Women lead BDS admissions, MBBS still male-skewed

On the contrary, 2,085 girls took admission for the BDS course this academic session, making up 77 per cent of the total intake of 2,712—compared to 627 boys. This is a steady trend from the past many years, with the number of boys in BDS always less than 30 per cent of the total admission. Admission data from past few years shows that more girls are taking admission to health science courses.

According to experts, with a larger number of girls appearing for National-Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), more girls are taking admission to health science courses, except for MBBS which is the most preferred course among them all. Sudha Shenoy, an admission counsellor for health science courses, said, “Boys move on to other options of higher education if they fail to secure a seat in an MBBS course. However among girls, even though MBBS continues to be the most sought after course, they choose other courses in health science such as ayurvedic or homeopathic medicine, physiotherapy etc. as alternatives, if they are unable to secure seats in MBBS.”

An official from the CET Cell also pointed out that many do not prefer dentistry as it requires a candidate to be ready for large-scale investment to set up practice, as opposed to more career opportunities in MBBS, including jobs. “But many girls do opt for BDS, even though they might not have plans to actually practice dentistry, as it is considered a reputed degree to hold,” said an official.