Should I do BOLC before, during or after dental school? Also how long is BOLC? I heard it can be 3, 6 or 9 weeks. Which is it for the Army Dental HPSP? Thanks!
Army Dental HPSP BOLC
- Thread starter Adlogin
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2010
- Messages
- 45
- Reaction score
- 8
BOLC is an every changing beast. Even the name changes every few years it seems (OBC, OBLC, BOLC, etc.). I can only speak on my experience and from reports I've heard from others, but the best info comes from the HPSP program itself (I think USArmyHPSP is actually a poster from the program). When I did the program it was hours of online training and then 26 days of in-residence training at Fort Sam Houston. However, normally that short course is for people that are in the reserves and the rumor at that time was that they were going to disc. the short course and have all HPSP students do only the long course. We were a beta test basically.
As for when to do it I'd highly recommend waiting til after school if you can. You learn some good Army tools that will quickly disappear if you go back into school. Your school also matters because my school didn't have a summer break so we didn't have a chance to go while in school at all.
End of the day BOLC was a ton of fun and having done the 3 week course I wish it would have been longer.
Good luck!!
As for when to do it I'd highly recommend waiting til after school if you can. You learn some good Army tools that will quickly disappear if you go back into school. Your school also matters because my school didn't have a summer break so we didn't have a chance to go while in school at all.
End of the day BOLC was a ton of fun and having done the 3 week course I wish it would have been longer.
Good luck!!
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
- Messages
- 367
- Reaction score
- 58
Do it before you graduate. It will help with pay and such...see what has to be done and do it...you may end up thanking me later.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Messages
- 84
- Reaction score
- 10
I did the 6 week course and I have yet to graduate. While there are some things you learn that will certainly be forgotten, many of them will be mostly irrelevant to your career as an Army dentist unless you get involved in some of the more "extracurricular" soldier activities. Things like drill & ceremony, convoy training, weapons training, land nav ect. I still remember how to wear the uniform and Army customs & courtesies and it's my guess that most of the relevant stuff like the structure of Army medicine can be picked up on the job after graduation. I'm not familiar with all of the pros of going before graduation but most of the AD guys seemed to suggest taking care of it sooner rather than later. I didn't find it particularly "fun" like other posters but I kept a good attitude and enjoyed getting to know the other students I'll be working with in the future.
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
- Messages
- 367
- Reaction score
- 58
There are many pros to doing it before graduation:
If you get accepted to a residency, you can be early activated to start right after dental school, since you do not have to spend the time at BOLC.
You get your dental pay earlier, since one of the requirements is having BOLC to receive it. If you do it while in school, you can sign up for the pay as soon as you come onto active duty.
Not having the headache of leaving your family immediately after dental school.
Just a few...
If you get accepted to a residency, you can be early activated to start right after dental school, since you do not have to spend the time at BOLC.
You get your dental pay earlier, since one of the requirements is having BOLC to receive it. If you do it while in school, you can sign up for the pay as soon as you come onto active duty.
Not having the headache of leaving your family immediately after dental school.
Just a few...
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
- Messages
- 633
- Reaction score
- 284
Six
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
- Messages
- 633
- Reaction score
- 284
13 June - 26 July
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2012
- Messages
- 106
- Reaction score
- 3
I won't be able to do BOLC in school because class starts every year at/around mid-July (the 15th this year)... Wished I'd be able to!
Sorry to hijack this thread but does that mean I'll have to do school ADT's every year?
Just wondering if BOLC is a pre-req for doing some of the ADT's at Army facilities.
Sorry to hijack this thread but does that mean I'll have to do school ADT's every year?
Just wondering if BOLC is a pre-req for doing some of the ADT's at Army facilities.
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
- Messages
- 367
- Reaction score
- 58
Hello,
It is not a pre req.....you will be required to do an ADT...but if you go to school year round, you will just fill out paperwork stating as such, but you still get paid as a 2LT.
