Ask a Navy dentist

[WilsonJing]

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I was talking to my army buddy. He said that if he were to specialize after dental school his resident program would count as neutral years. So 4 years on HPSP + 4 year resident = 4 years pay back. Navy resident programs also needs pay back year to year. so 4 years on HPSP + 4 years resident = 8 years pay back. He wants to do OS. So is Army and Navy resident pay back years different?

 

[Toothus Rufus]

I was talking to my army buddy. He said that if he were to specialize after dental school his resident program would count as neutral years. So 4 years on HPSP + 4 year resident = 4 years pay back. Navy resident programs also needs pay back year to year. so 4 years on HPSP + 4 years resident = 8 years pay back. He wants to do OS. So is Army and Navy resident pay back years different?

Hmmm I dunno. You are right about the Navy part but I am not sure about the Army's payback for residency. I bet if you comb through some of the Army posts you'll find the answer or maybe someone else while chime in with the facts.

 

[DDS19841984]

Hi

I want to do a NAVY 3 year program. I am in my second year now, and my grades are mediocre (like 3.01). My undergrad admin. stuff was good (3.7 20 DAT). Do you think I got a chance?

Just to verify, what are my service obligations for this?

Thanks for the help!

-Perry

 

[Toothus Rufus]

I want to do a NAVY 3 year program. I am in my second year now, and my grades are mediocre (like 3.01). My undergrad admin. stuff was good (3.7 20 DAT). Do you think I got a chance?

The best person to ask is the Navy recruiter assigned to your school. They can tell you how competitive your numbers are with this years applicants and if there are any scholarships left. They can also tell you about some other options (direct ascension, dental student program etc.) that may also work out for you if the scholarships are all gone as well as the obligated years of service for each program.

 

[Tiankum]

I was talking to my army buddy. He said that if he were to specialize after dental school his resident program would count as neutral years. So 4 years on HPSP + 4 year resident = 4 years pay back. Navy resident programs also needs pay back year to year. so 4 years on HPSP + 4 years resident = 8 years pay back. He wants to do OS. So is Army and Navy resident pay back years different?

So I asked my recruiter about your question and the way she explained it made it sound like you would only have to pay back four years in the army...but when I asked again in simple laymen's terms she said no..that if you do a specialty residency in the Army, you have obligated yourself to serve even longer... so it's exactly like the Navy...4 years HPSP + 4 years Specialty residency = 8 years payback... she didn't want to give that info very freely...she kept talking about the AEGD residency and that I'd only owe 4 years after that...I seriously had to keep asking her in very basic english about it...then she gave me that info. I don't know about Army man...they seem, act, and treat you totally different than the Navy

 

[eric275]

So I asked my recruiter about your question and the way she explained it made it sound like you would only have to pay back four years in the army...but when I asked again in simple laymen's terms she said no..that if you do a specialty residency in the Army, you have obligated yourself to serve even longer... so it's exactly like the Navy...4 years HPSP + 4 years Specialty residency = 8 years payback... she didn't want to give that info very freely...she kept talking about the AEGD residency and that I'd only owe 4 years after that...I seriously had to keep asking her in very basic english about it...then she gave me that info. I don't know about Army man...they seem, act, and treat you totally different than the Navy

Ok here's the deal. All services require the same payback. If you are on a four year scholarship and hypothetically do a four year scholarship, you will spend a total of 8 years in the military before your obligation is paid and you can walk.

Your HPSP obligation/payback is basically on hold during your residency years, so as was said earlier they are neutral years. All residencies except ortho and endo incur a one year obligation for every year of the residency. Ortho and endo incur a three year payback for two years of residency. Once your residency is completed you begin paying back HPSP/HSCP obligation and residency obligation concurrently, or at the same time. So after residency you payback 8 years of obligation in 4 years which means in essence your getting your residency for free.

