“The Dental Council of India (DCI) has initiated steps to reintroduce internship and also make three months of rural posting compulsory,” President of DCI Dibyendu Mazumdar said on Saturday.
He was speaking at the inaugural function of the two-day eleventh national postgraduate convention of Indian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologists (IAOMP) organised by the Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS), here.
Dr. Mazumdar said that the Union Health Ministry had been informed of the decision. “I have already met Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and told him the need to bring back the internship programme. Mr. Azad has agreed to reintroduce the programme,” he said.
The DCI had in 2007 scrapped internship to make Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) a five year course. Kerala was the only state, which continued with the system of internship in its government dental colleges keeping it on par with the medical course. The Kerala chapter of the Indian Dental Association had gone to court against the decision to scrap the internship.
He stressed on the need for internship/house surgeon for one year after the completion of four years under graduation BDS course.
He said the need for dental treatment in rural setup with compulsory postings of three months was on the top of his agenda and it was backed by the Union Ministry of Health.
President of Indian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologists Purushotham Nainani highlighted the need for such themes based conventions particularly for postgraduates as it is a forum for exchange of scientific ideas of highest standard.
