Army Dental Wives

[ArmyDentalWife]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

My husband is on an army HPSP scholarship. I've read through the Army Dentistry thread and found the answers to questions that I have had for a long time. It has been frustrating for me, a person who likes to have all the answers, to be always asking my husband to find out... Especially when even he has no good contact for answering his questions. So I feel much better and more in control after having read the thread. Thanks to all who contributed.

I wonder if I am the only wife on here. I want to talk to wives of army dentist to find out a little more about family life. Or maybe even your army dentist will have some answers. To get things started I feel concerned about me being a shy personality going into an army life. My husband is very outgoing and I know he will do very well in an army atmosphere, but what resources will there be for me and my kid(s) when we get started on our army career. My husband reassures me that the army makes it easy to adjust and make friends, but doesn't really know of any specific ways in which they do this. Any thoughts?

 

[krmower]

My husband is on an army HPSP scholarship. I've read through the Army Dentistry thread and found the answers to questions that I have had for a long time. It has been frustrating for me, a person who likes to have all the answers, to be always asking my husband to find out... Especially when even he has no good contact for answering his questions. So I feel much better and more in control after having read the thread. Thanks to all who contributed.

I wonder if I am the only wife on here. I want to talk to wives of army dentist to find out a little more about family life. Or maybe even your army dentist will have some answers. To get things started I feel concerned about me being a shy personality going into an army life. My husband is very outgoing and I know he will do very well in an army atmosphere, but what resources will there be for me and my kid(s) when we get started on our army career. My husband reassures me that the army makes it easy to adjust and make friends, but doesn't really know of any specific ways in which they do this. Any thoughts?

You can PM me with your number and you can speak with my wife.

Really being in the Army doesn't have to be too foreign of an experience. Most Army dentists I know do not live on base, so you find and move into a neighborhood that you like and life is pretty normal as a civilian.

 

[ArmyDentalWife]

Thanks Dr. Mower. I am mostly concerned with moving frequently. I've lived in the same city my whole life (except during college) where my parents and almost all of my siblings live. My only good friends are those I grew up with. I wouldn't say I'm introverted, but I am shy in new situations and with new people and I very much dislike "small talk". I'm worried that I will become depressed when we move away from all the people I know and love.

Because I know I won't have the family support I worry about my husband being gone a lot, especially during a residency if he is able to do one. I'm not sure how demanding each is. Just having him be gone as much as he needs to for dental school is very hard on me even though we live in my home town. Though I do look foward to the days when he is working and he will come home from work and not have to study.

At this point my husband is not sure what kind of residency he wants to do. I am very supportive of him doing one and doing whatever he finds most interesting whether it be comprehensive general dentistry or oral surgery. But it would be nice to know what kind of hours he would be putting in and how much time he will have to spend with his family. Do you have a general idea of the time demands of each reasidence? How did your wife and kids manage while you did your residency? How are they preparing for your deployment? Will they move back to Utah while you are gone or stay in Texas? Thanks.

 

[krmower]

Thanks Dr. Mower. I am mostly concerned with moving frequently. I've lived in the same city my whole life (except during college) where my parents and almost all of my siblings live. My only good friends are those I grew up with. I wouldn't say I'm introverted, but I am shy in new situations and with new people and I very much dislike "small talk". I'm worried that I will become depressed when we move away from all the people I know and love.

Because I know I won't have the family support I worry about my husband being gone a lot, especially during a residency if he is able to do one. I'm not sure how demanding each is. Just having him be gone as much as he needs to for dental school is very hard on me even though we live in my home town. Though I do look foward to the days when he is working and he will come home from work and not have to study.

At this point my husband is not sure what kind of residency he wants to do. I am very supportive of him doing one and doing whatever he finds most interesting whether it be comprehensive general dentistry or oral surgery. But it would be nice to know what kind of hours he would be putting in and how much time he will have to spend with his family. Do you have a general idea of the time demands of each reasidence? How did your wife and kids manage while you did your residency? How are they preparing for your deployment? Will they move back to Utah while you are gone or stay in Texas? Thanks.