 

[ArmyPreDent]

as one who has never been over to the green side, i can't really answer how the Navy cuts orders for those who do PGY-1 programs at Marine bases. i do have a couple of friends who went to Pendleton or Okinawa for their programs, then stayed on at the same base for their first operational tour. i am not, however, at all clear on their time frame.

four years in the most that you might ever do for an HPSP/HSCP payback, since that is the kongest length of a scholarship you can get. that fifth year might be necessary if your scholarship contract does not allow for the PGY-1 program to count as a payback year (i am in this boat).

i did my AEGD in Norfolk and have been stationed on an aircraft carrier for 19 months. my two Navy stations have been a huge dental clinic and blue water Navy, very different environments.

Hey, I have been looking into the navy hpsp scholarship and have some questions. You said you were on a carrier for 19 months how does that work like every other 6 months your at sea? Also I have seen some posts about operational vs. Non operational what does that mean? And last question does anyone know how many omfs slots are offered a year.

 

[tl413]

Ok here's the deal. All services require the same payback. If you are on a four year scholarship and hypothetically do a four year scholarship, you will spend a total of 8 years in the military before your obligation is paid and you can walk.

Your HPSP obligation/payback is basically on hold during your residency years, so as was said earlier they are neutral years. All residencies except ortho and endo incur a one year obligation for every year of the residency. Ortho and endo incur a three year payback for two years of residency. Once your residency is completed you begin paying back HPSP/HSCP obligation and residency obligation concurrently, or at the same time. So after residency you payback 8 years of obligation in 4 years which means in essence your getting your residency for free.

I am confused by this. Say you do the 4 year scholarship, and do a residency program for 4 years. Do you then owe 8 years, or 4 years following the residency program?

 

[dheav005]

Hey, I have been looking into the navy hpsp scholarship and have some questions. You said you were on a carrier for 19 months how does that work like every other 6 months your at sea? Also I have seen some posts about operational vs. Non operational what does that mean? And last question does anyone know how many omfs slots are offered a year.

not necessarily. my duty station is the carrier, so i go wherever she goes. that might mean the shipyards for 6 months, a deployment cruise for 8 months, or just week-long underway periods for workup purposes. my assignment lasts 24 months or thereabouts and then i move on to my next set of orders.

as for operational vs. non-operational, that is a way to categorize who is deploying or should be ready to deploy versus people assigned to various places that are non-deploying billets. non-op would be something like residency whereas operational means being assigned to a ship or the marines or seabees.

 

[adrift1984]

Could anyone answer whether it is possible to complete your officer training before you commission for HPSP? I received the scholarship but will not commission until Sept. I would like to complete training prior to ds.

 

[del Sol DOHC]

Could anyone answer whether it is possible to complete your officer training before you commission for HPSP? I received the scholarship but will not commission until Sept. I would like to complete training prior to ds.

I answered this question you posted in another thread.

 

[eric275]

I am confused by this. Say you do the 4 year scholarship, and do a residency program for 4 years. Do you then owe 8 years, or 4 years following the residency program?

You will owe 4 years following the residency. In my post I incorrectly wrote "If you are on a four year scholarship and hypothetically do a four year scholarship, you will spend a total of 8 years in the military before your obligation is paid and you can walk."

But meant to say "If you are on a four year scholarship and hypothetically do a four year residency, you will spend a total of 8 years in the military before your obligation is paid and you can walk.

Both of the four year obligations pay back concurrently, at the same time.

 

[dctim211]

I've had a bit of difficulty finding an answer for this by searching so I apologize if someone has covered this topic elsewhere...

Does anyone know if it is feasible for one to do the 4 year HPSP and then apply to a civilian residency program after having done their payback? Also, this may be a stupid question, but if you fail to do well enough in your dental school years to be accepted to a residency (I'm hoping for OMFS) does it help to do an AEGD (presumably with the Navy) and then applying to a OMFS residency program after your payback? Thanks in advance.

 

[Toothus Rufus]

Does anyone know if it is feasible for one to do the 4 year HPSP and then apply to a civilian residency program after having done their payback?.... does it help to do an AEGD (presumably with the Navy) and then applying to a OMFS residency program after your payback? Thanks in advance.

