Applying for Civilian Residency while on Active Duty?

[InformMe123]

I know this is possible but is it possible to get a civilian residency straight after active duty especially if you were placed somewhere abroad? Does the military even give you time to do the interviews/etc? I am just curious what the process would look like for applying for residencies while being on active duty.

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[gatorfan99]

You can apply for a civilian residency that starts AFTER your active duty commitment is up - you can use leave to go to your interviews (or, if your leadership approves, ask for permissive TDY - probably a no go).

As far as applying for residencies during your active duty commitment time, that is a no go - if there's an existing military residency then that's the one you can apply for (the upside is that random civilians can't apply to military residencies). Sometimes, the military does outsource to civilian programs but that is based on lack of training program (ie pedo) or current needs being greater than what the military residencies can produce (that is always changing).

On a side note, why are you thinking of civilian residencies? The military residencies are world class and, in many ways, IMHO, far superior to anything out in the civilian side.

 

[vellnueve]

You can take leave to do it, but you'll want to make sure that the start date of the residency isn't before the end-date of your commitment.

 

[InformMe123]

I see, it just feels like it would be a hassle to travel on leave especially if you were stationed overseas. Reason for civilian residency is because I am mainly interested in pediatric dentistry or orthodontics which are few and very competitive for the military and would add more military time after finishing residency.

 

[vellnueve]

That's a possibility, so if you're interested in doing residency following active duty you will want to save a large amount of leave time in case you need to travel back and forth. The interview process is expensive and time-consuming for everyone involved, and military life doesn't always make things easier.

 

[InformMe123]

When is usually the end-of commitment? I noticed most residencies start July 1.

 

[vellnueve]

It depends on when you go on active duty which is different for everyone. It is in your best interest to get to your first duty station as soon as you graduate.

 

[sd123]

I was stationed in Okinawa as a GMO and applied to civilian surgery residencies. Command approved leave. Had two, three week blocks to interview. Started on east coast and moved west. All depends on your command...

 

[vellnueve]

I was stationed in Okinawa as a GMO and applied to civilian surgery residencies. Command approved leave. Had two, three week blocks to interview. Started on east coast and moved west. All depends on your command...

I think most commands will be fine with it as long as you have the leave saved.