MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology is a postgraduate program of 3 years that can be pursued after completion of BDS. It is a dental specialization that deals with the diagnosis of oral diseases, oral manifestations of systemic diseases, and dental treatments of medically compromised patients.
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The course will cover the basic applied science courses like anatomy, pathology, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, etc, and also the specialization courses like Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral Medicine, Therapeutics, and Laboratory.
The candidates will learn theoretical, practical, and clinical knowledge of all oral mucosal lesions, skeletal involvement of maxillofacial region, diagnostic procedures, and the latest information of imaging modules.
The admission into this MDS specialization is based on the national-level entrance exam called NEET-MDS. Most dental institutes refer to NEET-MDS scores to select students for admission. Anyone who has successfully completed the BDS degree with a minimum of 50% aggregate is eligible for this course.
There are various public and private dental colleges that offer this course. The average course fee would range from INR 50,000 to INR 20,00,000 per annum.
After completion of the course, the candidates are eligible to work in Dental hospitals, dental clinics, health ministry, military health services, academic institutes, etc. They can work as Oral Medicine Specialist, Oral & maxillofacial radiologist, dental surgeon, oral pathology, dental hygienist, etc. The average salary is expected to range between INR 3 - 10 lakh per annum.
The graduates can also go for higher studies and pursue a doctorate course. The most common research degree available for them is Ph.D. in Oral Medicine and Radiology.
Know more about: MDS Job Opportunities
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Course Highlights
The basic details about the course have been mentioned in brief in the table below:
| Full-Form | Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) Oral Medicine and Radiology |
| Course Level | Postgraduate |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Eligibility | BDS from a DCI recognized institute |
| Admission Process | Entrance exams like NEET-MDS |
| Average Course Fee | INR 0.4 - 20 lakh per annum |
| Average Salary | INR 3.13 - 10 lakh |
| Job Positions | Oral Medicine Specialist, Oral & maxillofacial radiologist, dental surgeon, oral pathology, dental hygienist, etc. |
| Areas of Employment | Dental hospitals, dental clinics, health ministry, military health services, academic institutes, etc. |
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: What is it about?
- Oral Medicine & Radiology is a specialized branch in dentistry that deals with oral diseases, oral manifestations of systemic diseases, and dental treatments of medically compromised patients.
- The students will gain theoretical, practical, and clinical knowledge of all oral mucosal lesions, skeletal involvement of maxillofacial region, diagnostic procedures, and the latest information of imaging modules.
- Some of the diseases show symptoms and reflect signs only in the mouth. The problem could be in any other part of the body but it could be detected through the signs in the mouth. So the Oral Medicine Specialist will conduct some tests to understand the problem.
- Oral medicine usually manages conditions that are often chronic and may have psychological and physical impacts on the patient’s quality of life.
- The branch involves patient care, diagnosis, and nonsurgical management of diseases that have an impact on oral health.
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Admission Process
The admission into the MDS courses is based on a national-level entrance examination, mainly NEET-MDS. Most dental institutes both public and private consider the scores of NEET-MDS for admission.
The candidates who want to pursue an MDS course should follow the following steps:
- Registration: The candidates will have to register for NEET-MDS by filling the registration form and paying the fees.
- Entrance Exam: They will have to download the admit card and appear for the entrance exam. The candidates will have to clear the minimum cut-off.
- Merit-list: Once the results are out, the candidates who have cleared the minimum cut-off will be listed in the merit list.
- Application: The candidates can fill the application for private colleges and submit their NEET-MDS scores.
- Counseling: The counseling is usually conducted state-wise for admission into public dental colleges. The candidates who have cleared the minimum cut-off will be called.
- Enrollment: After selection of the specialization course and document verification, the candidates will be enrolled in the course.
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Eligibility
The candidates who are interested to pursue higher studies in dental should satisfy the following eligibility criteria:
- The candidates should have completed BDS from a university recognized by the Dental Council of India (DCI).
- They should have completed a 1-year compulsory rotatory internship after BDS.
- They should be permanently or provisionally registered with the DCI or State Dental Council (SDC).
