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- Aug 16, 2005
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I don't have 37 things but I hate feeling negative or feeling like you are always focussing on what is wrong instead of what is positive. I will try to now elaborate on some positive aspects of military dentistry aside from the "travel, insurance, steady income" that most people say. I will customize the positives to certain personalities because that is what I see as the real difference in whether a positive is a positive or a negative.
1. If you are a shy/modest/or "safe" individual and don't want to assume the risk of ownership and ultimate responsibility for the success of a practice and the employment of many people in addition to yourself, the military is a great place to practice. Not everyone with a dental degree has the skills, guts, or desire to run the show. Lets be honest, the success of a dental practice is based primarily upon the skill, output, and character of the dentist. It is a business but it is based entirely off the output of 1. It makes or breaks off the sweat of 1. That is a lot of pressure for some. If you read this and think of yourself then a big group practice like the military is a great option. When people cancel my patients, patients don't show up, when it snows, when a tornado comes, when the economy goes down, if you have a physical disability which impedes but doesn't inhibit your ability to see at least 2-4 patients a day, then the military is a great place. It is a way to grow and progress in a system that doesn't correspond to your speed, efficiency, prowess, and deft clinical skills.
2. If you have marginal health that gives you the ability to do some clinical practice but you worry if you can see 15-25 patients a day, I'd think about the military. You get a steady paycheck no matter if you are having hernia surgery, if you are at a neurology appointment, or if your kid is at the doctor for the 100th time this year. It is a safe, fairly steady secure income.
3. Lets face it, it is WORK to do what we do in dentistry. It is sweat, relentless performance, comminicating, executing procedures, tough judgement calls, and risk. If you like time to take a breath in the day. See a patient for a crown prep and temporary in a 2 hour time frame, type up your note and eat a bagel, the military is for you. It is very nice to just do the job you feel is right at about the pace you feel is right and not feel pressure from a clock, from your accountant, from a debtor, or from your boss. You are treated the same as the next guy who does that crown prep and temporary in 45 minutes. He gets no more accolades than you. Clinical performance is separate from progression within the ranks.
4. If you like dentistry but you don't want to practice it 32 -40 hours a week, then the military has some diverse opportunities of experiences such as trainings in chemical, biological, nuclear weaponry. It has experiences in leadership development and there are even required courses such as Squadron Officer School, Air Command and STaff College, Air War College and some of these are necessary to eventually climb to become a colonel which is a magic spot where not many can touch you. It has experiences in education where you can not only teach but take tons of time developing lectures, matrices, evaluation, programs, spread sheets, etcetera. If you want to, you can lead a training program for dentists and spend 40 hours a week and not touch a patient but feel like you are doing "dentistry". No where else in the world will you find an educational institution pay two guys $420,000(together)/year to teach 4-11 residents 1.5-2 days per week. The more elaborate the computer program you develop to evaluate these young trainees the more time you don't have to touch patients and no one will give you guff over that.
5. If you rack up the medical bills because of your family's health, the military can be a great cushion against the relentless shock of medical bills. This can be a blessing for some. If you can pass the military physical and then have medical problems in the military, you too are set in terms of being shielded from the financial consequences of ailing health.
6. If you love designing, writing, or carrying out policy and like administration and meetings where you talk a lot about policy, procedure (not clinical procedure but military protocol in relation to clinical practice).
7. If you like rules and rigid guidlines make you feel secure and safe then the military is a great place because it is extremely rigid in terms of who does what, where, and at what speed.
8. If you love reviewing charts and documentation of clinical work then the military has plenty of work for you. There are tons of inspections that cause there to be almost a hundred percent chart review of every tiny detail, even those that might not be very relevant to clinical practice, efficiency, and productivity. Some people are extremely good and this and memorize every protocol for every class or circumstance. This skill and desire is very good in the military.
9. If you like public recognition for things done outside of the cubicle such as service projects, extra duties, etcetera, then the military is a great place. They have awards given every month, quarter and year. It is accompanies by a cool trophy most of which have something to do with an eagle or a flag at least in the Air Force. Some are accompanied by a great "coin" that is a very unique and elegant show of recognition. You can collect these coins/trophies and have quite a display.
