MBBS Vs BDS Vs BAMS Vs BHMS: Which is Right Choice in 2025?

Students curious to decipher the difference between MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS and pursue a medical course that fits our aspirations must understand that MBBS is a professional medical degree offered for five years and is one of the most popular medical degrees in the country. BDS is a professional degree in dental science that's also equally popular as MBBS in India. Finally, BAMS and BHMS are degree courses on indigenous medicines like Ayurveda and homeopathy, respectively. Now that we have a basic idea about what the courses are about let's in-depth understand and evaluate the nuances of the four predominant medical undergraduate courses.

Medicine course in India is one of the highly renowned and challenging courses a candidate can pursue. Every country strives to provide a good healthcare system to the citizens, and doctors play a major role in being pillars of the healthcare system. In times of global pandemic, there is always a need for qualitative healthcare professions.

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Key Highlights

The key highlights of MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS are mentioned in the table below:

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - What is it All About?

Medical courses are all about the study of human anatomy, which is fascinating. The course is all about discovering and learning about the organs, tissues, and how our organs work. Predominantly, all four major undergraduate courses like MBBS, BDS, BAMS, and BHMS study the human body with different notions of medicinal treatments. Let's get in a detailed understanding of all the courses:

MBBS Course

MBBS is a four-year undergraduate degree established as a modern scientific medicine by Indian Medical Council Act 1956. MBBS is a study of the human body with the pre and para-clinical subjects. The curriculum includes practical knowledge and incorporates performing standards of clinical procedures. The course trains the candidates in understanding the protocols of patient history, examination, differential diagnosis, and patient management.

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BDS Course

BDS is a four-year undergraduate course and includes a one-year internship. The BDS course is the study of dental surgery and dental health and hygiene. BDS course is the study of diagnosis, prevention, treatment of oral diseases, oral cavity, and disorders. The graduates are trained to diagnose and provide healthcare ailments with dental medicine or oral medicine.

BAMS Course

BAMS is an undergraduate course with a duration of 5½ years. The course is built on the Ayurvedic principles of India. It integrates modern medicine and traditional Ayurveda. Ayurveda medicine treatment is based on three kinds of disorders which include Kapha, Pitta, and Vata. The graduates are trained to treat the patients based on the three disorders and provide harmony.

BHMS Course

BHMS is an undergraduate degree program with a duration of 5 years. It is an alternative medicine practice conceived by German physician Samuel Hahnemann. The pharmacology of this treatment is based on homeopathic dilution. The graduates are trained to diagnose and treat based on the medical history and symptoms.

Read More: Compare BDS with MBBS, BAMS, BHMS Courses

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Eligibility 

The MHRD and Government of India have standardized medical admissions via the National Testing Agency, which has imposed NEET as mandatory entrance criteria for any medical institutions across the country. MCI scrapped the old AIIMS pattern, and under section 14, NEET was standardized as a common eligibility test for all medical courses in India.

Medical aspirants are required to clear NEET with good ranks for MBBS, BDS, BAMS, and BHMS. In addition, biology should be a mandatory subject of study during high school as a basic eligibility criterion for NEET. Apart from NEET, several other university-level entrance-based exams are conducted by private universities for further filtration.

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Admission Procedure

The very basic eligibility criteria for medical courses in India is that students should have completed their 10+2 with biology as a mandatory subject. The minimum pass percentage varies from general category to reserved category in premium institutes. Let us take a look at some of the admission procedures for each course.

MBBS Admission

MBBS is the most demanded medical degree across the country. MBBS admissions are simple and very straightforward. For an MBBS seat in any college in India, students must clear the minimum NEET cut-off, and for premium universities, they are required to score more than 90% for admissions.

 BDS Admission

Just like MBBS, BDS also requires aspirants to appear for NEET examinations. The cutoff for BDS is lesser than MBBS in all categories, thus offering a good chance of admission to premium universities across the country.

BAMS Admission

Before 2018, BAMS had separate university-level entrance examinations conducted by respective universities. Since 2019, BAMS has become a part of NTA, which now requires NEET scores for admissions.

BHMS Admission

BHMS admissions are done as a cumulative NEET score and 10+2 scores. Aspirants are required to clear NEET with minimum cutoff and are also required to score good grades in 10+2 board examinations. Based on their cumulative rank, students will be called in for a personal interview, which they're required to clear for admissions.

Read More: Different Types of Doctors

MBA vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Course Duration

The course duration for medical courses isn't fixed and varies from one specialization to the other. Let us now understand the course duration for the popular medical courses across the country to get hold of some differences:

MBBS Course Duration

In general, an MBBS course is pursued as a five years course, which teaches four years of study and one year of mandatory practical training via internships. The practical house surgeon or medicine training helps students to get a knack for practical applications of theoretical concepts when they diagnose patients manually.

