Navy PSA: Quantity of Navy scholarships are going to be dramatically reduced

[Kahr]

After attending a recent course at Bethesda NSA/Walter Reed, I had the pleasure of getting a Navy Dental Corps update from our RADM and Deputy Corps Chief. I won't go into the boring details of what is going on with military medicine/dentistry and the DHA (Defense Health Agency), I simply wanted to get out a brief PSA to our future dental students interested in the HPSP/HSCP.

Last cycle nearly 100 scholarships were available (HPSP/HSCP combined), however this upcoming cycle there will be only a little over 50 scholarships combined available.

The implications of this are obvious. Good luck to those competing for a scholarship.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[FutureDent020]

Wow, knew this was coming but when I was in they said they would just be reducing mid level officers and retiring others earlier. Commissioned LT’s would stay around the same. So in light of this new news, if you receive the Navy HPSP/HSCP you have a MUCH greater chance of having to be operational after your AEGD/ GPR or credentialing tour. And that’s what they were saying a couple years ago. Eventually all active duty would be operational and domestic shore side would be contracted. Higher ranking officers can probably remain shoreside in administrative positions.

 

[liquidblue123]

Does anyone know if his affects residency slots? Specifically omfs? Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[coolslugs]

After attending a recent course at Bethesda NSA/Walter Reed, I had the pleasure of getting a Navy Dental Corps update from our RADM and Deputy Corps Chief. I won't go into the boring details of what is going on with military medicine/dentistry and the DHA (Defense Health Agency), I simply wanted to get out a brief PSA to our future dental students interested in the HPSP/HSCP.

Last cycle nearly 100 scholarships were available (HPSP/HSCP combined), however this upcoming cycle there will be only a little over 50 scholarships combined available.

The implications of this are obvious. Good luck to those competing for a scholarship.

Is it the same with the Army and Air Force HPSP? Good luck to anyone going to an expensive school.

 

[FutureDent020]

Does anyone know if his affects residency slots? Specifically omfs? Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is a speculation. But OS is obviously the most important dental specialty to the Navy. However, they reside mostly in hospitals. OS does rotations on carriers and then they are also stationed over seas. But those surgeons that are operational are a small minority compared to the number that reside in Norfolk, Portsmouth, SD, Jacksonville, training commands, etc. Norfolk was already referring a lot of 3rds out due to staffing issues and booked schedules. My guess is it may affect the spots minimally. Training commands (Blue/ Green) have to have them, same with the big hospitals, and operational platforms. They already eliminated exodontia. From what I saw, the volume of work for OS is just waaay too much and way too essential to try and default to majority referrals.

 

[liquidblue123]

This is a speculation. But OS is obviously the most important dental specialty to the Navy. However, they reside mostly in hospitals. OS does rotations on carriers and then they are also stationed over seas. But those surgeons that are operational are a small minority compared to the number that reside in Norfolk, Portsmouth, SD, Jacksonville, training commands, etc. Norfolk was already referring a lot of 3rds out due to staffing issues and booked schedules. My guess is it may affect the spots minimally. Training commands (Blue/ Green) have to have them, same with the big hospitals, and operational platforms. They already eliminated exodontia. From what I saw, the volume of work for OS is just waaay too much and way too essential to try and default to majority referrals.

Thanks so much, it sounds reassuring for someone graduating 2023


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Higher ranking officers can probably remain shoreside in administrative positions.

Should have been written as “administrative.”

Big Hoss

 

[Starch96]

After attending a recent course at Bethesda NSA/Walter Reed, I had the pleasure of getting a Navy Dental Corps update from our RADM and Deputy Corps Chief. I won't go into the boring details of what is going on with military medicine/dentistry and the DHA (Defense Health Agency), I simply wanted to get out a brief PSA to our future dental students interested in the HPSP/HSCP.

Last cycle nearly 100 scholarships were available (HPSP/HSCP combined), however this upcoming cycle there will be only a little over 50 scholarships combined available.

The implications of this are obvious. Good luck to those competing for a scholarship.

Wow that's a huge difference to slash almost half the scholarship spots. Just to clarify, when you say this upcoming cycle there will be less, do you mean for the Navy scholarships that will be announced in the next month or so, or do you mean for the scholarships that will be granted in early 2021?

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

I heard the Navy got rid of the 4 year retention bonus for general dentists, and that the 2 and 3 year bonuses went down as well. Starting to thin the herd by attrition, I suppose. So, if you were planning to buy an F-Sport Lexus with that retention bonus, might have to hold off.

Big Hoss

 

[LFA20]

I heard the Navy got rid of the 4 year retention bonus for general dentists, and that the 2 and 3 year bonuses went down as well. Starting to thin the herd by attrition, I suppose. So, if you were planning to buy an F-Sport Lexus with that retention bonus, might have to hold off.

Big Hoss

This is correct. We got the email earlier this week. It’s not just for GP. Some of the specialists were affected as well.