10. If you like physical fitness, you are given time multiple times to workout during the work day. You get paid to run, do push ups, lift weights, do aerobics, ride a bicylce, swim etc. This is a great personal benefit. Sometimes now matter how good of shape you are in you will be required to go to mandatory fitness activities where you might be treated like you don't work out at all. Fitness is huge! Clinic schedules can be canceled or changed for a run or a gym session. Patient care many times does not rival physical training time.
11. I think you treat one of the greatest populations in the world. Not that they don't have problems, they do. But they are in an organization which may require them to sacrifice a ton, even their own life. Some do stupid things, some are down right scoundrels but the rules and regulations of the military pretty much keep even the bad apples in line. I consider it a privelege to treat them, their families, and the retirees. For many who are underprivileged, the military is their opportunity to enter a superior culture to their own which encourages responsibility, reliability, and upright living.
12. If you love to get emails from hundreds of sources inviting you to be involved in something, give money for something or be aware of something, I don't think you could find a more apt organization at this. There are literally hundred of opportunities to volunteer, give money, go to meetings, go to awards, go to retirements, etcetera. There are literally thousands of official days, weeks, and month things to do. You could literally drown in all the ceremonies, meetings, and projects that are solicited especially on the internet. You will definitely feel important if this is something that appeals to you.
13. Educational opportunities. This is also an endless opportunity. You can get out of patient care for literally weeks and weeks a year in the name of education. There are opportunities within your own dental squadron, local chapters, national, regional and you can go to almost all of them if you wanted. The military will pay you to go to many and will at least give you time off without docking vacation for what they won't pay for. No other organization in the world pays so much money to educate its professionals and many times this additional education does not have to translate into increased clinical performance but it can be solely for personal info or enrichment or just trivia. You could go to an expensive perio course and yet not have to practice a lick of perio. You can go to an implant course and not have to ever do a single implant. You can go to any residency and when you get out you don't have to do any or very little of any of it if you don't want to. Won't hurt your promotion or public recognition.
14. Every holiday off. Even holiday's that no one else really takes off, you'll get them off. It is a nice perk.
15. 30 days of vacation a year. Be CAREFUL though because if you are gone on vacation and happen to be out of town on the weekend you get charged those weekend days as vacation. So if you leave on vacation Friday after work and you spend the weekend and the following week on vacation and you don't comeback until the 2nd Sunday, you get charged 9 days of vacation for a week straddled by the two weekends. So 30 days of leave can essentially be a little as 3 whole weeks of vacation. Kind of tricky.
16. Very safe environment. You will be required to go to mandatory safety briefings almost monthly in which you will have to watch people do absolutely stupid things and tell you about what not to do like driving tired, driving after drinking etcetera. You will get briefings on sexual harrassment, discrimination, canoeing and other things that are illegal or dangerous and could affect your life or your co workers life/safety. Even if you have never drank a drop of alcohol in your life or never rode a motorcyle in your life you will be required to go to these breifings. If you guy screws up in your area, you will be treated as though you failed also in this bad decision of another. It is so safe that to even be close to someone who is unsafe, you'll be treated roughly or made to feel bad.
17. (wow, I am already on 17) Amidst the idiots, jerks, and incompetents of which there are more than there should be, there are some great, fun, smart, innovative collegues. And many of these collegues truly act like collegues instead of overbearing jerks. They are respectful, collaborative, and industrious. The sad thing is that these people are put in a tough spot: love the military and want military dentistry to be more than what it is. The challenge is that the culture can absolutely stomp the heart out of one. The frusteration can be so high that it can make you feel like you are going crazy. You live in the juxtapose of feeling extreme pride to serve in the military but see the reality of the waste, the abuse of power, the laziness, and the product of the expenditure of tax money. If it wasn't for the company grade officers and those whose productivity and output far outweighed their salary and benefits, the public outcry over the "professional welfare" would begin to ring out on the streets. So when a Major endodontist makes $110,000, teaches residents, and produces $650,000 in procedures a year he is really carrying the 2-3 colonels who sit at their desk, run away from patient care and take $210,000 and produce less than $50,000 per year. That endodontist is a great collegue. There are some great collegues in the military. Many of them feel futile in their efforts and are leaving. But it still is one of the huge positives of military dentistry.