After your payback you are free to apply for any program you wish. If you wanted to roll right out of the Navy into a residency program you would apply in the 3rd year of your payback to start a program the following year (assuming the end of your obligation matches up with the start date of the program you chose). As for a residency, traditionally OMFS programs prefer a GPR over and AEGD because they are more hospital based. In either case it should help your application look stronger. If you have a specific OMFS program (Navy or civilian) you are interested in I'd call the program director, give them your stats and ask them what you can do over the next 4 years to make yourself more competetive.

 

[dctim211]

thanks toothus! Another question for you, since you seem to be very knowledgeable about this. I've been looking into doing an OMS residency with the Navy and have noticed that if accepted, one is required to do a 4-year payback that can be done concurrently with your HPSP payback. That being said, I've also read that it is very difficult to get into a residency program immediately after D school. If I were to start my HPSP payback after D school and during the first year, get accepted into a residency program (which would start in what would have been year 2 of my HPSP payback), would I then still have 4 more years of active service (after residency) required for my payback? 3 years accounting for my HPSP + residency payback concurrently, with an additional 1 year for the remaining payback of my residency? I know that seems pretty complicated but I'm hoping you understand what I'm saying. Also, is it pretty common for people to do the GPR in their first year, and then another specialty residency program immediately following that?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Toothus Rufus]

The first thing I would say is if you look at last year's DUINS results 4 of the 10 folks accepted to OMFS and 3 of the 5 alternates were straight out of school (ENS and OCC) so it can be done. If you read some of the older posts in this thread you will see that the payback terms have been a recent topic of discussion. To answer your question: if you do a one year AEGD/GPR that first year then get picked up for training your second year, your first 5 years in the Navy will be gratis. In other words, your 8 year pay back (4 for HPSP + 4 for OMFS) won't even start until the end of your OMFS training. Bottom line you will have 13 years in the Navy before you can get out. By that time you will a CDR trying to figure out what assignment you need to take in order to make 0-6. On the other hand if you skip the 1 year residency your first year you will only be in for 12 years before you can punch out.....CDR. I don't know if that is the answer you were hoping for or not.

If anyone sees any errors in my math please correct me I won't be offended.

 

[dctim211]

But meant to say "If you are on a four year scholarship and hypothetically do a four year residency, you will spend a total of 8 years in the military before your obligation is paid and you can walk.

Both of the four year obligations pay back concurrently, at the same time.

The first thing I would say is if you look at last year's DUINS results 4 of the 10 folks accepted to OMFS and 3 of the 5 alternates were straight out of school (ENS and OCC) so it can be done. If you read some of the older posts in this thread you will see that the payback terms have been a recent topic of discussion. To answer your question: if you do a one year AEGD/GPR that first year then get picked up for training your second year, your first 5 years in the Navy will be gratis. In other words, your 8 year pay back (4 for HPSP + 4 for OMFS) won't even start until the end of your OMFS training. Bottom line you will have 13 years in the Navy before you can get out. By that time you will a CDR trying to figure out what assignment you need to take in order to make 0-6. On the other hand if you skip the 1 year residency your first year you will only be in for 12 years before you can punch out.....CDR. I don't know if that is the answer you were hoping for or not.

If anyone sees any errors in my math please correct me I won't be offended.

Thanks for your response toothus. Just needing a bit of clarification because your post and an older one (which I've quoted) seem to be contradictory.

My question, which you kindly responded to, had more to do with a situation that would only be pertinent if the two obligations, for HPSP and OMFS residency, would pay back concurrently. Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[dentalmon]

question for those that had been accepted for the HPSP.. have you heard anything new about signning?.. I've been out of the country.. so i havent been in contact w/ my recruiter.. just wondering if theres anything new... is it still after Sept 1st is when we can sign?..


thanks in advance

 

[Toothus Rufus]

Thanks for your response toothus. Just needing a bit of clarification because your post and an older one (which I've quoted) seem to be contradictory.

