Reforming undergraduate dental education in India: introducing a credits and semester system.

To make higher education in India more dynamic and responsive to a fast-developing society and its aspirations, there has been widespread recognition of a need for reform. Among the proposed changes, expert committees and the National Knowledge Commission have recommended the introduction of a credits and semester system starting in undergraduate education. Technical institutions and some universities have already adopted this system. The country's dental schools are beginning to consider such a change, which would bring them more into alignment with the structure of dental education in North America and many countries in other parts of the world. Since dental schools in most developed countries follow a quarter/semester system, there is much evidence of the merits of such a system for dental education. After providing an overview of the present curriculum structure of dental education in India and the national move toward reform, this article presents the case for a new credits and semester system for undergraduate dental education in India.