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- May 2, 2008
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I created this thread because SDN helped me a lot however, I had to do a lot of footwork to find out more detailed information. Here is my story with the decision of going into the military, which branch, or NHSC or doing nothing. I will focus more on the Army and the Navy because those are the branches I am more knowledgable about...however, I will make a few comments regarding the Air Force.
Let me first start off by saying I was anti military, no way no how was I going to go into the military under any circumstances because my first opinion of it was what I saw on TV and heard enlisted people say. (There is a difference between enlisted people and officers I'll get into that later)
Then one day a friend of mine told me to look into the military it worked out well for her. So I began my journey of dealing with recruiters...trying to filter out correct and incorrect information.
I found out that the HPSP pays all of your tuition, school related expenses, health insurance, and it pays a stipend of 1900/month. In addition, if you were to add a year on they will give you a signing bonus of 20,000. So I figured it was a least worth looking into.
The speciality programs in the Military are second to none because they have the technology in addition, a military dentist does not have to worry about whether the patient has enough money to continue through the treatment plan, the military pays for it.
Therefore in that respect, unless you are working with rich patients, you would probably be able to complete more treatment plans and quicker than in the civilian sector. Its simply a question of what does the patient need not how much money does the patient have and based on that how much can i do.
Another misconception I had was that I could be deployed while completing school or my speciality training and that is false information. It is stated in the contract that while in school or speciality training that one cannot be deployed. However, upon completion of your training it is a possiblity that you may be deployed. Chances range from 5%-37% depending on your speciality or lack thereof. Dentist are very valuable to the military they invest a lot of money in them therefore dentist are not normally on the front lines. (I say normally because I leave room for extenuating circumstances. FYI: Females by the way will not be on the front lines in the Army because there is law against that. ) The Dentist needs to be safe so that he/she can care for the oral health of the soldiers. So most times Dentist are in safe locations.
A misconception that I had about the Navy was that if you were to get ship duty you would be on the ship in the water for 6 months at a time without every docking. That is incorrect information. If a dentist were to get ship duty it is possible thta the dentist would be portside and simply repsonsible for the care of the people assigned to that ship however, if the ship goes out for an operational tour(training) or to change locations...pack ur bags cause you are going to be a sailing dentist
on the way to the new location you may stop at a port various times, get off and go shopping...or check out the city you are in. IT is possible that you may assigned to a Marine unit because the Marines dont have a medical/dental corp so the navy medical/dental corp supplements this.
The Navy has a cuter uniform than the Army...clearly i'm a female lol. The Navy has better locations than the Army however, I had to think about the worst case scenario and based on the worse case scenario of me being stuck on a ship...I decided I as a female wouldn't want to deal with that and rather be in a desert somewhere on solid land than be stuck on a ship under any circumstances....that is simply my preference ...fyi i've never been on a cruise ship so i have no clue what it is like to be out on the water in the middle of no where...i llove water but i dont know if i love it that much. Another reason i chose the Army is because I felt it would give me a better family life, even though i dont currently have children or a husband. That was a personal decision you have to come to that conclusion for yourself.
Do not let the way the recruiter is cause you to make a decision about a branch of the military. Understand it is simply that persons job to recruit and some do it better than others and once you have signed all ur papers and been commissioned you will no longer have to deal with that person. I personally didnt care for my navy recruiters..yes that was plural...one lied to me, and one wasnt very helpful. Speaking of which...dont every take the word of a recruiter as 100% truth...always check the information for yourself...some get carried away...do not believe them if they say you will never ever be deployed because you can be deployed. There are no guarantees about location in the military. Ask as many dentist in the military questions they would be more than happy to answer it. I have spoken with at least 17 military dentist in all walks of life and that has helped me to shape my view of the military. I also went to two military dental clinics and observed how they operate.
If you take the 4 yr HPSP you would be obligated to 4 yrs active duty time and 4 years inactive ready reserve(IRR) time. You can decrease the inactive ready reserve time by instead of being inactive you can remain active duty or you can take on a speciality. For example if you graduated from dental school and went str8 into perio training which is 3 years you would spend your first three years training for perio then 4 years paying back your scholarship and then you would have 1 year left of IRR.
The retirement packages are second to none...if you go in like it and want it as a career...the doors are wide open you could teach in the military and practice. You can retire after 20 yrs of active duty service time and you would be receiving a really really nice paycheck and you would still be able to work in the private sector.....taking home a good amount >80K dont quote me on the amount....in addition to whatever you get from working...it is something to think about.
