Army How to make the most of your time in the army

[mikeguy101]

I am a fourth year dental student on a HPSP scholarship. I recently was told where I would be stationed. The base where I have been assigned is a basic training site and also is home to a 1 year AEGD program. I was a little disheartened when I found out I was going to be stationed there since it was not even on the list of 10 sites I submitted.

Since I did not do a one year aged program from what I understand my scope of practice will be very limited. This will further be compounded by the fact that since I am at a basic training base there will be a constant high need for exams and fillings. The more complex or procedures other than exams and simple restorative will be funneled to the 1 year AEGD program. To put it bluntly being put on the amalgam line all day every day appears to be a very real possibility.

My point of making this post is not to complain but ask other army dentists how they made the most out of their time in the army. If you are at a base where the amalgam line was present were you able to expand your scope of practice? If so how did you do so?

From what I have learned you have to be credentialed to do certain procedures but I haven’t really heard an explanation on how that process works. I’m assuming if you do a 1 or 2 year residency you get credentialed for certain procedures while in residency but how would it work outside of a residency? I know some may say do the 2 year residency but I’m not at a point where I am ready to commit to extra time in the military even if I was accepted into a residency which is no guarantee.

One of the big aspects that drew me to the army versus the other branches of the military was the chance to be a soldier as well as a dentist. From what I have read and understand the opportunities to attend schools and do hooah army stuff are very limited if nonexistent.

The only thing I’m aware of that any dentist can do is the EFMB. If you are assigned to a unit as a brigade dentist other schools may open up such as airborne if you’re with an airborne unit. However if your assigned to Dentac as I am you pretty much have zero chance of doing anything outside of the EFMB. Is there any hope of doing any army schools for a non-brigade dentist?

I noticed that our current dental corps chief attended the Q course for special forces. It appears he did this right after finishing a 1 year AEGD. It seems like trying out for special forces selection used to be possible even if it no longer is. As someone who currently has a brother serving on a tier one team and a workout buddy in special forces I would love to have the opportunity to attend selection even if it added extra time for me in the military.

I apologize for the long post but any advice on making the most out of your time in the army would be appreciated.

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[gatorfan99]

Why did not want to do an 1 year AEGD? I got so much out of mine (countless crowns, great OMS/Perio sx experience, endo, multiple implant cases, etc..) I find it hard to believe that there could be any reason not to do it...

As far as scope of practice its going to depend on you and your location. You will need to contact and "buddy up" with your favorite specialists and see if you can work with them on a few cases. Yes, you will do a lot of large restorations, needs of the Army come first (you were hired to take care of soldiers and make them dentally ready to deploy) but that doesn't mean there isn't room for more. Because you will be "the new guy", you will need to show proficiency in bread-and-butter dentistry before you will be allowed to do more "advanced" procedures.

As far as military schools, it also depends in your location - if you are going to be stationed somewhere that has local schools available (i.e. Air assault @ Campbell) than you could potentially do it. If not, then yeah, EFMB is probably it. Think about it, why would the Army spend thousands of dollars getting you through Airborne/Air Assault/etc school if you are NOT in a combat arms unit, it just makes sense that you are in a much lower priority (those schools are designed to get soldiers ready for combat and not for fun/entertainment).

If you are really want to get some cool Army stuff, you are much better being a brigade dentist, then chances are, you will be REQUIRED to do one of those schools - which is another reason to do an 1yr AEGD (Army prefers you have more training before making you a brigade dentist, because, chances are, you could end up being the only dentist for that unit during a possible deployment and you need to know how to do a wide variety of dentistry).

 

[mikeguy101]

Thanks for the reply. The reason for not doing the 1 year is that I didn't get offered one. I was wait listed and was 1-2 spots off of getting a spot. If I was offered one I would have taken it then tried to become a brigade dentist for Special Forces. Unfortunately from what I understand unless you have done a AEGD or been in the military a while your chances of becoming a brigade dentist are pretty much zero.

I never really understood while the army only offers 48 slots for the 1 year for 108 people applying. The navy has both an aegd and a gpr program and as far as I know anyone who wanted to do either got in. (I have a classmate who is pretty much bottom of the class and he got a 1 year aged in the navy). The air force I believe has an aegd spot for everyone so anyone who wants to can do one. Seems like they don't really value it as much when less than 50% of new dentists in the army can even do one.

I agree it makes fiscal sense to not allow dentist to do a lot of the various schools however there isn't a whole lot of incentive it seems for a 63A who hasn't done an AEGD to stay in the army. The scope of practice is worse and pay is less than in the civilian world. A 63A is unable to do fun/cool army stuff but still will have to deal with a lot of the stuff that sucks in the army. Being able to do fun/cool army stuff for me at least would go a long way towards incentivizing me to stay in the military and make it a career. Also our current dental corps chief did Special Forces training so I know at least in the distant past it was a possibility.

Again I’m not trying to complain I’m just trying to make the most out of the situation I was given.

 

[gatorfan99]

I'm sorry to hear that.. Your best bet then is to hang out with your local specialists - ask your local leadership about doing 1-2 mornings/afternoons per month/week to do that.

You still have a ton of options in furthering your dental scope. Besides attending annual short course, Navy/AF courses, I would also consider applying to the 2yr AEGD - get some solid letters from your local specialists/leaders. Or consider applying to a specialty (if you find one you really like).

 

[AirborneDentist]

Finally, a thread with accurate information and great responses!

I figure you are going to Ft. Sill, is that correct?

If so, talk with the Commander there. Voice your concerns about wanting to do additional procedures. Do not look at doing amalgams all day as a bad thing...because it isn't. If you are in for 5 years and still only doing amalgams, then we can talk. As it was mentioned above, you need to become an expert on operative dentistry. You should be able to do them without even really thinking about it. When you are doing 3-4 per hour, then you are on track.

Don't forget, single unit crowns are operative procedures, not pros. You will be able to do those as well, especially if you are interested/proficient in using CEREC. Get on that train and you can do tons of them!

 

[Bis-GMA111]

for someone who does not do an aegd...how likely is it that one would have experience doing RCT and implant placement?

 

[AirborneDentist]

for someone who does not do an aegd...how likely is it that one would have experience doing RCT and implant placement?

RCT is fairly simple. You would work under supervision of someone who has privileges for endo. They may start you off with some anteriors and then move to posteriors. It will vary based on the provider. Then, once they see that you are competent in doing RCT, you will have full privileges for them.

Implants are another story. That will be difficult to do without some sort of residency.

 

[ArmyDocLife]

Hmm. You'll be doing a lot of exams and fillings that's for sure. You might get some experience doing other more advanced procedures, but you pretty much limited your scope by not doing the AEGD.

It's not all bad though. As with everything else in the military... it's all dependent on your command. And the command changes every 4-6 years.

 

[mikeguy101]

but you pretty much limited your scope by not doing the AEGD.

I appreciate the response. However its probably not fair to assume that everyone had an AEGD offered to them and turned it down. Only 48 out of 108 received the 1 year AEGD this past cycle so the army limited the scope of practice of more than half of the new dentists whether they wanted it or not.

 

[AirborneDentist]

Hmm. You'll be doing a lot of exams and fillings that's for sure. You might get some experience doing other more advanced procedures, but you pretty much limited your scope by not doing the AEGD.

It's not all bad though. As with everything else in the military... it's all dependent on your command. And the command changes every 4-6 years.

The command changes every 3 years.