- They should not be younger than 20 years of age.
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Entrance Exams
Admission into the MDS courses is usually based on entrance exams. Some of the entrance exams available for MDS are mentioned below:
- NEET-MDS: It is a national-level eligibility test conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE). It offers admission into MDS courses offered by the top-ranked dental colleges across India. It is an online test of 3 hours, conducted once a year.
- SAAT: It is a national-level entrance test conducted by Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University for admission into various UG and PG courses offered by the institute. The admission into the MDS course offered by SOA is also through SAAT.
| Exam Name | Exam Details |
|---|---|
| NEET MDS | Check NEET MDS Dates |
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Tips to Clear Entrance Exam
NEET-MDS is one of the toughest exams to clear. There are various coaching centers that could help the candidate, but they can also prepare it by themselves. To prepare for the exam, they should keep the following points in mind:
- Know the Syllabus. The candidates should be aware of the topic and the sub-topics.
- Be aware of the paper pattern and marking scheme.
- Go through the previous year's question papers for reference and find the topics that are continuously asked.
- Always start with basics and try to make the basics clear.
- Prepare a timetable and follow it wisely. A timetable to complete the syllabus with sufficient time in hand to revise.
- Make notes of your own so that you can refer to them at the time of revision.
- Register for mock tests and test series. This will help candidates understand their level of preparation.
- Refer to the online videos to understand the difficult topics.
Read More about NEET MDS Exam Pattern
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Tips to get the Best College
- To get into the top dental colleges the candidate should successfully complete their BDS with a 1-year internship.
- Secondly, they should score more than the minimum cut-off in the entrance exam.
- Once the results are out, they should start applying to the private institutes. They should not totally depend on state counseling.
- The private colleges are known to offer better practices in dental and also they have been ranked by NIRF.
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Syllabus
The MDS syllabus includes both the Applied Basic Sciences and subjects of concerned specialty. The syllabus for Oral Medicine and Radiology has been mentioned according to the DCI regulations:
| Basic Applied Science Courses | Applied Anatomy |
| Pathology | Embryology |
| Microbiology | Histology |
| Pharmacology | Physiology |
| Biostatistics | Biochemistry |
| Research Methodology | Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology |
| Oral Medicine and Radiology Specialized Courses | Oral Medicine, Therapeutics and Laboratory |
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Top Colleges
Some of the top dental colleges that offer MDS in oral medicine and radiology are mentioned in the table below. These top colleges have been ranked by NIRF 2020:
| Institute Name | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Science | INR 15,600 |
| Manipal College of Dental Science | INR 8,75,000 |
| Dr. DY Patil Vidyapeeth | INR 14,22,600 |
| Saveetha University of Medical and Technical Sciences | INR 15,00,000 |
| AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Science | INR 3,08,000 |
| Manipal College of Dental Science | INR 8,75,000 |
| Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education & Research | INR 8,00,000 |
| SRM Dental College | INR 6,10,000 |
| JSS Dental College and Hospital | INR 4,55,500 |
| Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University | INR 7,50,000 |
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: College Comparison
A comparison has been done among the top 3 dental colleges. The comparison is based on their ranking, fees, salary, etc.
| Parameters | Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Science | Manipal College of Dental Science |
|---|---|---|
| Location | New Delhi | Manipal |
| Overview | MAIDS is a top-ranked public dental college by NIRF. It has been declared as the Centre of Excellence and is the first medical college to achieve the FICCI excellence award. | MCDS is the top-ranked private dental college by NIRF. It is recognized by the Malaysian Dental Council and Kathmandu University. |
| Ranking 2020 | NIRF: 1 India Today: 1 | NIRF: 2 India Today: 5 |
| Average Course Fee | INR 15,600 | INR 8,75,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 7.8 - 8.8 lakh | INR 8 Lakh |
| Top Companies | Ottobock, Endolite, etc | On-campus placement not available |
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Course Advantages
- The oral medical specialists will be able to treat conditions that the regular dentists or doctors cannot. They will deal with patients who have been unresponsive to the prior treatment of dentists or doctors.
