Ask an Air Force Dentist

[AFDDS]

Thanks for your reply. Now I am even more confused. After talking to a recruiter, I have been told that they will only consider undergrad. Do you suggest talking to more than one recruiter even if they are not in my local area?

Your undergrad GPA will carry the most weight. post grad isn't looked at as much as it used to be. They may not do the average anymore. I just found this out myself.

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[AFDDS]

How many graduating students are accepted into an endo residency straight from school? How many apply for these residencies?

None in the AF. You will need to be on active duty for a little while to get into endo.

 

[aallyson]

AFDDS (or anyone who has had experience with this),
Are those who are accepted to a university with initial accreditation less likely to be accepted for HPSP? I am going to be starting dental school in the fall and am planning on attending UofUtah which was opened in 2013. I contacted an AF recruiter to get my 3 yr app started and he didn't say anything about it, but I am really interested in the scholarship and don't want to end up attending a university where I won't even be considered for it. Thanks!

 

[drake6]

AFDDS (or anyone who has had experience with this),
Are those who are accepted to a university with initial accreditation less likely to be accepted for HPSP? I am going to be starting dental school in the fall and am planning on attending UofUtah which was opened in 2013. I contacted an AF recruiter to get my 3 yr app started and he didn't say anything about it, but I am really interested in the scholarship and don't want to end up attending a university where I won't even be considered for it. Thanks!

aallyson-- I am currently a student at the UofU on an AF scholarship. Utah's accreditation status wasn't an issue for me and shouldn't be for you. I look forward to meeting you next year! Good luck with the application process and PM me if you have any questions along the way!

 

[gppa715]

Hello -
I've talked with both Navy and AF recruiters, and I heard two different answers and wondering if anyone can clarify this for me.
The Navy recruiter said that the Navy likes to hire specialists from its internal sources i.e. Navy dentist who decides to specialize and goes to residency for it. So he told me that if I'm considering specialty, I should first join the Navy as GP and then go to specialty residency on Navy financial program.
However, AF recruiter said that AF is currently filled with GPs and is not accepting application for AF dentist. But if I get accepted into a civilian specialty residency, AF would be happy to provide financial assistance and take me when I complete the specialty residency training. Is this true? Is it really impossible to join the AF as a GP if you are not on the HPSP scholarship? Thank you !

 

[AFDDS]

That is correct. The AF is 100% manned for General Dentists. Unless you have a 2 year AEGD or 2 year GPR, the AF isn't taking applications. You can get in if you are a specialist or if you are accepted into a specialty program that we need.

 

[Pearldog]

Ask away. I'll do my best to answer. My background:

9 years enlisted in Army National Guard
2-years Private Practice as an Associate
Goodfellow AFB, TX - Clinical dentist and Assistant Director of Dental Services
2 year Comprehensive General Dentistry Residency
USAF Academy - Deputy Director, AEGD
Bolling AFB - Surgeon General's Office - Working on Federal Dental Service issues as well as AF Education
Elmendorf AFB, AK - AEGD Residency Director
Deployed for 6 months
Lackland AFB, TX - Associate Professor of Comprehensive Dentistry (Director, 1st year Resident Education and Training)

14+ years total in the AF

T

Ask away. I'll do my best to answer. My background:

9 years enlisted in Army National Guard
2-years Private Practice as an Associate
Goodfellow AFB, TX - Clinical dentist and Assistant Director of Dental Services
2 year Comprehensive General Dentistry Residency
USAF Academy - Deputy Director, AEGD
Bolling AFB - Surgeon General's Office - Working on Federal Dental Service issues as well as AF Education
Elmendorf AFB, AK - AEGD Residency Director
Deployed for 6 months
Lackland AFB, TX - Associate Professor of Comprehensive Dentistry (Director, 1st year Resident Education and Training)

14+ years total in the AF

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Not sure if you can help me and I haven't seen my specific question posed- I'm very late in the game. I'm 28 with no college education and no military experience. What would be the quickest and easiest steps to take to get in the right direction of becoming and Air Force dentist?