The residencies will vary by location and specialty. Oral Surgery typically is one that requires some of the longest hours - 60-80/week for 4 yrs. Prosthodontics also takes a lot because of lab work. The others will require additional hours as well, but will be different from dental school since you are typically working solo on things. I would say you would see him more frequently than dental school since he won't be involved in study groups, etc...

My wife was happy during residency, we did it right after dental school, so to her she saw me more than she had the previous 4 yrs.

We bought a house here in Virginia, so the kids will stay here and be in school while I am gone. I have had friends that have done it both ways (family goes home/family stays). Most tend to stay.

The moves will typically occur every 3-4 yrs. If your husband just comes in and then gets out you will usually just be at 1 base during that time. If he does a residency, you will move again once the residency is done with.

 

[ArmyDentalWife]

Thaks for the info. Sorry, for some reason I thought you were in Texas. I was hoping this thread would attract some army wives and we could discuss issues related to family life, but seeing as you are the only one responding, kmower, would you mind if I e-mailed you a list of questions more related to dental corp workings? I think I have your address from another thread.

 

[krmower]

Thaks for the info. Sorry, for some reason I thought you were in Texas. I was hoping this thread would attract some army wives and we could discuss issues related to family life, but seeing as you are the only one responding, kmower, would you mind if I e-mailed you a list of questions more related to dental corp workings? I think I have your address from another thread.

I sent you a PM.

 

[flow3]

I am married to a first year dental student--my husband is in the process of applying for the 3-year HPSP. I have had similar frustration in finding answers to my questions. I stumbled on this thread while in the process of trying to find some answers.

My main concerns are in regard to my own career. I am relatively certain that my husband will enjoy working for the army, but I am very concerned about him being stationed somewhere that I would not be able to find a job. Does anybody have any experience with this situation? Will the army be sympathetic to my career options, when stationing him? Or would it be crazy for him to accept HPSP if we are trying to juggle two careers?

 

[krmower]

I am married to a first year dental student--my husband is in the process of applying for the 3-year HPSP. I have had similar frustration in finding answers to my questions. I stumbled on this thread while in the process of trying to find some answers.

My main concerns are in regard to my own career. I am relatively certain that my husband will enjoy working for the army, but I am very concerned about him being stationed somewhere that I would not be able to find a job. Does anybody have any experience with this situation? Will the army be sympathetic to my career options, when stationing him? Or would it be crazy for him to accept HPSP if we are trying to juggle two careers?

The Army will not take your career plans into account when it comes to stationing your husband. They also will not help you find a job.

That being said, they will offer your husband several choices when he is getting ready to graduate (usually around March of Senior year). You can look at those many choices and see which if any might also help you as you look at your career. They will not usually tell you that you can only go 1 place -but they will also not be able to accomodate every request. Each year there will be around 130 new graduating dental officers coming in that will need assignments. There will also be the other general dentists moving around that they will need to coordinate also.

 

[Melvin82]

Thanks Dr. Mower. I am mostly concerned with moving frequently. I've lived in the same city my whole life (except during college) where my parents and almost all of my siblings live. My only good friends are those I grew up with. I wouldn't say I'm introverted, but I am shy in new situations and with new people and I very much dislike "small talk". I'm worried that I will become depressed when we move away from all the people I know and love.

Because I know I won't have the family support I worry about my husband being gone a lot, especially during a residency if he is able to do one. I'm not sure how demanding each is. Just having him be gone as much as he needs to for dental school is very hard on me even though we live in my home town. Though I do look foward to the days when he is working and he will come home from work and not have to study.

At this point my husband is not sure what kind of residency he wants to do. I am very supportive of him doing one and doing whatever he finds most interesting whether it be comprehensive general dentistry or oral surgery. But it would be nice to know what kind of hours he would be putting in and how much time he will have to spend with his family. Do you have a general idea of the time demands of each reasidence? How did your wife and kids manage while you did your residency? How are they preparing for your deployment? Will they move back to Utah while you are gone or stay in Texas? Thanks.

What did your husband end up doing? How has your time in the Army been?