- They will treat diseases and conditions like Orofacial pain, Mucosal diseases, oral cancer, dental care for patients with disabilities, neurosensory & motor disorders, salivary dysfunction, oral complications of systemic illnesses, etc.
- Candidates will be eligible to work in dental as well as normal hospitals. They can also start their own practice and can get patients referred by other dentists and doctors.
- This is a dental specialization where candidates can choose to go for clinical practice or can conduct research in this field.
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology Course Comparison
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology Vs MDS Oral Pathology: Which one to choose?
Oral Medicine & Radiology and Oral Pathology are the branches of dentistry and the difference between MDS Oral Medicine and radiology and MDS Oral Pathology has been mentioned in the table below.
Checkout: Top Colleges offering MDS Oral Pathology
| Parameters | MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology | MDS Oral Pathology |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | It is a branch of dentistry that deals with non-surgical treatments of oral diseases and disorders. | It is a branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis of oral diseases, disorders, and conditions. |
| Aim | The aim of the course is to provide care and treatment to patients dealing with other chronic medical conditions. | It teaches the students the techniques and skills to identify the disease so that the treatment could be done accordingly. |
| Duration | 3 years | 3 years |
| Eligibility | BDS degree | BDS degree |
| Admission Process | Based on the entrance exam | Based on the entrance exam |
| Average Course Fee | INR 4,000 - 20 lakh per annum | INR 10,000 - 25 lakh per annum |
| Average Salary | INR 3.13 - 10 lakh | INR 3 - 10 lakh per annum |
| Job Options | Oral Medicine Specialist, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiologist, etc. | Oral Pathologist, Public Health Specialist, Dental Hygienist, etc |
After completion of the course, the candidates are eligible to work in Dental hospitals, dental clinics, health ministry, military health services, academic institutes, etc. Some of the job positions available after completion of MDS in oral medicine and radiology are mentioned in the table below:
| Job Prospects | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Oral Pathologist | INR 8,31,000 |
| Oral Medicine Specialist | INR 6,56,000 |
| Oral Surgeon | INR 9,84,000 |
| Oral and maxillofacial Radiologist | INR 12,61,000 |
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology: Future Scope
- The MDS graduates can work in dental hospitals and also in other hospitals to help doctors diagnose the disease. They can also work in the radiological departments.
- They can start their own clinical practice. They can open their own pathology labs and have employees under them.
- They can pursue higher studies and can go for doctorate courses mainly Ph.D. in Oral Medicine. They can also work as a professor in the dental institutes
MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology FAQs
Ques. What are oral medicine and radiology?
Ans. It is a branch of dentistry that includes the study of 2 specialized areas. One is dental medicine that deals with the oral health care of medically complex patients. And second is oral and maxillofacial radiology that includes the production and interpretation of radiographic images. It involves CT and MRI scans that assist in the diagnosis of disease.
Ques. What is the difference between oral medicine and oral pathology when they both deal with the diagnosis of oral problems?
Ans. Yes both the specializations deal with the diagnosis of oral problems, but the main difference between them is that oral medicine diagnoses and treats the diseases that are chronic and may not be only related to the mouth. Whereas oral pathology deals only with the diagnosis of oral diseases.
Ques. What are the job options available for MDS Oral Medicine and Radiology students in India?
Ans. These graduates can go for clinical practice in hospitals and clinics, work in radiology centers and help in diagnosis, work in academic institutions as a professor, or go for Ph.D. and conduct research and publish their work.
Ques. How much time can it take to become a dental radiologist?
Ans. It depends on the course the candidate prefers. A BDS degree of 5 years is compulsory and then they can choose to go for a certificate course of 2 - 2.5 years or a master's degree of 3 years.
Ques. Are dental radiologists referred to as doctors?
Ans. Yes, they are specialized doctors who diagnose the disease using medical image processing like X-ray, MRI, CT scan, etc., and then treat or manage the disease accordingly.
Ques. What is the average income of the Oral Medicine Specialist in India?
Ans. A fresher can make an average of INR 3 -10 lakhs per annum.
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