I am tired.... anyone who wants to can put another 20 or so on here so we can reach our 37
Positive and negative can be the same things. It is all about view point, your personality, your value system, your skills, and your goals.
1. If you are a shy/modest/or "safe" individual and don't want to assume the risk of ownership and ultimate responsibility for the success of a practice and the employment of many people in addition to yourself, the military is a great place to practice. Not everyone with a dental degree has the skills, guts, or desire to run the show. Lets be honest, the success of a dental practice is based primarily upon the skill, output, and character of the dentist. It is a business but it is based entirely off the output of 1. It makes or breaks off the sweat of 1. That is a lot of pressure for some. If you read this and think of yourself then a big group practice like the military is a great option. When people cancel my patients, patients don't show up, when it snows, when a tornado comes, when the economy goes down, if you have a physical disability which impedes but doesn't inhibit your ability to see at least 2-4 patients a day, then the military is a great place. It is a way to grow and progress in a system that doesn't correspond to your speed, efficiency, prowess, and deft clinical skills.
2. If you have marginal health that gives you the ability to do some clinical practice but you worry if you can see 15-25 patients a day, I'd think about the military. You get a steady paycheck no matter if you are having hernia surgery, if you are at a neurology appointment, or if your kid is at the doctor for the 100th time this year. It is a safe, fairly steady secure income.
3. Lets face it, it is WORK to do what we do in dentistry. It is sweat, relentless performance, comminicating, executing procedures, tough judgement calls, and risk. If you like time to take a breath in the day. See a patient for a crown prep and temporary in a 2 hour time frame, type up your note and eat a bagel, the military is for you. It is very nice to just do the job you feel is right at about the pace you feel is right and not feel pressure from a clock, from your accountant, from a debtor, or from your boss. You are treated the same as the next guy who does that crown prep and temporary in 45 minutes. He gets no more accolades than you. Clinical performance is separate from progression within the ranks.
4. If you like dentistry but you don't want to practice it 32 -40 hours a week, then the military has some diverse opportunities of experiences such as trainings in chemical, biological, nuclear weaponry. It has experiences in leadership development and there are even required courses such as Squadron Officer School, Air Command and STaff College, Air War College and some of these are necessary to eventually climb to become a colonel which is a magic spot where not many can touch you. It has experiences in education where you can not only teach but take tons of time developing lectures, matrices, evaluation, programs, spread sheets, etcetera. If you want to, you can lead a training program for dentists and spend 40 hours a week and not touch a patient but feel like you are doing "dentistry". No where else in the world will you find an educational institution pay two guys $420,000(together)/year to teach 4-11 residents 1.5-2 days per week. The more elaborate the computer program you develop to evaluate these young trainees the more time you don't have to touch patients and no one will give you guff over that.
5. If you rack up the medical bills because of your family's health, the military can be a great cushion against the relentless shock of medical bills. This can be a blessing for some. If you can pass the military physical and then have medical problems in the military, you too are set in terms of being shielded from the financial consequences of ailing health.
6. If you love designing, writing, or carrying out policy and like administration and meetings where you talk a lot about policy, procedure (not clinical procedure but military protocol in relation to clinical practice).
7. If you like rules and rigid guidlines make you feel secure and safe then the military is a great place because it is extremely rigid in terms of who does what, where, and at what speed.
8. If you love reviewing charts and documentation of clinical work then the military has plenty of work for you. There are tons of inspections that cause there to be almost a hundred percent chart review of every tiny detail, even those that might not be very relevant to clinical practice, efficiency, and productivity. Some people are extremely good and this and memorize every protocol for every class or circumstance. This skill and desire is very good in the military.
9. If you like public recognition for things done outside of the cubicle such as service projects, extra duties, etcetera, then the military is a great place. They have awards given every month, quarter and year. It is accompanies by a cool trophy most of which have something to do with an eagle or a flag at least in the Air Force. Some are accompanied by a great "coin" that is a very unique and elegant show of recognition. You can collect these coins/trophies and have quite a display.
10. If you like physical fitness, you are given time multiple times to workout during the work day. You get paid to run, do push ups, lift weights, do aerobics, ride a bicylce, swim etc. This is a great personal benefit. Sometimes now matter how good of shape you are in you will be required to go to mandatory fitness activities where you might be treated like you don't work out at all. Fitness is huge! Clinic schedules can be canceled or changed for a run or a gym session. Patient care many times does not rival physical training time.