 

[AFDDS]

First, start getting your college education. Get it at a good school and work hard to get you GPA as high as you can. Right now, people with3.9 GPA are being turned down for scholarships. Keep in touch with a recruiter to stay up on any changes to the requirements and processes.

 

[SJC]

If I accept the 4-year scholarship, I'd owe 4 years of active duty. If while on active duty, I'm accepted into an AF specialty program (i.e.. endo) that takes 2 years. I understand the 2 year duration of the program are considered "neutral". Would I then owe 6 years of active duty? (4yrs for d-school + 2yrs for the speciality program?)

 

[LFA20]

If I accept the 4-year scholarship, I'd owe 4 years of active duty. If while on active duty, I'm accepted into an AF specialty program (i.e.. endo) that takes 2 years. I understand the 2 year duration of the program are considered "neutral". Would I then owe 6 years of active duty? (4yrs for d-school + 2yrs for the speciality program?)

You do NOT incur additional payback time for residency/specialty program.. So for example, if you were accepted to endodontics program, you would spend your first 2 years doing that followed by 4 years of active duty...

 

[SJC]

You do NOT incur additional payback time for residency/specialty program.. So for example, if you were accepted to endodontics program, you would spend your first 2 years doing that followed by 4 years of active duty...

Thanks for clearing that up AVB2014. Would it be safe to say that military branches with more service members (navy and army) would have more spots for specialty programs?

 

[LFA20]

Thanks for clearing that up AVB2014. Would it be save to say that military branches with more service members (navy and army) would have more spots for specialty programs?

I am not quite sure about that but I HEARD that army does offer more spots for specialty programs..

 

[superGP]

Hello all,
I'm in a bit of a dilemma, and I need your advices (especially from ones who are familiar with recruiting process.)

I have been practicing dentistry for 3 years and I found out yesterday that I got accepted to 3 year perio program at Loma Linda starting July of 2015.

Do you think there is any way for the Air Force to help me out during residency (tuition, room&board, etc) as they do dental students and I work year per year in return?

If that is not the case, what is the benefit for direct accession as a periodontist?

Thank you all

 

[kmon]

Hey AFDDS,

You mentioned earlier that

None in the AF. You will need to be on active duty for a little while to get into endo.

Is this true for all of the specialties? If it is not, which ones accept new graduates straight into their program?

Thanks!

 

[shoshoyi]

I'm really interested in becoming an airforce dentist and serve for 4 years and then receive the financial benefits for it but I heard one of the first requirements is that we have to be a US citizen. Is this a really strict requirement and I absolutely will not be accepted if I'm only a permanent resident right now? I have been in the US for 9 years now and only recently (last January) received my Green card so I know that I won't be getting my citizenship anytime soon. Are there any military service opportunities with financial benefits for people like me? Or, if not right now, are there options for when I graduate (during which I should be able to receive citizenship finally) where I can serve in the military and have them pay for my dental education?

 

[calebc]

Hello! I'm sorry if this question was asked previously in this thread.

I'm getting ready to leave for AF Basic training in a few weeks, I've been incredibly paranoid that I may get rejected for needing too much dental work. I didn't take the best care of my teeth throughout high school and what not and I'm aware that I need a decent amount of work done, wisdom teeth pulled, a fair amount of fillings/root canals/cleanings etc. My question is this, are there any circumstances in which I would be rejected for having bad teeth at basic training? How bad would my teeth have to be for this to happen, and have you ever heard/seen this happen before?

Thanks for your time and doing this!

 

[studdentist140]

I feel like I am able to make the best out of any situation, so I am not too concerned about what might happen living in debt or living as a soldier. I would like to know of any regrets a military dentist has experienced (i.e. if they would choose to do it all over again or not)? Looking back on their life, family, peers, dental school classmates, do you feel that it was worth the sacrifice? Do you ever feel like you missed out or got left behind? I know many pros and cons, but do you feel the pros were worth it? It is hard coming up with a motivational statement for the military when I am having these thoughts...