My question, which you kindly responded to, had more to do with a situation that would only be pertinent if the two obligations, for HPSP and OMFS residency, would pay back concurrently. Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

It is a tricky subject and I think the introduction of the word "concurrent" in some other posts has confused many people. There is no overlap on the paybacks, you will owe 4 (or 3) for HPSP and 4 for OMFS. That means you will have to serve 8 years on active duty to pay back your commitement; that is 8 years working in a Navy clinic. Training/ residency is not considered working in this scenario i.e. your years in training don't count as payback they in fact add to the years of payback that you owe. Again if I am wrong someone please correct me. Clear as mud right.?

 

[dctim211]

It is a tricky subject and I think the introduction of the word "concurrent" in some other posts has confused many people. There is no overlap on the paybacks, you will owe 4 (or 3) for HPSP and 4 for OMFS. That means you will have to serve 8 years on active duty to pay back your commitement; that is 8 years working in a Navy clinic. Training/ residency is not considered working in this scenario i.e. your years in training don't count as payback they in fact add to the years of payback that you owe. Again if I am wrong someone please correct me. Clear as mud right.?

Thanks Toothus! I actually met with a dental/medical Navy recruiter and he confirmed the information you presented about paybacks as is related to HPSP and residencies. Got any pointers for my motivation statement? I'm going to get started on my Navy application tomorrow!

 

[Toothus Rufus]

I basically cobbled together a statement from the one I wrote for admission to dental school and added some stuff about why I wanted to join the Navy. I'd avoid phrases like "because I can get money for school", clearly that is the main reason but may not sound so great on paper. I'd stick to more motivational phrases like "I would like the opportunity to expand my skillset in a dynamic military practice." "The prospect of practicing dentistry in other regions of the country and in other parts of the world is very appealing to me....." etc etc you get the picture I am sure. Good luck!!

 

[Hawk2thDoc]

It is a tricky subject and I think the introduction of the word "concurrent" in some other posts has confused many people. There is no overlap on the paybacks, you will owe 4 (or 3) for HPSP and 4 for OMFS. That means you will have to serve 8 years on active duty to pay back your commitement; that is 8 years working in a Navy clinic. Training/ residency is not considered working in this scenario i.e. your years in training don't count as payback they in fact add to the years of payback that you owe. Again if I am wrong someone please correct me. Clear as mud right.?

Really close, but just confusing the way you replied. The paybacks actually do overlap, if you went from dental school straight to OMFS, then your payback for school and OMFS would both start and end at the same time( if you had a 4 year HPSP). There is no payback for HPSP while in residency, so you wouldn't start paying back any time until after finishing OMFS. So the payback are concurrent, not consecutive, and you do serve 8 years for a 4 year HPSP plus OMFS.

 

[Tuthman]

I am trying to be clear on what I would make in the Navy. I have 7 years private practice experience and 4 prior service enlisted in AF. The Navy recruiter told me he would submit my application to be commisioned as an O4. Is that really practical? AFDDS mentioned in the AF it would not be enough to start at O4.
Either way, if I take the 75,000 bonus for 4 years, I am gathering that I would still get the VSA and DASP. And as AFDDS mentioned that in the AF my prior time would be counted as 3.5 credited years, would that sound likely in the Navy also? And would that affect the special pay amount.

For some reason my recruiters are acting like they don't really know the details. Aren't they supposed to know?

 

[Toothus Rufus]

Yeah, some recruiters are notoriously slippery and ill-informed. Not all, but some. I will ask around and see what I can found out.

 

[Tiankum]

So here's a question no one seems to know the answer to...If I don't commission until Sept. 1 and school starts the 7th of Sept...and I need to get my books and go over a few things beforehand, will I be able to get reimbursed if I buy the books before I commission? The handbook says it needs to be within 45 days of school starting...but it doesn't say anything about whether or not you should do it before or after you commission. What should I do?

 

[prepredent]

what is the Navy's (or armed services in general, I suppose) policy on taking dental school grads with a criminal record (in this case, one misdemeanor in college for marijuana possession). I know there is a waiver that must be granted and I know whether or not the waiver is granted is partially based on how much the military wants you. Is the demand for dentists high enough for a waiver to be granted for this sort of offense?

