Life After BDS: Waiting for the Universe to ‘Open Wide’ Like a Patient’s Mouth

After five years of BDS, one thousand teeth, three hundred case sheets, and enough stress to calcify your own pulp — you toss your graduation cap and ask the million-dollar question:

“Now what?”

You imagine the Universe replying with a dramatic “aaaaaaahh” — just like your patients do — revealing a world full of opportunities.

Instead, the Universe looks at you like a toddler who just swallowed a Lego:
Blank stare. No answers. Slight panic.

 

Phase 1: Graduation High… and Then What?

The joy of completing BDS lasts exactly 3.7 seconds.

Then reality hits:

  • Clinic? MDS? MPH? MBA? UPSC? Canada? Mars?

  • Should I open a clinic or a cookie business?

  • Why does everyone suddenly expect me to have a five-year plan when I couldn’t even plan my next patient appointment properly?



 Phase 2: Everyone’s Advice — Confusing AF

You post one thoughtful photo in a white coat, and suddenly you're the family’s unpaid health advisor:

  • “Beta, MDS hi karo… it’s more respectable.”

  • “MPH suna hai abroad mein scope hai. Bas ₹50 lakh lagega.”

  • “Dentist toh pehle hi bohot hain. Try civil services?”

  • “Shaadi kab karni hai?”

At this point, even your Google search bar is overwhelmed:

"Life after BDS but make it meaningful"
"Jobs for dentists that don’t involve teeth"
"Can I become a forest ranger with a BDS degree?"


Phase 3: Existential Flossing

You floss your thoughts daily:

  • Do I want to be in a clinic all my life?

  • Why didn’t they teach us about health systems or insurance or how to file taxes??

  • Was that one extraction in 3rd year my life’s peak??

You look at your degree and wonder if it's a passport to purpose… or just a fancy tooth receipt.


Phase 4: Waiting for the Universe to “Open Wide”

This is the funny part.
As dentists, we spend years asking patients to “open wide” so we can diagnose, fix, and heal.

Now here we are —
Waiting for the Universe to open wide for us.

We want answers, opportunities, clarity. But sometimes the Universe whispers:

“First, you open up — your mind, your heart, your courage.”


 The Truth Is…

Life after BDS doesn’t come with a treatment plan.
There’s no x-ray to reveal your future.
No scaler sharp enough to remove the plaque of confusion instantly.

But there is you — your curiosity, your empathy, your resilience.

Whether you choose:

  • A public health journey (hi MPH 👋)

  • Medical writing or research

  • Clinical practice with your own twist

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Or a mix of all the above…

You don’t need to have it all figured out today.


 Final Thoughts

So here I am —
A dentist with dreams, doubts, and a deep belief that just like patients eventually say “Aaaah,”
The Universe too, will open wide for me…
When I show up with intention, not just instruments.

Until then, I’ll keep exploring, laughing, growing — and yes, flossing my soul daily.

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