After completing a BDS (bachelor’s degree in dental surgery), many queries come to the student’s mind: What is next? Dentistry, as commonly said, is an amalgamation of the skills of a doctor, engineer, and artist.
The five years of rigorous educational journey prepares a student with the technical and soft skills required to become a professional dentist. However, the journey from a dental student to a practicing dentist is filled with a lot of ups and downs, uncertainty, perplexity, and miscalculations.
In this article, we will discuss a few career options other than MDS for fresh graduate dentists in India.
Considering MDS? Things you should know
After completing a bachelor’s degree in dental surgery (BDS), the most obvious path that dentists opt for is a master’s degree in one of the specializations in dentistry (MDS).
There are more than nine branches of MDS to choose from, consisting of oral and maxillofacial surgery, conservative dentistry and endodontics, periodontology, public health dentistry, oral pathology, etc., to classify broadly.
There are clinical and non-clinical branches in dentistry. In India, the clinical branch for specialization is the most prevalent one, considering the fact that dentists choose to undergo extensive clinical training over three years to establish their clinical practice in the future.
Before heading to MDS, consider these points as well:
- You must get into the field of MDS based on your liking, as randomly getting into any field can cause regret later on.
- You should analyse your financial condition before taking the leap into MDS. Analyse how you will get back your return on investment- in terms of time, money and energy.
- What is your plan of action post-MDS? This is the most important question to ask. Know about what you are getting into to avoid getting stuck in, just like a fresh BDS.
- After receiving a certification of Master’s degree in Dental surgery, you need to work as an intern to sharpen your skills before proceeding with your full-fledged practice as a Dentist.
Diverse Career Opportunities other than MDS
In India, there are limited seats available for graduate dentists (MDS), so students must consider exploring various alternative courses and fields after completing their bachelor’s degree. Suppose you think MDS is not a feasible option for you. In that case, there are various alternatives available to MDS Courses that include a job or specialised course or skills one can join after completing BDS in India, such as:
- Allied Dental Fields
- Research and Development roles
- Academic and Teaching Roles
- Public Health and Policy
- Dental Technology and Innovation
- International Certifications and Courses
- Dental Practice Management
- Dental Education
- Dental Journalism
- Dental Insurance
- Dental Product Marketing
Clinical Career Options You Can Choose Instead of Doing MDS
Instead of joining MDS, you can start your clinical practice after an internship. You can also join a government or private facility to begin your practice. Various government and non-government healthcare administration roles can also be available for a fresh dental graduate. Given here are various clinical options you can choose from post-BDS.
- Establish your dental practice directly after the internship.
- Join a private clinic as a dental associate.
- Join a medical college as a Staff/ Junior Residency
- Join a trust or hospital with a dental setup.
- Join corporate companies that have clinical setups.
- Join the Army Dental Corps.
- Government jobs (e.g., Railways etc)
Non-Clinical Career Options
Instead of practising clinical career options, you can explore varied educational and certification courses. Different alternatives from hospital administration, clinical research, business administration and similar opportunities are available for a graduate dentist to explore. These courses can give you an edge in your career and prepare you for the elite para-medical community from different genres. Check out a few options here:
- Master of Hospital Administration (MHA)
- Master’s in Public Health (MPH)
- Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
- MBA in health care management.
- Forensic odontology.
- Clinical research
- Pharmacovigilance
- Medical transcription/virtual scribing
- Medical coding
- International certification (in dentistry)
Clinical Career Options vs Non-clinical Options
The dental profession in India has witnessed a growing trend of dentists opting for non-clinical career paths instead of traditional clinical practice. The reasons behind this shift address factors such as limited career growth, financial pressures, peer influence, and the availability of non-clinical opportunities.
Dentists often need more growth opportunities within hospitals and clinics, especially during the initial stages of their careers. This restricted progression and the desire for professional development and upward mobility push dental professionals towards non-clinical paths.
Digital Dentistry Can Become the New Career Path, and How
In today’s world, you lag if you are not upgraded with new and advanced technological skills! This is true in dentistry as well. If you want to grow in your practice as a Clinical Dentist, you must possess Digital Dentistry skills.
Digital dentistry aims to enable dental professionals to deliver treatment with the help of computer-aided (digital) tools to minimise human errors and increase precision and customisation.
Advanced digital technologies such as 3D scanning and the usage of computer programs enhance accuracy and provide a precise and customised treatment plan based on the problems faced by the patients and other associated factors.
Only a few dental professionals (1-2%) in India are digitally trained, upgraded and future-ready. It’s high time all dental professionals joined the lot.
One of the premier institutes in digital dentistry, Image 3D Conversion, has crafted a “Two-Day Workshop on guided implant surgery” suitable for both freshers and seasoned dental professionals. In this two-day workshop, you will learn the usage of resources and their right usage to transform traditional practice to digital.
Further, you will get trained in professional software to make surgical guides and become an expert in guided surgery cases from single to multiple implants. This workshop provides you with strategies for in-house solutions to save costs and improve accuracy.
Benefits of this Course:
- You will become a Master in cutting-edge techniques from industry leaders.
- You will receive comprehensive training in both the clinical and technical aspects.
- You will get hands-on experience to apply your newfound knowledge in real-world scenarios.
- You will receive professional software training used to create precise surgical guides.
- Enjoy Networking Opportunities with fellow dental professionals around the world.
- Boost Your Career with new opportunities in digital implant surgery.
- Exclusive Resources: Access exclusive resources and materials long after the workshop ends.
- Continuing Education Credits: Earn continuing education credits while expanding your expertise.
- Get Post-Workshop Support and guidance, helping you implement what you’ve learned.
- Receive a Blue Sky Lab (USA) certificate that enhances your professional credibility and career prospects.
After completing this workshop, you will become a digital implant professional, which will be of enormous value and add depth to your dental career.
Conclusion
The dental industry offers diverse non-clinical career options, such as dental journalism, dental research, dental education, dental administration, dental sales, and dental consultancy. These roles provide an avenue for dentists to leverage their dental knowledge and skills in non-traditional settings.
Dentists, like professionals in any field, seek independence, flexibility,
and personal fulfilment in their careers. The allure of exploring non-clinical roles lies in diversifying their skills, engaging in different areas of interest, and attaining a work-life balance that may be challenging to achieve solely through clinical practice. Digital skills and training in this field will provide them with the personal and professional growth they will cherish throughout their careers.
Are you ready for the next big leap in your dental career? Learn more about the workshop.
FAQs
A graduate dentist can expect career growth, more income than clinical practises, better work-life balance, and, most importantly, can seek independence and flexibility in their career.
That will depend on which course you have chosen, what your goal is from that course, and also how you are approaching it.
Yes, post-BDS, you can opt for international dental courses or apply for international jobs as a dentist. UAE, Australia, and Canada are some of the best countries to recruit dentists from all over the globe.