BDS Course Duration

Like MBBS, BDS also has a course duration of 5 years, including four years of study and one year of practical training. Dental science is also equally important in the current scenario, and graduates must undergo practical training to understand work ethics.

BAMS Course Duration

Ayurvedic courses are upcoming in India ever since the introduction of the Ministry of AYUSH. The importance of indigenous medicines has caught public attention leading to a massive increase in scopes for BAMS graduates. After regulation, BAMS is pursued as a 5.5 years course, including four years of study and 1.5 years of mandatory practical training.

BHMS Course Duration

Homeopathic Science in India has its significance. The course is designed to offer all aspects of homeopathy and surgical science. The overall course duration is for five years consisting of 1-year mandatory fieldwork.

Read More: Why Choose BHMS Course?

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Specializations

Medical sciences have a plethora of specialization domains in the coursework. The study of anatomy suggests the requirement of specialization areas, which students can't do simultaneously. A doctor must specialize in one area and master it, as healthcare isn't the place for jacks of all trades. Some of the specialization streams in each of the courses are listed below.

MBBS Specializations

• General Surgery
• Pediatrics
• Obstetrics
• Gynecology
• Orthopedics
• Ophthalmology
• Neurology
• Plastic Surgery
• Cardiology
• Urology
• Neuro Surgery
• Otolaryngology
• Anesthesiology
• Pathology

BDS Specializations

• Oral Medicine
• Public Dentistry
• Oral Radiology
• Paedodontics
• Preventive Dentistry
• Oral Pathology
• Oral Surgery
• Periodontology
• Orthodontics
• Prosthodontics
• Endodontics

BAMS Specializations

• Sharir Rachana
• Partha Vigyan
• Sharir Kriya
• Swasthavritta
• Rasa Shastra
• Agad Tantra
• Charak Samhita
• Prasuti and Stri Roga
• Kayachikitsa
• Shalya Tantra
• Charak Samhita

BHMS Specializations

• Homeopathic Paediatrics
• Homeopathic Pharmacology
• Homeopathic Dermatology
• Homeopathic General Medicine

Also Check: Compare BHMS with other Courses

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Syllabus

The syllabus of the courses MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS differs a lot from one another. The syllabus of each course is mentioned below:

MBBS Syllabus

The MBBS syllabus usually includes the following:

• Community Medicine
• Medicine
• Surgery including Orthopaedics
• Obst./Gynae. Including Family
• Welfare Planning
• Paediatric
• Ophthalmology
• Otorhinolaryngology
• Casualty

BDS Syllabus

The BDS syllabus usually includes the following:

• General Pathology
• Microbiology
• General and Dental Pharmacology
• Dental Therapeutics
• Preclinical Conservative Dentistry
• Oral Pathology
• Oral Microbiology

BAMS Syllabus

The BAMS syllabus usually includes the following:

• Ayurveda Nirupana
• Dravya Vigyaniyam
• Pratyaksha Pariksha
• Anumanapariksha
• Pariksha
• Samavaya Vigyaniyam

BHMS Syllabus

The BHMS syllabus usually includes the following:

• Organon of Medicine
• Principles of Homoeopathic Philosophy
• Psychology
• Anatomy
• Histology
• Embryology
• Physiology
• Biochemistry
• Homeopathic Materia Medical
• Pathology
• Parasitology

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Career Opportunities

Medical sciences is a vast and diverse field in India. The importance of healthcare cant be explained in generic terms, and it is indeed a big-time contributor to the Indian economy. The Healthcare sector has witnessed a massive progression since the induction of technology and has opened scopes for graduates of all medicinal professions.

MBBS Career Opportunities

The importance of indigenous medicines has also been cited recently by the Ministry of AYUSH, helping ayurvedic graduates to come up more in numbers. Some of the top career opportunities for the graduates are listed below.

BDS Career Opportunities

BDS is the most reputed undergraduate dental sciences course in India. BDS graduates are employed in top dental organizations and at times are entertained to even opt for entrepreneurship or private practice. Some of the top employment area and job designation of the graduates are:

BAMS Career Opportunities

Ayurveda is on the rise ever since the central government sanctioned a separate portfolio to protect the prestigious indigenous medicinal practice. BAMS graduates have a good scope in the job market and are also venturing into entrepreneurship. Some of the top employment area and job designation of the graduates are:

BAMS Career Opportunities

Homeopathy is a popular alternative for allopathy or foreign medicine in India. There’s substantial demand for homeopathic medicine in the Indian market that has opened doors for BHMS graduates in terms of employment. . Some of the top employment area and job designation of the graduates are:

Read More: BDS to MBBS Bridge Course

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Salary

Healthcare is one of the most crucial fields of study, and it is associated with a high level of risk, equal defense, and security of a country. The high-risk factor associated with the domain often gets graduates a competitive pay grade. As a result, MBBS graduates earn the most, followed by the graduates of the other courses. Some of the popular job role and average salary of the medical courses are listed below:

MBBS Salary

MBBS is one of the highest-paying medical degrees in the country. An MBBS graduate receives numerous job scopes based on his specializations and often receives a higher pay scale than other graduates. Some of the top job roles and average salaries are listed below:

Read More on MBBS Salary

BDS Salary

BDS is one of the top dental sciences degrees in India. BDS graduates' payscale majorly depends on their experience in the field. Some of the top job designations and salary are listed below:

Read More on BDS Salary

BAMS Salary

 Ayurvedic and Siddha medicine is considered to be the first choice alternative for allopathy in India. The development of Ayurveda commercially has opened up plenty of jobs with a competitive pay scale. Some of the top job designations and average pay are listed below:

Read More on BAMS Salary

BHMS Salary

BHMS graduates receive plenty of job opportunities in the public and private sectors with a competitive pay scale. Listed below are some of the top job designations and average pay for BHMS graduates in India.

Read More on BHMS Salary

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Higher Education Opportunities

All the undergraduate medical courses have an equivalent postgraduate degree that concentrates on one area of specialization. A postgraduate degree cements the authority as an expert in that particular field and garners more job scopes than an undergraduate degree. Let us look at some of the postgraduate options for the top medical courses in India.

Higher Education Opportunities after MBBS

MBBS, in general, covers two domains in one coursework, medical science, and surgical sciences. Based on that, graduates can either choose to venture into pure medicinal science master's programs such as MD in any specialized domain. Similarly, graduates who are interested in surgical practice can opt for MS in any specialized field. Furthermore, graduates who are willing to pursue further education can opt for Ph.D. in Medicine or MCh in any medical field. Finally, graduates with a knack for management can opt for MBA after MBBS.

Higher Education Opportunities after BDS

Upon completing the BDS course, graduates can take up MDS, the spiritual successor for dental sciences courses. Apart from MDS, graduates can opt for management courses such as MBA or PGDM in Healthcare Management or Hospital Administration.

Higher Education Opportunities after BAMS

Ayurvedic science also has its own set of postgraduate courses like MBBS and BDS. Graduates can opt for MS or MD in ayurvedic science under any of the specialized domains. Graduates can also switch to pharmaceutical studies via postgraduate diploma courses and opt for MBA in healthcare-related courses.

Higher Education Opportunities after BHMS

Homeopathy doesn't have any surgical practice in the coursework. The most common postgraduate career path for BHMS graduates is MD in Homeopathy. Graduates can also take up management courses like MBA or PGDM in healthcare or any other domain.

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS Colleges

Over the past few years, India has uplifted the medical standards of the country to bring in advancement in the healthcare sector. The big revamp included restructuring course format, eliminating low standard colleges, and appointing quality practitioners. Several institutes have been established in this country to provide quality medical education for aspirants. Some of the top colleges in India are:

Top MBBS Colleges in India

• AIIMS Delhi
• CMC Vellore
• Stanley Medical College
• Maulana Azad Medical College New Delhi
• Armed Forces Medical College
• King Geroge's Medical University

Top BDS Colleges in India

• Sri Ramachandra University
• Manipal Institute of Dental Sciences
• Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences
• Maharashtra University of Health Sciences
• Dental College & Hospital Mumbai
• Gujarat University
• SRM Dental College

Top BAMS Colleges in India

• Gujarat Ayurved University
• National Institute of Ayurveda Jaipur
• Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya Pune
• Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

Top BHMS Colleges in India

• Dr. Abhin Chandra Homeopathic Medical College
• National Institute of Homeopathy Kolkata
• Government Medical College and Hospital Chandigarh
• Solan Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital
• Baba Farid University of Health Sciences

MBBS vs BDS vs BAMS vs BHMS - Which One to Choose?

One can choose their desired medical studies according to their career goals and ambitions. The choice matters what the graduates want to do in their professional careers. The dilemma in choice is common among all medical aspirants as, at times, they are required to accustom themselves to the course they get, if not for MBBS.

Flourishing Job Opportunities: Before deciding on the course, graduates must know all about the streams. MBBS and BDS are popular streams with many scopes; however, it can't be said about homeopathy and Ayurveda. But roots have been made to develop the ayurvedic medicinal practice by the ministry of AAYUSH, currently bearing all the export of ayurvedic medicine across the globe. Soon or later, Ayurveda and homeopathy are bound to reach popularity as allopathic medicine.

Higher Payscale: Medical field always assures a higher pay scale than another set of degrees owing to the job risk associated with the line. MBBS graduates specialized in one domain can earn up to 12 LPA at the initial stages of their long career, and the same can be said for BDS graduates. Ayurveda is also under constant development and is slowly increasing its value.

It is conclusive that with any medical degree, graduates enjoy equal job opportunities in the job market. The decision ultimately rests on aspirants' willingness and their ambitions for a successful career.