 

[studdentist140]

There are so many posts dating several years back, I am just hoping for a more present opinion on this matter. Times have changed. How are military dentist enjoying their time in this decade?

 

[AFdental]

Endo
13 applicants
4 selects
2 alternates

Comp Dentistry
7 Applicants
5 Selects
0 alternates

Prosthodontics
4 applicants
4 selects
0 alternates

Orthodontics
9 applicants
3 selects
2 alternates

Perio
5 applicants
4 selects
0 alternates

Pediatric Dentistry
11 applicants
3 selects
2 alternates

Advanced Clinical Dent Program
3 applicants
2 selects
0 alternates

OMS board meets later in the year

Hi AFDDS,

I have been reading through this thread and it has great information! I was hoping you could provide this information on applicant/accepted to resident programs for this last application cycle. Seems like this is the 2013 information and it would interesting to see the 2014 information. Thanks!

 

[woof44]

What are the advantages of doing an AEGD-1 vs AEGD2? What even is the Advanced Clinical Dent Program? Is there a website that has this information?

 

[PostDocCain]

I spoke with an AF recruiter who said he had been around for awhile recruiting. He said that the GPA requirement was a 3.5 and I think I remmeber him saying that the minimum dat needed to be a 19.

My quesition is if even if I get admitted to a d school with a 3.2 CGPA and a 19 or higher DAT I wouldnt be eligible for AF HPSP? Recruiter made it sound as if it was no with no no exceptions.

I know this has probably been answered before but this thread goes back many years and it is hard to find and idk if things have changed,

 

[JPevzner]

Hello, I am very seriously considering the 3 year HPSP program through the Air Force. I have completed my first year of Dental School and am currently on a leave of absence until May, for personal reasons, at which point I will start second year and continue with my education. I have a few questions I hope you can answer...
1) When is the application deadline to apply?
2) What is required for the application?
3) What happens if, for whatever reason, I decide NOT to go to the Air Force after I graduate? Do I owe them whatever costs they paid for me? Are there additional penalties/charges?
4) What is the probability of being deployed overseas, in a war zone/hostile environment?

That's all for now!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my questions!

Best,

Jon

 

[HUNKDENTIST]

I have read the entire thread and have not seen this specific question answered. I apologize if I missed it. I am a little over a year from applying to Dental Schools but doing my due diligence about HPSP. I understand how very competitive it is for the Air Force, but if I am fortunate enough to get one, I have a question about Duty Locations. Keep in mind I have read all 34 pages so I understand that it depends on openings and other factors. My top four choices would be Maxwell, Keesler, Eglin and Hurlburt. My question is how often do these bases have openings and how difficult are they to get?

The next question is do these locations have an AEGD program?

Would doing an AEGD there help with being stationed there since moving expenses would be saved?

If so, what is the likelihood of being stationed there all 5 years?

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my questions.

 

[midman19]

In the HPSP contract, Air Force attachment 1, Item 8, it says: "I understand that while participating in the AFHPSP neither I nor my family members are eligible for military health care benefits unless I am on my annual 45 day active duty orders."

I understand that I don't get tricare throughout dental school. However I have been told if my school requires it, the Air Force will cover it as an expense. Well I called my school and they said it is required but it is not a fee built into tuition fees. It is separate and is accounted for differently. Does the Air Force indeed pay for insurance if the school requires it, and if so will they pay for it no matter how the insurance is appropriated in your school dues?

Question 2: I have been told that you have to apply for an AEGD but you don't have to accept it. I have also been told that it might eventually be required. In the contract it says, " If selected for training in an AEGD program, I will be required to attend the AEGD program." Does that mean that it is now required as of this year, or has this been in the contract for years and they don't enforce it?

