years and clinical subjects were introduced later.

The new five year model is being introduced to give dental students more time for clinical training, patient care, practical skills, ethics, research, communication and community dentistry.

The additional year is expected to focus on clinical clerkship and hands on training, so students become better prepared before entering the house job phase.

The modular integrated curriculum means subjects will not be taught completely separately. Basic sciences and clinical dentistry will be linked so students can better understand how classroom learning applies to real patients.

The reform also links with international standards, as many countries already follow a five year BDS model. Supporters say the change may help Pakistani dental graduates in licensing, postgraduate training and career opportunities abroad.

the move has also raised questions about implementation capacity, especially in private and public dental colleges that may need better faculty, clinical facilities, training systems and assessment methods.

Students and parents will also need clarity about fees, duration, house job structure and recognition of the new degree pathway, especially because the change affects future batches.

Education experts say the success of the five year BDS programme will depend on proper monitoring. They say adding one more year will only help if colleges provide real clinical exposure, trained faculty and proper facilities.

When asked whether the UHS notification was a nationwide PMDC policy or limited to UHS Lahore, PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj replied that PMDC’s special dental committee is working on a nationwide plan, adding that the document being referred to is from UHS Lahore.