I decided to sign for the Army for many reasons.They have more spaces in their speciality programs and they have no ship duty. I did not sign for the Air Force because I waited to long to apply and they ran out of scholarships so i didnt even bother try. however, the Air Force is many peoples first choice but dont be fooled AF dentist can be deployed i have met two who were. The Air Force has less spots available to specialize. however, their training is very good...but the training is second to none in all areas of the military. It is a personal decision when choosing a branch...think worst case scenario and ask yourself if you could deal with it and if the answer is no...that branch isnt for you.
Feel free to ask me any questions. hope this helps you
Below is a chart i made comparing the army to the National Health Service corps. I decided that I would get better training in the military than in the NHSC. In addition, there are guarantees of pay in the military but not in the NHSC. Check it out maybe it will help you, this is based on me taking the three year scholarship not the four year..i'm c/o 2011
The Army
NHSC
Pay for tuition, fees and educational expenses while in school
Yes
Yes
Stipend/month
1900
1233
Can specialize right after school
Yes, except for pediatric dentistry…but provisions can be made to do it.
Not in everything only pediatric dentistry
Can do a AEGD/GPR upon graduation
yes
yes
Guaranteed placement in the US or US territories
No*
yes
Health insurance paid while in school
Yes
no
Malpractice paid(when done)
Yes
Yes, with an exception…if one were to choose the PPO option…see below
Salary
3900/month( or 3300 gotta look it up)
Who knows.
Work Setting
Army Clinic
Clinic, private practice, Indian health service(care for the native Americans), bureau of prisons(workin on the prisoners), Immigration and customs enforcement(care for the detainees that are in the custody of the ICE) see below***
Years payback
8 years. 3 of which is active duty 5 years which can be inactive ready reserves or specialization or working for the army.
Min 2 yrs max 4 yrs(1 yr for every yr they pay for school)
Assigned to a war zone area
Possibility
no
Extra pay for dependants
Yes
No
Stipend for housing
Yes
No
Can end up in a rural area
Yes
Yes
Health benefits covered
Yes
no
Vacation
Guaranteed 30 days paid leave
Not allowed to be away more than 35 days/service year for any reason illness, vacation whatever
Pay for relocation
Yes
no
Provide housing if necessary
Yes
No
*if I were to specialize in periodontics, prothodontics, or endodontics, I would be at Fort Gordon in GA for three years…..then I would have to pay them back three years wherever they station me after that, and I would have two years of Inactive Ready Reserves.
*****Types of Placements
The following types of NHSC scholar placements may appear on the Approved Practice List:
Non-Federal Placements:
Private Practice Assignment (PPA)
A PPA is an assignment to a public or private entity that operates a community-based system of care where a scholar may serve his/her commitment. These entities may be supported by local communities or may be supported in part by Federal grant funds. Under the PPA, scholars are considered non-Federal members of the NHSC and are paid by and work under the personnel system of the entity to which they are assigned. The salary and benefits paid by the entity must be at least equal to the salary and benefits that the scholar would have received as a Federal civil service employee. Malpractice insurance should be agreed upon by the employer and the scholar and detailed in their written employment contract. The BCRS requires that each entity make provisions for malpractice insurance, including tail coverage, for scholars under the PPA. Employment contract negotiations are solely the responsibility of the scholar.
Private Practice Option (PPO)
A PPO is a release (from having to serve as a member of the NHSC) to serve in a private practice that operates as fee-for-service, or a salaried position at a public, private non-profit, or for-profit site. There is no minimum provider salary and benefit package requirement for a PPO. By statute, scholars wishing to exercise the PPO must submit a written application to the BCRS. If a PPO placement is approved by the BCRS, the scholar must sign an agreement to, among other things, comply with the section "Charges for Services"; requirements set forth in this Bulletin. The scholar must also prepare and submit a Uniform Data System report to the BCRSon the conduct of his/her practice. NOTE: PPO providers must make arrangements to obtain their own malpractice and medical insurance. Scholars are not eligible for solo private practice options.
Federal Placements:
Indian Health Service (IHS)
This agency of the Department of Health and Human Services offers a variety of placement opportunities at hospitals and other health care facilities serving
Native American/Alaskan Native populations (usually on Indian reservations). An IHS placement may require a security clearance.
Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
This agency of the Department of Justice employs health professionals in Federal prison facilities ranging from infirmary-size units to 500-bed tertiary care hospitals throughout the United States. A BOP placement requires a security clearance.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
This agency of the Department of Homeland Security provides primary health care for the detainees remanded to the custody of the ICE. Within each Service Processing Center throughout the country, there is a fully accredited outpatient clinic. An ICE placement requires a security clearance.
