Deployed Dentist

[Dion]

In order to offset the potential debt of dentistry, I have been considering the military (coast guard, navy, air forces, army etc.) However, the thought of being deployed to fight in a war has deterred me from making a decision on this. I am an undergrad now and could join the Reserves and have my tuition and other stuff paid for which is really good. But, on the other hand I do not want to worry intensively about being placed in an extremely hostile situation.

Between the Coastguard, Army, Air Forces and Navy, which have the least chance of deploying? Would any of them interrupt my time in Dental school? And after I finish dental school, would I be able to be a dentist anywhere or would they dictate that?

Thanks in Advance!

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[BuckeyeDent]

Between the Coastguard, Army, Air Forces and Navy, which have the least chance of deploying?

Thanks in Advance!

Don't do it if you don't want to get deployed. Simple as that.

 

[Dion]

It's a tough choice. I do not know a lot about the military but the thought of them paying for my education interests me very much. I do not want to worry about bills, tuition, how I am going to get thru etc. I think that the military would help to eliminate some of these anxieties. But on the other hand, I do not want to compromise my health and my life. I probably would not mind going oversees as a dentist, but I definitely do not want to fight. That's the bottom line! The idea of contributing to my country in terms of providing healthcare for our troops is much more intriguing to me than engaging in battle (where there is not a strong guarantee on life).

 

[jmill0]

I think they told me at my Officer Training that the last Army dentist who died during a war was a guy killed in a car accident in Vietnam. Do any of you actually think that the Dental Officers are out doing patrols and "fighting" in battles? Those docs are all sleeping safely in their beds at night in the permanent housing built for them over there. Those docs are there to dentistry on the guys doing the patrols.

Serious question: What do you think the odds are of us have any sort of "ground war" any time soon in the future? Done are the days of fighting in the trenches like WWII I say. Too much technology now. Sure there will always be the foot soldiers out there doing patrols and such, but I would seriously doubt that many dentists go into areas that aren't heavily fortified.

I really can't believe all of the people on here who are worried about the odds of "dying" in some war. Gimme a break! You have a better chance of dying in that car accident than being shot.

If you can't stand the idea from being away from your mommy or girlfriend for six months to a year, then don't do it. I met about 100 Captains while serving as a dentist with the Army. You know how many of them deployed? Like 3. Know how many were "in danger"? None.

NO ONE is asking you to sign so they can put an M-16 in your hands and say "Take that hill, Captain!" Anyone who thinks otherwise doesn't know what their talking about.

Just my 2 cents.....

JKM

 

[Dadoh]

dentists are deploying. I agree that if you do not want to deploy don't do it. there is a chance in any of the branches that you will deploy except maybe coast guard, but they are supplied dentists through the USPHS, so you can't get the HPSP through them. Maybe you should try the National Health Service Corps Scholarship.

 

[esclavo]

In order to offset the potential debt of dentistry, I have been considering the military (coast guard, navy, air forces, army etc.) However, the thought of being deployed to fight in a war has deterred me from making a decision on this. I am an undergrad now and could join the Reserves and have my tuition and other stuff paid for which is really good. But, on the other hand I do not want to worry intensively about being placed in an extremely hostile situation.

Between the Coastguard, Army, Air Forces and Navy, which have the least chance of deploying? Would any of them interrupt my time in Dental school? And after I finish dental school, would I be able to be a dentist anywhere or would they dictate that?

Thanks in Advance!

When I was graduating from dental school in 2003, a second year dental student who was in the guard got called to go to Iraq. Screwed up his education. When he came back after a year he waiting a half year and did his 2nd year all over again. Most of my friends who did HPSP in Navy or Army have a done a tour in Iraq since our graduation in 2003.

 

[DirtyMolar]

It doesn't matter what branch of the military you join...Army, Navy, Air Force, or UPHS...you'll will be provided an opportunity to deploy at some point. Not all operational environments are in Iraq or Afghanistan. There are a lot of humanitarian missions for dentists while in the military...ie Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Republic of Georgia and others.