Any help on these questions would be great. I just want to know exactly what to expect and not sign anything without a good understanding of the terms of the contract.

 

[Spils27]

So I'm about to graduate and I was sent a CSP IP Contract to fill out. I'm a 2 yr HPSP recipient with a 3yr active duty commitment. I was wondering if by signing this I'm committing to more time or if it is just what every dentist in the AF is required to fill out? The reason I ask is that I'm not sure what I want to do after my commitment is over.

Thanks

 

[MatthewLeeDDS]

So I'm about to graduate and I was sent a CSP IP Contract to fill out. I'm a 2 yr HPSP recipient with a 3yr active duty commitment. I was wondering if by signing this I'm committing to more time or if it is just what every dentist in the AF is required to fill out? The reason I ask is that I'm not sure what I want to do after my commitment is over.

Thanks

I believe you have the option to pick 4-year or 1-year on the contract. In your case, pick 1-year and just fill out a new one each year (for 3 years) and then if you decide to stay you can keep filling them out with whatever length is appropriate for your commitment. My understanding is that picking the 4-year will, in your case, add 1 year of service. I'm not sure how it works if you "accidentally" ask for a bonus contract longer than your commitment and want to change it down the road but I believe the contract says that the bonus contract can be used to extend your commitment. Hopefully that all makes sense.

For example, if someone had 10 months left in the Air Force and signed a new 1-year contract, they'd add 2 months to their commitment. Or they could forfeit the bonus and get out at the 10 month mark.

That's my understanding of it so someone correct me if I'm wrong. Hope that helps!

 

[MatthewLeeDDS]

I have read the entire thread and have not seen this specific question answered. I apologize if I missed it. I am a little over a year from applying to Dental Schools but doing my due diligence about HPSP. I understand how very competitive it is for the Air Force, but if I am fortunate enough to get one, I have a question about Duty Locations. Keep in mind I have read all 34 pages so I understand that it depends on openings and other factors. My top four choices would be Maxwell, Keesler, Eglin and Hurlburt. My question is how often do these bases have openings and how difficult are they to get?

Never know, (like you said) depends on what the base needs. It's very hard to predict but I can tell you Eglin is a large clinic while the other 3 are medium sized in terms of the number of dentists. Maxwell isn't highly requested so if it was open, you'd have a decent shot at it probably.

The next question is do these locations have an AEGD program?
Of those 4, only Eglin has a 1 yr AEGD

Would doing an AEGD there help with being stationed there since moving expenses would be saved?
Not likely, they usually try to send you to another base after your AEGD

If so, what is the likelihood of being stationed there all 5 years?
Close to 0% unless you had some extenuating circumstances that might necessitate you staying in the area

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for taking the time to answer my questions.

 

[MatthewLeeDDS]

Hello, I am very seriously considering the 3 year HPSP program through the Air Force. I have completed my first year of Dental School and am currently on a leave of absence until May, for personal reasons, at which point I will start second year and continue with my education. I have a few questions I hope you can answer...
1) When is the application deadline to apply?
Recruiter will know best, but I think it's usually in the late fall time frame
2) What is required for the application?
Lots of stuff! Your recruiter will be your go to for all of this, you don't do it on your own.
3) What happens if, for whatever reason, I decide NOT to go to the Air Force after I graduate? Do I owe them whatever costs they paid for me? Are there additional penalties/charges?
If you take the scholarship, you've already decided. No idea what would happen if you tried to back out but I doubt you could at that point. If you're not all in, don't do it.
4) What is the probability of being deployed overseas, in a war zone/hostile environment?
As a new grad, pretty low. Depending on the base you end up at your odds could go up since some bases deploy more than others. Also depends on what the world looks like in a few years and what kind of conflicts the US is involved with because that will dictate how many dentists are needed. Right now, the odds are extremely low for a recent grad AF dentist, but not 0%.

