PMDC approves national 5-year BDS framework with phased rollout across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has formally approved a new national framework extending the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme to five years of academic study, followed by one year of structured House Job/Internship, marking one of the most significant changes to Pakistan’s dental education system in recent years. The decision was communicated through an official notification dated July 8, 2026, addressed to vice chancellors of all PMDC-recognized universities. While the framework has now received regulatory approval, implementation will take place through a phased transition, allowing institutions to adopt the revised programme according to their level of preparedness. Under the notification, universities that are academically and administratively prepared may implement the five-year BDS programme immediately. Those requiring additional time have been granted a two-year transition period, during which they may continue offering the existing programme before fully shifting to the revised curriculum. The announcement comes less than two weeks after the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore notified implementation of its BDS Integrated Curriculum 2K25 Version 2. 0, making the five-year modular curriculum applicable to admissions from the 2025-2026 academic session across its constituent and affiliated dental colleges. The UHS framework places greater emphasis on competency-based education, integrated modular teaching, early clinical exposure, simulation-based learning, research, professionalism, ethics, patient safety and continuous assessment. PMDC has stated that “during this period, the Council shall review, refine and strengthen the curriculum to facilitate its effective implementation.” The wording indicates that the curriculum will continue to evolve during the transition as feedback is received from universities and dental colleges. The notification has also prompted discussion within the dental education community regarding implementation strategy. Some academics believe that operating both four-year and five-year BDS programmes simultaneously for up to two years could create differences in graduate qualifications entering the job market during the transition period, while others say the phased approach gives institutions necessary time to develop faculty capacity, infrastructure and academic systems before adopting the new framework. The Council has directed universities to initiate the academic, administrative and regulatory arrangements required for implementation of the revised programme and to communicate the directions to all affiliated dental colleges to ensure compliance. With universities now expected to determine their implementation timelines, the transition to the five-year BDS framework is set to become one of the most closely watched developments in Pakistan’s dental education sector, with its success likely to depend on consistent implementation, institutional preparedness and continued engagement between regulators, universities and the wider academic community. Stay informed, stay alert! pk/10-Jul-2026/pmdc-approves-5-year-bds-framework-phased-rollout-pakistan” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Read full story on Dental News