M.Phil after Dentistry

- Dr. Batool Abbas

M.Phil after Dentistry from a Government Employee's Perspective

The path to mphil for a government employee is quite straightforward, the only definite requirement being completion of two years of service. Like any other postgraduate admission process there involves registration for entry test, the entry test, shortlisting and submission of documents, and interview of shortlisted candidates.

The entrance test for admission into this year’s (2018) mphil programme was carried out by UHS however classes are only being conducted at PGMI.

The registration: Keep a lookout for the ad primarily on the UHS website; it may also be published in the newspapers or appear on various medical/dental related groups on social media such as Facebook or whatsapp. It requires you to fill out a form and submit all relevant documents (BDS DMC’s, Degree, PMDC registration etc) along with a bank draft to UHS. Everyone who applies gets to sit for the test provided they apply timely.

The Test: The date is announced a week or ten days before the test. This time around we received an SMS stating the date and the venue for the exam. A notification was also put up on the UHS website. The test was to begin at 10am at the Punjab University Examination Halls, Wahdat Road. We were instructed to reach the venue an hour before the exam and to bring our original ID cards along with. It is always recommended to reach well before time as there are long queues and tremendous amounts of confusion and mismanagement to deal with.

The test itself comprised of MCQs from four different subjects:
-English Language
-Computer Sciences
-Research Methodology
-Analytical Reasoning

The English Language questions are mostly grammatical, for example fixing sentences with grammatical errors or picking out antonyms, synonyms etc. Some of the questions were also rote-based, asking to define grammar terms etc. Computer Sciences was quite basic with questions arising from daily computer use like keyboard commands for save/print or acronyms such WWW or IPN. The questions on Research Methodology were by far the most conceptual, for which some prior preparation of the subject would be required. Lastly, anyone who loves a bit of out-of-the-box thinking would really enjoy the Analytical Reasoning section. The scenarios and riddles were tough, but a little organised thought is all that is required to get through.

Shortlisting of candidates and submission of documents: The test is of a hundred marks, there was no pass/fail at the announcement of the result however shortlisted candidates were largely those who managed to secure more than 50% on the test. These candidates were then instructed to submit a list of documents to the admissions office at PGMI. Government employees have a separate form to fill for deputation purposes listing details of first appointment and duration of service etc. Make sure to keep all documents relevant to your years of service at hand.

Out of all the candidates invited for document submission, a list of about 15-20 candidates were called for interviews in each subject. A datesheet for each subject was put up on the PGMI website. There were about four or five government employees called for each interview.

The Interview:
All private and government candidates are called on the same day. There is a merit list for both sets of candidates with marks being given for test scores, bds marks, any distinction(in the subject applied), service at an RHC or BHU, graduation from a public sector dental college, and research experience.

The good news for government employees is if you have made it this far, there is almost a 99% chance they will select you in the subject you have applied for. The interview is not as gruelling either, they mostly ask you the number of years you have served, why you want to do mphil and any research experience you may have had.