Mumbai: MDS aspirants to wait for 5 months for admissions?

Mumbai: Aspirants for postgraduate dental courses (MDS) may have to wait for four to five months for admissions, despite completing entrance exams. NEET-MDS was held in December and results were out the same month but counselling rounds for postgraduate medical and dental courses happen simultaneously. Now that NEET-PG has been postponed by four months, aspirants for PG dental courses want government to delink admissions and conduct it soon.
Around 30,000 BDS (dental) graduates appeared for NEET-MDS for admissions to over 6,500 seats. While results were out in December, aspirants have been waiting for over four months. An aspirant said the course is neglected by government. “Since we had a separate exam, why not conduct an independent counselling round for MDS? Once admissions are done and we are absorbed into the system, government will have additional manpower too,” said the aspirant.
Medical Counselling Committee of Directorate General of Health Services conducts counselling rounds for medical and dental PG courses every March. This year, NEET-PG was scheduled on April 18, but was postponed. The government recently announced that the exam will not be held before August 31. tnn