About my college

I took admission to SPDC in 2015. At that time the admission was through an entrance exam which was conducted by the college. The admissions since then are done based on NEET UG merit. The college has good connectivity as there are Wardha and Sewagram railway stations and a bus stop situated within 6 km. The nearest airport is in Nagpur which is 1.5 hours away from Wardha. The infrastructure of the institute is excellent-something which is not frequently seen in private colleges. Most of the teaching staff is alumni of GDC, Nagpur. The lectures were taken regularly and the pre clinics were conducted in an orderly manner. The OPD of the dental hospital, though decent, is still on the lower side. I had the option of selecting a college in my hometown but I opted for SPDC because it has joint medical college and hospital, so the teaching and hands-on learning is better.

Unlike some private and even government colleges, the lectures at SPDC were always conducted regularly. The faculty are mostly alumni of GDC, Nagpur. Lectures were always conducted on schedule and the teaching staff was always on time. They always welcomed our queries and even encouraged us to take up research work. Our batches were typically made up of 100 students although this varies now. During clinical postings, the batch was divided into 5-7 sub batches so the faculty to student ratio mostly was around 1:2. During my entire course of study, the exams were always conducted according to schedule, which was timely provided. The University Exam is usually conducted in summers, the month, however varies depending on the year of dentistry. The question asked were quite difficult but most students managed to pass. Those who could not clear the exam required to appear for a re-sit exam after 1-2 months.

As per DCI norms, every dental student has to undergo a one-year rotating internship. During this period we are posted in all the 9 departments for one month, sometimes more. In the Community dentistry posting the interns are required to manage camps in rural areas. The oral surgery posting is divided into 3 parts-OPD postings, Day ward posting and a Night ward posting. The shifts in all other departments are straightforward. Each intern is also required to do one original research project during this time. SPDC also invites students from other dental colleges for internships. A stipend of Rs. 1500 is paid after taking into account the biometric attendance of each intern.

The medical and dental institutions across the nation do not follow the practice of campus placements. After graduating with a BDS degree, one can pursue MDS, MPH, MBA or MHA. courses. The majority of graduates work under experienced practitioners to gain work experience before starting their own clinic. The same can also be done by joining corporate dental chains. Some graduates apply for jobs as tutors and Junior Residents. Graduates also opt for short courses on implants and aesthetic dentistry to gain more hands-on experience. The opportunities are immense and the path chosen depends completely on individual preferences. I personally aim to pursue MDS in Oral Surgery after graduation.

In 2015 my course fees were around Rs 3,15,000. This fee hikes every year by around 10%. The topper of my batch was provided with a scholarship under which she was given a laptop. During the internship, we were provided with a stipend of Rs 1500. There were no opportunities for on-campus jobs as medical and dental colleges throughout the country do not conduct campus placements.

We had an annual 10-day fest called GFC around the time of Ganesh Chaturthi. The libraries of both the dental and medical colleges are open for everyone to visit. They are well stacked and the latest versions of every book were available. Additionally, entrance exam books, novels and research journals were also present. There were 3 lecture halls, one on each floor, each equipped with a blackboard, whiteboard, projector, mics and 4 ACs. Besides the lecture halls, each department had its own PG seminar room for presentations and discussions. Within the campus, we had a health club area. A swimming pool was situated in the centre with a jogging track surrounding it. On the left side of the pool was the guest house and on the right side, a football field was present. Near the football ground, a building was situated, which had a GYM, dance studio, Yoga studio and a pool table.

There are 9 girls hostels situated within the campus, while all the boy's hostel is outside the campus so boys were provided with a shuttle bus service. The PG hostels were all single-seater, the rest all the hostels had combinations of single rooms, double rooms and triple rooms. The rooms were quite big and all had an attached washroom and balcony. Beds, chairs, study tables and cupboards were all provided. The washrooms had a western-style toilet, shower area and geyser. Overall the rooms were spacious and we had cleaning staff coming in every 3 days. All hostels have wardens who stay on the ground floor. The campus now has a centralized mess for every student. The ground floor serves meals and snacks whereas the first floor is a bakery. The meals were all locally made by a catering company and the entire mess is air-conditioned. They also deliver food parcels to hostels free of charge.