11. I think you treat one of the greatest populations in the world. Not that they don't have problems, they do. But they are in an organization which may require them to sacrifice a ton, even their own life. Some do stupid things, some are down right scoundrels but the rules and regulations of the military pretty much keep even the bad apples in line. I consider it a privelege to treat them, their families, and the retirees. For many who are underprivileged, the military is their opportunity to enter a superior culture to their own which encourages responsibility, reliability, and upright living.
12. If you love to get emails from hundreds of sources inviting you to be involved in something, give money for something or be aware of something, I don't think you could find a more apt organization at this. There are literally hundred of opportunities to volunteer, give money, go to meetings, go to awards, go to retirements, etcetera. There are literally thousands of official days, weeks, and month things to do. You could literally drown in all the ceremonies, meetings, and projects that are solicited especially on the internet. You will definitely feel important if this is something that appeals to you.
13. Educational opportunities. This is also an endless opportunity. You can get out of patient care for literally weeks and weeks a year in the name of education. There are opportunities within your own dental squadron, local chapters, national, regional and you can go to almost all of them if you wanted. The military will pay you to go to many and will at least give you time off without docking vacation for what they won't pay for. No other organization in the world pays so much money to educate its professionals and many times this additional education does not have to translate into increased clinical performance but it can be solely for personal info or enrichment or just trivia. You could go to an expensive perio course and yet not have to practice a lick of perio. You can go to an implant course and not have to ever do a single implant. You can go to any residency and when you get out you don't have to do any or very little of any of it if you don't want to. Won't hurt your promotion or public recognition.
14. Every holiday off. Even holiday's that no one else really takes off, you'll get them off. It is a nice perk.
15. 30 days of vacation a year. Be CAREFUL though because if you are gone on vacation and happen to be out of town on the weekend you get charged those weekend days as vacation. So if you leave on vacation Friday after work and you spend the weekend and the following week on vacation and you don't comeback until the 2nd Sunday, you get charged 9 days of vacation for a week straddled by the two weekends. So 30 days of leave can essentially be a little as 3 whole weeks of vacation. Kind of tricky.
16. Very safe environment. You will be required to go to mandatory safety briefings almost monthly in which you will have to watch people do absolutely stupid things and tell you about what not to do like driving tired, driving after drinking etcetera. You will get briefings on sexual harrassment, discrimination, canoeing and other things that are illegal or dangerous and could affect your life or your co workers life/safety. Even if you have never drank a drop of alcohol in your life or never rode a motorcyle in your life you will be required to go to these breifings. If you guy screws up in your area, you will be treated as though you failed also in this bad decision of another. It is so safe that to even be close to someone who is unsafe, you'll be treated roughly or made to feel bad.
17. (wow, I am already on 17) Amidst the idiots, jerks, and incompetents of which there are more than there should be, there are some great, fun, smart, innovative collegues. And many of these collegues truly act like collegues instead of overbearing jerks. They are respectful, collaborative, and industrious. The sad thing is that these people are put in a tough spot: love the military and want military dentistry to be more than what it is. The challenge is that the culture can absolutely stomp the heart out of one. The frusteration can be so high that it can make you feel like you are going crazy. You live in the juxtapose of feeling extreme pride to serve in the military but see the reality of the waste, the abuse of power, the laziness, and the product of the expenditure of tax money. If it wasn't for the company grade officers and those whose productivity and output far outweighed their salary and benefits, the public outcry over the "professional welfare" would begin to ring out on the streets. So when a Major endodontist makes $110,000, teaches residents, and produces $650,000 in procedures a year he is really carrying the 2-3 colonels who sit at their desk, run away from patient care and take $210,000 and produce less than $50,000 per year. That endodontist is a great collegue. There are some great collegues in the military. Many of them feel futile in their efforts and are leaving. But it still is one of the huge positives of military dentistry.
I am tired.... anyone who wants to can put another 20 or so on here so we can reach our 37
Positive and negative can be the same things. It is all about view point, your personality, your value system, your skills, and your goals.