The only hostile environment right now where you would be issued a 9mm is Iraq and Afghanistan. The "fixed structures" in those environments are tents and there is a constant threat as long as your forward deployed to provide dental care to those entrusted to your care. Yes, no dentist has died in these environments but do I need to remind any of you the UPHS dentist who was shot by a sniper in Iraq while setting up a medical site?

The military dentist is not in a battle zone unless the battle comes to these forward deployed sites......which rarely happens.
I never deployed to Iraq but did go to the Philippines and Thailand. We were under threat from the Abu Sayef in the Philippines and we traveled by 53(a helicoper) to different sites with two .50 caliber guns on on either side of the helo. Never fired a shot but the threat was there. It was fun

 

[Dion]

I am more worried about pre-dental deploying. In post dental deployment, I would probably most likely be a dentist and not a fighter. However, as a predent I do not have any skills that would prevent me from fighting. I have two more years of undergrad after completing this year. If I start in the reserves now, my undergrad fees would be paid and, from the info that I am extrapolating, my dental school fees would be paid. It seems that there may be a greater chance of me being a undergrad fighter than a dental or postdental fighter. Some additional info would be greatly appreciated

 

[jmill0]

Why join the reserves now? You WOULD have a greater possibility of deploying while in undergrad. Once you get into dental school, I'm sure you'd have to apply for the HPSP program. Although it's fairly easy to get into one of the branches, it's not a given.

Once dental school starts, the military is not going to pull you out of school to serve as some LT in some medical platoon. A dentist is much more valuable to them. They'd much rather leave you alone so you'll graduate and be a dentist for them. I was told they COULD pull you out of school and deploy, but from what I understand, it has never been done. As I said, you're too valuable as a dentist for them rather than a LT that they can get from almost anywhere.

I'd hold off on the reserves until dental school.

Just my two cents.....

JKM

 

[dheav005]

i have to agree with jmillo here. i took a navy HPSP scholarship for my D2 year and the navy has only asked that i apply for annual training orders and keep my health record up to date. now that i am in my D4 year, i have taken an AEGD for next year and then wil serve at least 3 more after that. while i have been in school, the navy has left me alone except for dropping some change in my bank account twice a month. might i get deployed after my AEGD? sure, but i knew that coming in...i do know the my skills are valuable enough that i will be protected as much as one can be in a time of war, whether that means boots in the sand or on a big gray ship.

enjoy college while you are there and worry about getting into dental school. for the most part, a little college debt is small potatoes compared to the incredible dental debt some of my classmates have incurred. save your armed forces apps for dental school...

 

[DirtyMolar]

You really need to contact your medical recruiting district and get some accurate information. They are having a hard time right now filling the HPSP and HSCP slots. If you're worried about money then these programs would be a very attractive option for you.

Also, don't worry about getting pulled out of dental school for deployments (if your on scholarship). The active reserve and the individual ready reserve would have to be exhausted first before they would pull a last resort stunt like that (unless you do decide to be a reservist during dental school...then all bets are off!)

 

[Tooth]

If you join the reserves while you're in your undergrad., you probably have a 100% chance of going to Iraq or Afghanistan before you finish your undergrad and you will be a soldier. If you wait and get on a HPSP scholarship you have a 0% chance of going to Iraq or Afghanistan while in dental school and if you get called to Iraq/Afg after dental school, you will be a dentist, not a soldier. It's part of the contract. You are untouchable while in dental school if you're on the HPSP scholarship. The Guard doesn't offer the HPSP. Your only obligation during school is to complete officer training for about 5 weeks, here in the US. You can even get that waived till after you graduate if your school says it will interfere with your education. Definately, do NOT join the reserves or the guard. The BEST program is the HPSP program. They're about to double the stipend to about $2400/mo soon too(the bill has already become law). Just hold your horses, get through your undergrad, and apply for an HPSP scholarship when you apply for dental school.

 

[trickybenny]

Where did you hear the increase to 2400$? I spoke w/ my A/F recruiter and he sent me an email saying that this bill only allows them to increase and he doesn't know how much or whether they will inc stipend?