That's all for now!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my questions!

Best,

Jon

I think you need to find a recruiter ASAP. I answered all your questions above in red but a recruiter will give you better info on #1 and #2 for sure. You can't really apply on your own so find a recruiter as soon as you can so they know you're interested. (see my signature in an above post for a link to the recruiter finder for the AF)

 

[MatthewLeeDDS]

I spoke with an AF recruiter who said he had been around for awhile recruiting. He said that the GPA requirement was a 3.5 and I think I remmeber him saying that the minimum dat needed to be a 19.

My quesition is if even if I get admitted to a d school with a 3.2 CGPA and a 19 or higher DAT I wouldnt be eligible for AF HPSP? Recruiter made it sound as if it was no with no no exceptions.

I know this has probably been answered before but this thread goes back many years and it is hard to find and idk if things have changed,

It's so competitive now that a 3.2 and a 19, even if they accepted your application, is extremely unlikely to get you a 4-year scholarship. People with near 4.0 GPAs and 20+ DATs get declined all the time. Probably not a 3-year either but it's worth staying on course if you're interested. Until the recruiter says you flat out don't qualify, you might as well try for it!

 

[TC dentist]

Hi AFDDS,
I have a question for you. I'm think about joining the AF before I have my bachelor degree, and I was wondering if I will be able to apply for the HPSP program if I'm already in the service with the active duty status?

 

[toothster]

In the HPSP contract, Air Force attachment 1, Item 8, it says: "I understand that while participating in the AFHPSP neither I nor my family members are eligible for military health care benefits unless I am on my annual 45 day active duty orders."

I understand that I don't get tricare throughout dental school. However I have been told if my school requires it, the Air Force will cover it as an expense. Well I called my school and they said it is required but it is not a fee built into tuition fees. It is separate and is accounted for differently. Does the Air Force indeed pay for insurance if the school requires it, and if so will they pay for it no matter how the insurance is appropriated in your school dues?

Question 2: I have been told that you have to apply for an AEGD but you don't have to accept it. I have also been told that it might eventually be required. In the contract it says, " If selected for training in an AEGD program, I will be required to attend the AEGD program." Does that mean that it is now required as of this year, or has this been in the contract for years and they don't enforce it?

Any help on these questions would be great. I just want to know exactly what to expect and not sign anything without a good understanding of the terms of the contract.

I just graduated with the HPSP. I had the same question when I was starting out. The Air Force will pay for the insurance if the school requires you to have insurance (I'm pretty sure all schools require you to have health insurance). You can use the school's insurance plan (the AF pays directly as a part of school fees), or you can find a private plan ( the AF reimburses you). The AF will only cover health insurance for you, not your family. Originally, I was going to pay for a private family plan and have the AF reimburse me for the single plan. In my state, we qualified for medicaid, so I just rolled with that.

I'm not sure about your second question. The AEGD was optional for my year. From what I hear, it's well worth your time. Without it, you are very limited to what you can do as a Dentist in the AF. I would just plan on doing the AEGD.

 

[midman19]

I just graduated with the HPSP. I had the same question when I was starting out. The Air Force will pay for the insurance if the school requires you to have insurance (I'm pretty sure all schools require you to have health insurance). You can use the school's insurance plan (the AF pays directly as a part of school fees), or you can find a private plan ( the AF reimburses you). The AF will only cover health insurance for you, not your family. Originally, I was going to pay for a private family plan and have the AF reimburse me for the single plan. In my state, we qualified for medicaid, so I just rolled with that.

I'm not sure about your second question. The AEGD was optional for my year. From what I hear, it's well worth your time. Without it, you are very limited to what you can do as a Dentist in the AF. I would just plan on doing the AEGD.

Thank you, I am definitely planning on doing the AEGD at this point. It sounds very beneficial and worth my time!

