Chennai: The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Tamil Nadu, has published tentative vacancy positions for MBBS and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) admissions for the 2026–27 academic session. The updates, dated October 18, 2026, relate to the stray vacancy round of undergraduate medical and dental counselling. The vacancy lists have been made available through the state's official Medical Education Selection Committee portal. Separate notifications cover candidates eligible under the 7.5% reservation for students who studied in Tamil Nadu government schools and candidates applying under the other government and management quota categories. The publication gives eligible candidates an updated reference for vacancies remaining after earlier counselling rounds. Applicants should consult the list relevant to their category before proceeding with the next stage of counselling.
Separate Vacancy Lists Published for Different Categories
The Selection Committee has listed tentative stray-round vacancy positions for MBBS and BDS courses under different admission categories.
The published updates include:
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Tentative stray-round vacancies for MBBS and BDS under the 7.5% reservation for Tamil Nadu government-school students.
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Tentative stray-round vacancies for MBBS and BDS under government and management quotas, including minority and NRI categories.
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Separate counselling-schedule notices for the stray round of MBBS and BDS admissions.
The lists are intended to reflect seats available for consideration during the next counselling stage. Since the vacancy positions are described as tentative, candidates should refer to the latest official updates rather than treat the published numbers as final admission outcomes.
BDS Vacancies Under the 7.5% Reservation
A separate vacancy update concerning the 7.5% government-school reservation reported seven BDS vacancies for the stray round. These comprised one seat in a government dental college and six seats in self-financing colleges. The vacancies were distributed across eligible categories, including Backward Class (BC), Backward Class Muslim (BCM) and Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities (MBC/DNC). These figures apply to the specific BDS vacancy list under the 7.5% reservation category. They should not be interpreted as the total number of MBBS and BDS vacancies across all counselling categories in Tamil Nadu. Candidates should check the official college-wise vacancy document to identify the institutions and categories for which seats remain available. The relevant list will help applicants understand which vacancies may be considered during the stray-round process.
What Candidates Should Do Next
Candidates seeking MBBS or BDS admission should visit the official Selection Committee portal and locate the notifications dated October 18, 2026. They should select the vacancy list corresponding to their admission category and review the applicable counselling schedule. Applicants must also follow the instructions provided in the official counselling notification, including any requirements concerning online registration, choice submission, eligibility and reporting. The exact schedule and conditions should be confirmed from the relevant notice, as they may differ by quota. The publication of a tentative vacancy list does not guarantee that a particular seat will remain available until allotment. Vacancies can change as counselling progresses and candidates accept or decline allotted seats.
Where to Check the Official Updates
The vacancy lists and related counselling notifications are available through the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Medical Education and Research Selection Committee website. Candidates should rely on the official portal for the latest vacancy position and counselling instructions for the 2026–27 academic session.
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