Army 1 year AEGD before specialty

[lb ruski]

Hello everyone,
I am a 4th year dental student on Army HPSP set to graduate in May 2020. I have not yet completed BOLC. I am extremely interested in applying to Oral Surgery residencies within the Army. As part of my contract, I am now in the process of applying to AEGD programs. The Oral Surgery board doesn’t meet until dec, so I have not been given any instruction on that application process yet.

I had some questions: I have not completed BOLC yet: I believe it starts sometime in mid June, 2020. Are the AEGD programs designed to take the residents after they have finished the two month course? So I would be reporting to the AEGD residency sometime in August?

If I’m accepted to an AEGD program, am I automatically disqualified from the Oral surgery residency as well? I.e. if my AEGD residency starts in sept 2020, am i required to stay there until sept 2021, missing the beginning of oral surgery residencies in July 2021? I understand that I am going to be in limbo for a year, and would like to gain experience in the AEGD, but oral surgery has been my passion since day 1, and maximizing my chances of matching is something I’m striving towards.

If I do the AEGD, do I increase my payback? I.e. instead of owing 4 years after an Oral Surgery residency (4 for school and 4 for residency paid concurrently), I’d owe 5 years.

If I am not accepted to an Army Os program this cycle, and I apply again in fall 2020, am I applying for spots in 2021, or 2022?

I know these are a lot of questions but my recruiter doesn’t have all the answers, he intially told me I’m not even allowed to apply to the Oral Surgery board until after I complete my 1 year of service (he had to go speak to his station commander for the clarification).

If anyone could reach out to me, I’d greatly appreciate it

Thank you!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ModifiedBass]

Hello everyone,
I am a 4th year dental student on Army HPSP set to graduate in May 2020. I have not yet completed BOLC. I am extremely interested in applying to Oral Surgery residencies within the Army. As part of my contract, I am now in the process of applying to AEGD programs. The Oral Surgery board doesn’t meet until dec, so I have not been given any instruction on that application process yet.

I had some questions: I have not completed BOLC yet: I believe it starts sometime in mid June, 2020. Are the AEGD programs designed to take the residents after they have finished the two month course? So I would be reporting to the AEGD residency sometime in August?

If I’m accepted to an AEGD program, am I automatically disqualified from the Oral surgery residency as well? I.e. if my AEGD residency starts in sept 2020, am i required to stay there until sept 2021, missing the beginning of oral surgery residencies in July 2021? I understand that I am going to be in limbo for a year, and would like to gain experience in the AEGD, but oral surgery has been my passion since day 1, and maximizing my chances of matching is something I’m striving towards.

If I do the AEGD, do I increase my payback? I.e. instead of owing 4 years after an Oral Surgery residency (4 for school and 4 for residency paid concurrently), I’d owe 5 years.

If I am not accepted to an Army Os program this cycle, and I apply again in fall 2020, am I applying for spots in 2021, or 2022?

I know these are a lot of questions but my recruiter doesn’t have all the answers, he intially told me I’m not even allowed to apply to the Oral Surgery board until after I complete my 1 year of service (he had to go speak to his station commander for the clarification).

If anyone could reach out to me, I’d greatly appreciate it

Thank you!

BOLC ends mid/late July, you report to your next duty station (AEGD, snowbird, etc.) directly from BOLC, so within that week after you graduate. You inprocess for a couple of weeks and then start the program.

You can apply for both the AEGD and Oral Surgery, but cannot do both if accepted to both. Most oral surgery residents are accepted right out of dental school for the Army (unlike the other specialties). You will receive application information for both within the next month or so. If you want to do Oral Surgery, you will not do the AEGD, you will just snowbird at your oral surgery duty station for a year and then start the program after that year. If you are not accepted to Oral Surgery right out of school, then do the AEGD if you are accepted to that and apply for OS the next year.

You always apply for a residency spot the year after. Example, if you apply this year (2019) and get in, you will start in 2021. If you apply next year (2020) and get in, you will start in 2022. (Unless there is an extra slot open and you are able to work your command around getting started early).

 

[lb ruski]

BOLC ends mid/late July, you report to your next duty station (AEGD, snowbird, etc.) directly from BOLC, so within that week after you graduate. You inprocess for a couple of weeks and then start the program.

You can apply for both the AEGD and Oral Surgery, but cannot do both if accepted to both. Most oral surgery residents are accepted right out of dental school for the Army (unlike the other specialties). You will receive application information for both within the next month or so. If you want to do Oral Surgery, you will not do the AEGD, you will just snowbird at your oral surgery duty station for a year and then start the program after that year. If you are not accepted to Oral Surgery right out of school, then do the AEGD if you are accepted to that and apply for OS the next year.

You always apply for a residency spot the year after. Example, if you apply this year (2019) and get in, you will start in 2021. If you apply next year (2020) and get in, you will start in 2022. (Unless there is an extra slot open and you are able to work your command around getting started early).

Thank you for the clarification!

I had another question. The AEGD board is meeting first, my deadline to submit my packet is the end of Sept. If I get accepted to the 1 year AEGD, will I have time to see the results of the OS board before I make a decision? I ask because I hear that doing the 1 year AEGD increases your chances of matching to a speciality residency after, and if I’m going to be doing general dentistry for a year anyways (if I don’t match into OS this fall), might as well get some more training.

 

[ModifiedBass]

Thank you for the clarification!

I had another question. The AEGD board is meeting first, my deadline to submit my packet is the end of Sept. If I get accepted to the 1 year AEGD, will I have time to see the results of the OS board before I make a decision? I ask because I hear that doing the 1 year AEGD increases your chances of matching to a speciality residency after, and if I’m going to be doing general dentistry for a year anyways (if I don’t match into OS this fall), might as well get some more training.

Yes, you’ll be able to see the OS decision before you need to make yours. Specialty board decision usually comes out around the week before Christmas. And yes it definitely increases your chances the next year if you are not selected initially. On top of that, it does not look favorably on you to the specialty board if they see you turned down the AEGD spot. Good luck!