 

[BadgerSwimmer]

Hi I am currently looking at the AFHPSP as a current dental school applicant, but a big question that I haven't been able to find an answer to is: If I were to get the 4-year HCSP and then wanted to specialize, I know the Air Force has some programs, but was really wondering if it was common or even possible to do a civilian residency and how would that affect your 4-year active duty pay back.

Also, I have tried to contact my local AFHC recruiter for a while and haven't heard back.

Any recommendations?

Thanks all

 

[midman19]

Hi I am currently looking at the AFHCSP as a current dental school applicant, but a big question that I haven't been able to find an answer to is: If I were to get the 4-year HCSP and then wanted to specialize, I know the Air Force has some programs, but was really wondering if it was common or even possible to do a civilian residency and how would that affect your 4-year active duty pay back.

Also, I have tried to contact my local AFHC recruiter for a while and haven't heard back.

Any recommendations?

Thanks all

I'm not quite sure about the civilian programs but I think you would have to do specialize through the Air Force. I'm not positive on the payback either. However, the scholarship through the Air Force is actually called the HPSP. Keep bugging your recruiter. They are always difficult to get ahold of. Call him and call him again if you have to. Leave messages, email him, bug the crap out of him until he responds. Its his job to respond so you don't have anything to fear!

 

[w4nt2baDDS]

This thread is awesome and has a lot of helpful information. I am currently applying to dental schools for fall of 2016 admission and am also planning on contacting a AF medical recruiter to apply for the 4 year HPSP. When I apply to the 4 year HPSP will I also be automatically applying for the 3 year HPSP? I have read a thread where someone said say they were granted both the 4 year and 3 year HPSP but I believe that thread was pertaining to an Army HPSP, does that same scenario happen for the AF?

So essentially my main questions are: Is it possible to apply and earn the 3 year HPSP before starting dental school? How does applying for the 4 year and 3 year HPSP scholarships at the same time work and does applying to both hurt my chances for obtaining the 4 year HPSP?

 

[midman19]

This thread is awesome and has a lot of helpful information. I am currently applying to dental schools for fall of 2016 admission and am also planning on contacting a AF medical recruiter to apply for the 4 year HPSP. When I apply to the 4 year HPSP will I also be automatically applying for the 3 year HPSP? I have read a thread where someone said say they were granted both the 4 year and 3 year HPSP but I believe that thread was pertaining to an Army HPSP, does that same scenario happen for the AF?

So essentially my main questions are: Is it possible to apply and earn the 3 year HPSP before starting dental school? How does applying for the 4 year and 3 year HPSP scholarships at the same time work and does applying to both hurt my chances for obtaining the 4 year HPSP?

No, you don't apply to both at the same time. Before school starts, you apply for the 4 year scholarship. If you get it, then you take it because it is the best one! If you don't then you wait one more year, til the end of your first year of dental school and you apply for the 3 year scholarship. If you don't get that, then I guess you could apply for the 2 year scholarship at the end of the 2nd year of school. The 2 year scholarship is brand new this year. If you only want the three year for some strange reason, then you wait til the end of your first year and apply for it because it is not possible to apply for it now. you need to get in contact with your recruiter asap for the 4 year though if you are interested in that. Good luck!

 

[jmh018]

No, you don't apply to both at the same time. Before school starts, you apply for the 4 year scholarship. If you get it, then you take it because it is the best one! If you don't then you wait one more year, til the end of your first year of dental school and you apply for the 3 year scholarship. If you don't get that, then I guess you could apply for the 2 year scholarship at the end of the 2nd year of school. The 2 year scholarship is brand new this year. If you only want the three year for some strange reason, then you wait til the end of your first year and apply for it because it is not possible to apply for it now. you need to get in contact with your recruiter asap for the 4 year though if you are interested in that. Good luck!

Just to be clear, you would start your three year scholarship after your first year but you apply for the three year scholarship at the BEGINNING of your first year. The process is actually started in the summer before your first year. The selections are made around November of your first year. Ideally, you want to be in contact with your recruiter to get the ball rolling in May before entering dental school for the three year scholarship.