 

[HotDogzNMilk]

Whoa, dropping the retention bonus is a huge blow for those of us considering staying in. I'm assuming the Air Force and Army will follow suit before too long. I figured they would start by first limiting HPSP slots rather than by eliminating retention bonuses as well. Thanks for the info.

 

[Golfballer]

I have a general but elementary understanding of the Navy dental corps and I am contemplating accepting the 4 year HPSP. Here is my impression of how things were and where they may be headed in terms of operational deployments.

It seems that in the past, a dentist paying back a 4 year HPSP should expect to spend about 1 year deployed on average. A few may get a couple of shore clinic assignments and not deploy at all, but that's a rarity. A few may be stationed at high operational tempo bases and spend 3 years of their commitment on deployment, also a rarity.

If that perception is accurate, then what does the future look like for the first few groups of HPSP dental grads who are accepting scholarships and joining the ranks during this time of downsizing? I would imagine that the new deployment average for these dentists would increase to around 1.5 - 2 years deployment for 4 year HPSP service, regardless of completing AEGD/GPR. I don't think 3 years of deployment would be the norm, but I also don't think 6 months of deployment would be the norm either. But with fewer graduating dentists entering the LT rank and the same number of naval deployments, it should be common sense that most, if not all dentists graduating 4 years from now will be assigned to operationally active bases.

It should be very well understood by anybody who is contemplating HPSP that there is the likelihood of deployment. Some people I have spoken with talk as though they will not be the ones to deploy. Frankly, they sounded foolish. So now, more so than in the past, there should not be any question about IF you will be deployed as a new LT dentist, but rather HOW LONG. So many members of the military make this sacrifice. For me, its an opportunity serve those soldiers and share in that sacrifice.

None of the above information is factual as I am conjecturing based off of information I have gathered from SDN and other forums. Any feedback from some of the more seasoned Navy dental officers would be greatly appreciated.

 

[FutureDent020]

I have a general but elementary understanding of the Navy dental corps and I am contemplating accepting the 4 year HPSP. Here is my impression of how things were and where they may be headed in terms of operational deployments.

It seems that in the past, a dentist paying back a 4 year HPSP should expect to spend about 1 year deployed on average. A few may get a couple of shore clinic assignments and not deploy at all, but that's a rarity. A few may be stationed at high operational tempo bases and spend 3 years of their commitment on deployment, also a rarity.

If that perception is accurate, then what does the future look like for the first few groups of HPSP dental grads who are accepting scholarships and joining the ranks during this time of downsizing? I would imagine that the new deployment average for these dentists would increase to around 1.5 - 2 years deployment for 4 year HPSP service, regardless of completing AEGD/GPR. I don't think 3 years of deployment would be the norm, but I also don't think 6 months of deployment would be the norm either. But with fewer graduating dentists entering the LT rank and the same number of naval deployments, it should be common sense that most, if not all dentists graduating 4 years from now will be assigned to operationally active bases.

It should be very well understood by anybody who is contemplating HPSP that there is the likelihood of deployment. Some people I have spoken with talk as though they will not be the ones to deploy. Frankly, they sounded foolish. So now, more so than in the past, there should not be any question about IF you will be deployed as a new LT dentist, but rather HOW LONG. So many members of the military make this sacrifice. For me, its an opportunity serve those soldiers and share in that sacrifice.

None of the above information is factual as I am conjecturing based off of information I have gathered from SDN and other forums. Any feedback from some of the more seasoned Navy dental officers would be greatly appreciated.

You’re confusing operational billets with deployments. You can be assigned overseas, on a ship, or any operational platform for 1-2-3 years. A deployment is a movement of sailors/ troops to a destination for action. All Navy deployments were reduced to 6-7 months. They used to be longer. You can be assigned to Bahrain for a year, but that’s not a deployment. That’s an operational billet. I appreciate your effort to understand the process. But you want really understand it until you experience it.

Here are the facts. 1st year AEGD/ GPR/ credentialing tour. Then you will get orders based on what you have listed/ requested/ or been assigned. With the reduction in scholarships, you’ll most likely be assigned to an “operational platform”. This doesn’t mean deployment. A lot of operational platforms can be deployed but some are just shoreside overseas or even domestic. Operational platforms include those that serve marines, ships, and other various stations around the world. Ships are 2 year orders. Camp Lejune and Okinawa are operational and generally 3 years. But you don’t have to deploy.

What you future HPSP recipients won’t get are the cake billets like the air stations or smaller bases that serve smaller populations. The basic clinics that don’t mobilize or serve mobilizing populations will no longer be available. You’ll be stationed somewhere overseas or where there is a good chance for deployment. Basically anywhere they can’t get civilian dentists and providers contracted, you’ll be needed.

 

[Golfballer]

Any idea on how downsizing affected the number of 3 year scholarships?

 

[ESPN907]

Any idea on how downsizing affected the number of 3 year scholarships?

I’d assume it made the numbers go down, just a hunch

 

[PreDentGator2021]

How competitive is the four year this cycle? Any idea of numbers or will it just not be known until selections are made?