Best Medical Dental colleges in Delhi NCR-Santosh Deemed to be University

Why an Undergraduate Research Studentship Actually Matters

The ICMR-STS isn't a participation certificate. It's a competitive, national-level selection process where undergraduate medical and dental students are matched with a faculty guide and given a real research problem to work through — start to finish, in one academic year. For the student, that means early exposure to how evidence-based medicine and dentistry actually get built, well before residency.

It matters for very practical reasons too. Postgraduate admissions in India and abroad increasingly reward candidates who show research aptitude, not just exam scores. A published paper, a poster presentation or even a documented STS project on a student's profile is a genuine differentiator when they're applying for a PG seat, a fellowship or a foreign residency. Getting that exposure at the undergraduate stage — rather than scrambling for it after MBBS or BDS — is a head start most students simply don't get.

Laying the Groundwork: The ICMR-STS Launchpad Programme

This year's result didn't happen in isolation. Ahead of the selections, Santosh University has been conducting the ICMR Short-Term Studentship (STS) Launchpad Programme under the leadership of Dr. V.N. Mahalakshmi, Vice Chancellor, Santosh Deemed to be University, Dr. Alka Agrawal, Dean, Santosh Medical College and Hospitals and Dr. Akshay Bhargava, Director – Research, Dean – Faculty of Dentistry and Director – Santosh Startups Forum, aimed squarely at preparing undergraduate medical and dental students to think like researchers — and it's this kind of groundwork that helped shape the outcome now being celebrated.

The session brought academic leaders together with students to walk through the ICMR-STS application process in detail, while past STS awardees shared their own experiences of what the journey actually looks like. Students came forward with a motivation and a firmer grasp of research fundamentals and how to build a proposal strong enough to compete nationally. Previous awardees were also felicitated, giving this year's applicants a tangible sense of what success looks like.

It's this sustained effort — nurturing undergraduate minds early, rather than waiting for postgraduate years to introduce research — that has translated into this year's number: 17 students selected, the university's strongest ICMR-STS cohort yet.

The Number That Should Actually Catch Your Attention

Here's the part worth sitting with: this isn't Santosh's first year at the ICMR-STS table. It's the third.

A single good year could be luck — a strong batch, a motivated few. A number that more than triples over three years points to something structural: faculty who are actively building research problems suitable for undergraduates, a mentorship pipeline that identifies interested students early and an institution that keeps investing in it year after year. For a prospective student, that's a far more reliable signal than a one-off headline — it tells you what to expect if you enroll this year and want to pursue research two years from now.

Who's Behind It  

The 10 BDS students span seven dental specialities, working under faculty guides across the department — including Dr. Akshay Bhargava, Director Research, Dean - Faculty of Dentistry and Director - Santosh Startups Forum, who has played a key role in driving student research at the University and also ensured the active participation of students and quality of submissions.

The 7 MBBS students spread across six departments were mentored by their faculty guides at Santosh Medical College & Hospital.

Both cohorts work under the overall guidance of Prof. (Dr.) V. N. Mahalakshmi, Vice Chancellor, Santosh Deemed to be University.

What This Tells You If You're Choosing a College Right Now

If you're comparing the best medical or dental colleges in Delhi NCR, most brochures will tell you about infrastructure, hospital bed count and faculty strength. Those matter, but they don't tell you whether a student who wants to go beyond the syllabus will actually get the chance to. This is one of the few concrete, verifiable answers to that question: 17 students, across 13 departments spanning both colleges, got that chance this year — and the number has grown every single year it's been tracked.

For a student who already knows they want to pursue an MD, MS or MDS with a research-oriented profile, that's not a marketing line. It's evidence of a pathway that exists on campus, with faculty willing to guide a first-time researcher through it.

Looking Ahead

Congratulations to all 17 students and their proud guides on this achievement. As these young researchers begin their ICMR-STS 2026 journey, Santosh Deemed to be University looks forward to the experiments, discoveries and "Eureka!" moments that lie ahead — and to see this research culture continue to grow year after year. Milestones like this reinforce why Santosh continues to be recognized among the best medical colleges in Delhi NCR and best dental colleges in Delhi NCR, with student research training now a defining part of the academic experience.

Quick Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the ICMR Short-Term Studentship (STS)?

It is a national research training programme run by the Indian Council of Medical Research that selects undergraduate medical, dental and other health-science students for short-term, mentor-guided research projects.

2. Can an MBBS or BDS student really do meaningful research before their postgraduate years?

Yes — the ICMR-STS is specifically designed for this. It pairs undergraduate students with a faculty guide for a one-year, mentor-supervised project, which is exactly how 17 Santosh students are doing it right now, across specialities from oral pathology to psychiatry.

3. Is this opportunity only for the top-ranking students, or can any interested student pursue it?

Selection is based on the strength of the research proposal a student develops with a faculty guide, not academic rank alone. The growth from 5 to 17 selections over three years suggests Santosh is actively widening this pipeline rather than reserving it for a handful of students.

4. How does undergraduate research experience actually help my child's career later?

It builds a track record — proposal writing, data analysis and presentation skills — that strengthens applications for postgraduate seats (MD/MS/MDS), research fellowships and residencies, both in India and abroad, where research exposure is increasingly weighed alongside academic scores.