 

[w4nt2baDDS]

Thanks for the helpful information Ianzo and jmh018!

Just to be clear, you would start your three year scholarship after your first year but you apply for the three year scholarship at the BEGINNING of your first year. The process is actually started in the summer before your first year. The selections are made around November of your first year. Ideally, you want to be in contact with your recruiter to get the ball rolling in May before entering dental school for the three year scholarship.

That makes a lot of sense! The recruiter I talked to mentioned that the 4 year application can be updated/forwarded for the 3-year HPSP if the 4 year falls flat. That lines up exactly with your time frame jmh018. Would be nice to get the 4 year HPSP because you wont know if you'll earn a 3 year HPSP until after you decided how much $$$$$ the dental school of your choice is going to be. The 4-year allows you to take the money factor out of decision process which would be amazing. Regardless, either scholarship is still great.

 

[midman19]

Just to be clear, you would start your three year scholarship after your first year but you apply for the three year scholarship at the BEGINNING of your first year. The process is actually started in the summer before your first year. The selections are made around November of your first year. Ideally, you want to be in contact with your recruiter to get the ball rolling in May before entering dental school for the three year scholarship.

Yes sorry you are correct. I guess I was more thinking that you would find out in the spring of your 1st year...

 

[Dr.Payne]

What is the salary for an air force dentist that just recently graduated from dental school? Does this increase per year? By how much?
What else is provided in the job? Living stipend? Food allowance?

 

[leliz1]

I met with an Air Force recruiter yesterday to find out more about HPSP. He said that if I apply for the scholarship through the Air Force, he won't allow me to apply to either of the other branches. Has anyone else run into this problem? Is this an Air Force policy or just this particular recruiter's rule? Thank you so much!

Also any current input/opinions on HPSP is much appreciated!

 

[midman19]

I met with an Air Force recruiter yesterday to find out more about HPSP. He said that if I apply for the scholarship through the Air Force, he won't allow me to apply to either of the other branches. Has anyone else run into this problem? Is this an Air Force policy or just this particular recruiter's rule? Thank you so much!

Also any current input/opinions on HPSP is much appreciated!

My question is, how is he going to stop you from applying to the other branches. I have a friend that applied to Navy and Air Force this year. He already knew he had received the Navy scholarship before applying to Air Force. He did not get the Air Force scholarship. He was allowed to apply but I am pretty sure the board can see if you've been offered a scholarship from another branch. My personal opinion is that the Air Force is going to be less likely to accept you if you already have a scholarship from another branch vs. a kid who is only applying to the Air Force, if all else was equal. I could be wrong though. However, I think your recruiter is just making up his own rules.

 

[Frank22]

Hi,

I will be applying for dental school in June of 2016, and am interested in the HPSP scholarship. My DAT scores are AA - 23, TS - 24, and PAT - 17. My GPA shows a strong upward trend, and will be about 3.4 when I apply.

I would like to know when would be a good time to apply, what are my chances of acquiring the scholarship, and whether the scholarship still comes with a $20,000 sign-on bonus?

Also, I can't swim, so I assume it would be best to apply to the Army or Air Force instead of the Navy?

 

[w4nt2baDDS]

Hi,

I will be applying for dental school in June of 2016, and am interested in the HPSP scholarship. My DAT scores are AA - 23, TS - 24, and PAT - 17. My GPA shows a strong upward trend, and will be about 3.4 when I apply.

I would like to know when would be a good time to apply, what are my chances of acquiring the scholarship, and whether the scholarship still comes with a $20,000 sign-on bonus?

Also, I can't swim, so I assume it would be best to apply to the Army or Air Force instead of the Navy?

All of this information can be found within the threads and posts that already exist.