Let me first start off by saying I was anti military, no way no how was I going to go into the military under any circumstances because my first opinion of it was what I saw on TV and heard enlisted people say. (There is a difference between enlisted people and officers I'll get into that later)
Then one day a friend of mine told me to look into the military it worked out well for her. So I began my journey of dealing with recruiters...trying to filter out correct and incorrect information.
I found out that the HPSP pays all of your tuition, school related expenses, health insurance, and it pays a stipend of 1900/month. In addition, if you were to add a year on they will give you a signing bonus of 20,000. So I figured it was a least worth looking into.
The speciality programs in the Military are second to none because they have the technology in addition, a military dentist does not have to worry about whether the patient has enough money to continue through the treatment plan, the military pays for it.
Therefore in that respect, unless you are working with rich patients, you would probably be able to complete more treatment plans and quicker than in the civilian sector. Its simply a question of what does the patient need not how much money does the patient have and based on that how much can i do.
Another misconception I had was that I could be deployed while completing school or my speciality training and that is false information. It is stated in the contract that while in school or speciality training that one cannot be deployed. However, upon completion of your training it is a possiblity that you may be deployed. Chances range from 5%-37% depending on your speciality or lack thereof. Dentist are very valuable to the military they invest a lot of money in them therefore dentist are not normally on the front lines. (I say normally because I leave room for extenuating circumstances. FYI: Females by the way will not be on the front lines in the Army because there is law against that. ) The Dentist needs to be safe so that he/she can care for the oral health of the soldiers. So most times Dentist are in safe locations.
A misconception that I had about the Navy was that if you were to get ship duty you would be on the ship in the water for 6 months at a time without every docking. That is incorrect information. If a dentist were to get ship duty it is possible thta the dentist would be portside and simply repsonsible for the care of the people assigned to that ship however, if the ship goes out for an operational tour(training) or to change locations...pack ur bags cause you are going to be a sailing dentist
on the way to the new location you may stop at a port various times, get off and go shopping...or check out the city you are in. IT is possible that you may assigned to a Marine unit because the Marines dont have a medical/dental corp so the navy medical/dental corp supplements this.The Navy has a cuter uniform than the Army...clearly i'm a female lol. The Navy has better locations than the Army however, I had to think about the worst case scenario and based on the worse case scenario of me being stuck on a ship...I decided I as a female wouldn't want to deal with that and rather be in a desert somewhere on solid land than be stuck on a ship under any circumstances....that is simply my preference ...fyi i've never been on a cruise ship so i have no clue what it is like to be out on the water in the middle of no where...i llove water but i dont know if i love it that much. Another reason i chose the Army is because I felt it would give me a better family life, even though i dont currently have children or a husband. That was a personal decision you have to come to that conclusion for yourself.
Do not let the way the recruiter is cause you to make a decision about a branch of the military. Understand it is simply that persons job to recruit and some do it better than others and once you have signed all ur papers and been commissioned you will no longer have to deal with that person. I personally didnt care for my navy recruiters..yes that was plural...one lied to me, and one wasnt very helpful. Speaking of which...dont every take the word of a recruiter as 100% truth...always check the information for yourself...some get carried away...do not believe them if they say you will never ever be deployed because you can be deployed. There are no guarantees about location in the military. Ask as many dentist in the military questions they would be more than happy to answer it. I have spoken with at least 17 military dentist in all walks of life and that has helped me to shape my view of the military. I also went to two military dental clinics and observed how they operate.
If you take the 4 yr HPSP you would be obligated to 4 yrs active duty time and 4 years inactive ready reserve(IRR) time. You can decrease the inactive ready reserve time by instead of being inactive you can remain active duty or you can take on a speciality. For example if you graduated from dental school and went str8 into perio training which is 3 years you would spend your first three years training for perio then 4 years paying back your scholarship and then you would have 1 year left of IRR.
The retirement packages are second to none...if you go in like it and want it as a career...the doors are wide open you could teach in the military and practice. You can retire after 20 yrs of active duty service time and you would be receiving a really really nice paycheck and you would still be able to work in the private sector.....taking home a good amount >80K dont quote me on the amount....in addition to whatever you get from working...it is something to think about.