 

[Tooth]

Where did you hear the increase to 2400$? I spoke w/ my A/F recruiter and he sent me an email saying that this bill only allows them to increase and he doesn't know how much or whether they will inc stipend?

This law is discussed at length in the following forum.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=295772

There's a lot of good info on it. Check it out.

 

[Dion]

Why join the reserves now? You WOULD have a greater possibility of deploying while in undergrad. Once you get into dental school, I'm sure you'd have to apply for the HPSP program. Although it's fairly easy to get into one of the branches, it's not a given.


JKM

Wasn't there some type of problem with not enough people applying for the HPSP (that was mentioned in the news) so they had to raise the stipend?


--- How about the Coast Guard Reserve? Is that a good idea?

 

[bluetooth03]

When you join the military you are a soldier first and a dentist second.

Do not put on the uniform if you are not willing to risk what comes along with the honor of such an entitlement. If money is all you are concerned about then do not join the military - even for the $30,000 sign on bonus or the HPSP program. My advice to you is be a private practice dentist and sign up for "tri-care". This is the military dental discount plan. Since there are hardly any dentists on this plan you will have more than enough soldiers to service and won't have to worry about "being deployed" or 'risk getting hurt/shot' . . .

I am a dentist in private practice who made $175,000 first year out of school (and you will be able to do the same) and am now going into the Army National Guard Reserves and going to continue private practice (4 out of the 6 dentists in the unit I am joining have been deployed so far - and they are reservist) . The sign on bonuses helps a little but do not let this be the driving factor when determining whether or not to join the military dental corp. There is a real risk with being in the military these days and you must be willing to accept this.

 

[jmill0]

Wasn't there some type of problem with not enough people applying for the HPSP (that was mentioned in the news) so they had to raise the stipend?


--- How about the Coast Guard Reserve? Is that a good idea?

Don't know anything about the Coast Guard. Their Dental Corps is really small compared to the others. Opportunities for training probably will be much more limited than the other branches. Not many specialists to work with either and learn from.

Just my 2 cents....


JKM

 

[Gunner]

I just wanted to throw my two cents in on people mentioning joining the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve. The Coast Guard does not have it's own dentists. All Dentists are members of the U.S. Public Health Service's Commission Corps. If you want to be assigned to a Coast Guard Unit you must first be Commissioned with PHS and then try to find an open billet in the Coast Guard.

 

[pmoney]

When you join the military you are a soldier first and a dentist second.

Do not put on the uniform if you are not willing to risk what comes along with the honor of such an entitlement. If money is all you are concerned about then do not join the military - even for the $30,000 sign on bonus or the HPSP program. My advice to you is be a private practice dentist and sign up for "tri-care". This is the military dental discount plan. Since there are hardly any dentists on this plan you will have more than enough soldiers to service and won't have to worry about "being deployed" or 'risk getting hurt/shot' . . .

I am a dentist in private practice who made $175,000 first year out of school (and you will be able to do the same) and am now going into the Army National Guard Reserves and going to continue private practice (4 out of the 6 dentists in the unit I am joining have been deployed so far - and they are reservist) . The sign on bonuses helps a little but do not let this be the driving factor when determining whether or not to join the military dental corp. There is a real risk with being in the military these days and you must be willing to accept this.

If you are in private practice, aren't you scared you could get pulled away from it for months if you are called up? It might be hard for someone to cover all your patients, etc unless you are in a group.

 

[bluetooth03]

yes that is something i have thought through completely. I am a member of several study groups and we have a formal agreement that if any of us get pulled away from our practices for any reason the others will cover as needed. This includes military duty as several of us are in the guard. My practice will still be here when I return.

What I was referring to in my first response was that too many people join the military dental/medical corps without thinking through all the potential repercusions (i.e. deployment and possible injury/death as a result of being a soldier) then b$@ch and complain when they are forced to do something more than run of the mill dentistry in a clinic. Military dentistry comes with many sacrifices and too many students are entering blinded by the bonus system. Just want people to think a little more before they leap.