Your chance for an AF 4 year scholarship aren't great. They only hand out about ~15 each year. The chance for a 3 year scholarship are decent to good, they hand out about 50-60 each year. The AF doesn't do the sign-on bonus. Believe both Army & Navy do though.

I plan on applying for the 4 year AF scholarship in early 2016 and start dental school in the fall of 2016 (I already talked to the recruiter). With that said, I don't know every detail about the specific requirements but I HIGHLY DOUBT the fact that you cannot swim would prevent you from qualifying for the Navy. Besides, you have a whole year to learn... swimming is a skill that everyone should know.

 

[Frank22]

All of this information can be found within the threads and posts that already exist.

Can you show me a thread posted in the last, say, 3 years, that doesn't contain information found within threads and posts that already exist?

Your chance for an AF 4 year scholarship aren't great. They only hand out about ~15 each year. The chance for a 3 year scholarship are decent to good, they hand out about 50-60 each year. The AF doesn't do the sign-on bonus. Believe both Army & Navy do though.

The increased difficulty of obtaining the scholarship and the lack of a sign-on bonus suggests it would be best to sign with the Army.

I plan on applying for the 4 year AF scholarship in early 2016 and start dental school in the fall of 2016 (I already talked to the recruiter). With that said, I don't know every detail about the specific requirements but I HIGHLY DOUBT the fact that you cannot swim would prevent you from qualifying for the Navy. Besides, you have a whole year to learn... swimming is a skill that everyone should know.

I do plan on learning how to swim, but at the moment I do not have anyone to teach me nor money for swimming lessons.

 

[w4nt2baDDS]

Frank... I'm trying to help you here..

Can you show me a thread posted in the last, say, 3 years, that doesn't contain information found within threads and posts that already exist?

I don't exactly understand what you mean, your wording is a little jumbled. But anyways, here are just a few helpful threads since 2012. Use the search feature.

Here are some really helpful links:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/2019-usaf-hpsp.1122182/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...rship-applicants-navy-army-air-force.1149355/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...-from-af-even-though-no-sign-in-bonus.887386/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...bout-being-able-to-swim.957249/#post-13178870

These threads address the difficulty of getting an AF HPSP, talk about why people may choose AF even without the sign-on bonus, and if swimming is necessary for the Navy.

 

[molarballer]

@MatthewLeeDDS

Hi Matt, I am a three year AF recipient (haven't commissioned yet) and I just started reading your blog; it's been a great read! So I came across you saying that if you were accepted into an AEGD (and it's also mandatory to apply), you have to accept the position. Can you or anyone chime in more on that?

Given the sheer volume of AEGD spots, it seems like the AF is expecting every new grad to complete one?
Is it mandatory to apply specifically for an AEGD, or apply for any residency? For example, can I apply for ortho and not apply for AEGD. If I don't get the ortho residency (and i most likely won't), does that mean I am off the hook for AEGD?

I hope this isn't a question that is too apprehensive. I haven't committed to signing yet so these are the things I am just wondering about.

 

[wan9sta]

I'm interested in the AEGD-2 Residency right out of dental school. Is this a possibility? Will I have to attend COT the summer after my first year to make this an option or can I complete upon dental school graduation?

 

[capsaicinguy]

Considering applying to the 3-year HPSP program here since I am way late to the application game for the 4-year scholarship. One question, does anyone know what happens if the AF is "100% staffed" on dentists after you graduate (as was stated earlier in the thread)? Does that mean they don't have a job/place for you once you complete school, and if so, does that affect how/when you can serve your repayment term or do you get sent off to a different branch to fulfill it?

 

[capsaicinguy]

Considering applying to the 3-year HPSP program here since I am way late to the application game for the 4-year scholarship. One question, does anyone know what happens if the AF is "100% staffed" on dentists after you graduate (as was stated earlier in the thread)? Does that mean they don't have a job/place for you once you complete school, and if so, does that affect how/when you can serve your repayment term or do you get sent off to a different branch to fulfill it?