I decided to sign for the Army for many reasons.They have more spaces in their speciality programs and they have no ship duty. I did not sign for the Air Force because I waited to long to apply and they ran out of scholarships so i didnt even bother try. however, the Air Force is many peoples first choice but dont be fooled AF dentist can be deployed i have met two who were. The Air Force has less spots available to specialize. however, their training is very good...but the training is second to none in all areas of the military. It is a personal decision when choosing a branch...think worst case scenario and ask yourself if you could deal with it and if the answer is no...that branch isnt for you.
Feel free to ask me any questions. hope this helps you
Below is a chart i made comparing the army to the National Health Service corps. I decided that I would get better training in the military than in the NHSC. In addition, there are guarantees of pay in the military but not in the NHSC. Check it out maybe it will help you, this is based on me taking the three year scholarship not the four year..i'm c/o 2011
The Army
NHSC
Pay for tuition, fees and educational expenses while in school
Yes
Yes
Stipend/month
1900
1233
Can specialize right after school
Yes, except for pediatric dentistry…but provisions can be made to do it.
Not in everything only pediatric dentistry
Can do a AEGD/GPR upon graduation
yes
yes
Guaranteed placement in the US or US territories
No*
yes
Health insurance paid while in school
Yes
no
Malpractice paid(when done)
Yes
Yes, with an exception…if one were to choose the PPO option…see below
Salary
3900/month( or 3300 gotta look it up)
Who knows.
Work Setting
Army Clinic
Clinic, private practice, Indian health service(care for the native Americans), bureau of prisons(workin on the prisoners), Immigration and customs enforcement(care for the detainees that are in the custody of the ICE) see below***
Years payback
8 years. 3 of which is active duty 5 years which can be inactive ready reserves or specialization or working for the army.
Min 2 yrs max 4 yrs(1 yr for every yr they pay for school)
Assigned to a war zone area
Possibility
no
Extra pay for dependants
Yes
No
Stipend for housing
Yes
No
Can end up in a rural area
Yes
Yes
Health benefits covered
Yes
no
Vacation
Guaranteed 30 days paid leave
Not allowed to be away more than 35 days/service year for any reason illness, vacation whatever
Pay for relocation
Yes
no
Provide housing if necessary
Yes
No
*if I were to specialize in periodontics, prothodontics, or endodontics, I would be at Fort Gordon in GA for three years…..then I would have to pay them back three years wherever they station me after that, and I would have two years of Inactive Ready Reserves.
*****Types of Placements
The following types of NHSC scholar placements may appear on the Approved Practice List:
Non-Federal Placements:
Private Practice Assignment (PPA)
A PPA is an assignment to a public or private entity that operates a community-based system of care where a scholar may serve his/her commitment. These entities may be supported by local communities or may be supported in part by Federal grant funds. Under the PPA, scholars are considered non-Federal members of the NHSC and are paid by and work under the personnel system of the entity to which they are assigned. The salary and benefits paid by the entity must be at least equal to the salary and benefits that the scholar would have received as a Federal civil service employee. Malpractice insurance should be agreed upon by the employer and the scholar and detailed in their written employment contract. The BCRS requires that each entity make provisions for malpractice insurance, including tail coverage, for scholars under the PPA. Employment contract negotiations are solely the responsibility of the scholar.
Private Practice Option (PPO)
A PPO is a release (from having to serve as a member of the NHSC) to serve in a private practice that operates as fee-for-service, or a salaried position at a public, private non-profit, or for-profit site. There is no minimum provider salary and benefit package requirement for a PPO. By statute, scholars wishing to exercise the PPO must submit a written application to the BCRS. If a PPO placement is approved by the BCRS, the scholar must sign an agreement to, among other things, comply with the section "Charges for Services"; requirements set forth in this Bulletin. The scholar must also prepare and submit a Uniform Data System report to the BCRSon the conduct of his/her practice. NOTE: PPO providers must make arrangements to obtain their own malpractice and medical insurance. Scholars are not eligible for solo private practice options.
Federal Placements:
Indian Health Service (IHS)
This agency of the Department of Health and Human Services offers a variety of placement opportunities at hospitals and other health care facilities serving
Native American/Alaskan Native populations (usually on Indian reservations). An IHS placement may require a security clearance.
Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
This agency of the Department of Justice employs health professionals in Federal prison facilities ranging from infirmary-size units to 500-bed tertiary care hospitals throughout the United States. A BOP placement requires a security clearance.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
This agency of the Department of Homeland Security provides primary health care for the detainees remanded to the custody of the ICE. Within each Service Processing Center throughout the country, there is a fully accredited outpatient clinic. An ICE placement requires a security clearance.