 

[Toothus Rufus]

what is the Navy's (or armed services in general, I suppose) policy on taking dental school grads with a criminal record

Contact the Navy recruiting command and ask to talk to the person in charge of dental programs http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/contact.htm They can tell you the current policy and how likely they are to accept someone with a criminal record.

 

[del Sol DOHC]

How many remote assignments are there for dentists, and where are they? In other words, what dentist billets will not allow your family to accompany you?

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

How many remote assignments are there for dentists, and where are they? In other words, what dentist billets will not allow your family to accompany you?

The placed I am listing are ones that i know have been unaccompanied in the past. I don't know for certain that they are still considered unaccompanied; just that I know of people who have done unaccompanied tours at these locations :

South Korea
Guam
Japan
Okinawa
Diego Garcia
Cuba
Bahrain

 

[RT0223]

I got the 3.5 year scholarship with the Army...Is it possible to switch to the Navy? If so, how do I do that? Thanks.

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

I got the 3.5 year scholarship with the Army...Is it possible to switch to the Navy? If so, how do I do that? Thanks.

No way to just switch. If you haven't already accepted, been sworn in and signed the paperwork, then you just need to apply through the Navy. BUT, that wouldn't be too wise as you are not guaranteed a scholarship for the Navy.

 

[purgatory]

Hi, I'm a Junior in high school and I was wondering if some of the more experienced, veteran dentists in this forum can provide a timeline from highschool to where they are now. Did you guys pay for your own undergrad tuition? Did you have a "life" during your studies while balancing time with the Navy?

Sorry for asking a question that might have been already answered. I just wanted to get an idea of how I would go about to becoming a dentist while serving time with the Navy.

 

[Toothus Rufus]

The standard route would be to finish high school and get into college. While you are in college you'll need to take the prereqs for dental school (bio, chem, physics, etc) you can get a list from most college academic advisors. Hopefully you'll get good grades so you can be competitive when you apply to dental school. You'll need to take the DAT as well probably around your sophomore or junior year and then apply to dental schools the year before you graduate. If you are a good candidate you'll get some interviews: put on a suit and impress everyone who meets you and get accepted to dental school. At that point if you want to get the Navy to cover your school costs you can apply for a 4 year scholarship, put on another suit, stand on a scale, turn and cough and viola you'll be rewarded a scholarship that will cover your schools costs. Then the real fun starts....after 4 years of blood and/or sweat and/or tears in dental school, you'll be commissioned as an officer in the Navy and head to your first assignment in lovely San Diego...or Diego Garcia....or on a ship....or on the moon if we have bases there by then.
*this story has been simplified and or embellished but is based on true events.

All kidding aside--its worth it so I wish you luck. My best advice: spend some time working with a dentist before you start down this long road to make sure its what you want to do.

 

[woopig]

Does the Navy have any type of sign on bonuses? I know the Army does, and I'm pretty sure the Air Force does not, but I haven't heard about the Navy.

 

[flybry2000]

Would I be able to get in and serve as a NAVY dentist with one kidney and a slight heart murmur?

 

[del Sol DOHC]

Does the Navy have any type of sign on bonuses? I know the Army does, and I'm pretty sure the Air Force does not, but I haven't heard about the Navy.

I assume you are talking about the accession bonus for dental students, which is currently $20,000.

 

[OffAngleHatchet]

Does the Navy have any type of sign on bonuses? I know the Army does, and I'm pretty sure the Air Force does not, but I haven't heard about the Navy.

Depends on what Congress will let us have, and also depends on how many dentists the Navy needs. It changes year by year.

Currently HPSP scholarship has a $25K sign on bonus, in addition to all the other perks.

 

[OffAngleHatchet]

Hi, I'm a Junior in high school and I was wondering if some of the more experienced, veteran dentists in this forum can provide a timeline from highschool to where they are now. Did you guys pay for your own undergrad tuition? Did you have a "life" during your studies while balancing time with the Navy?

The timeline from high school to dentist is pretty standard. You can make detours, if you want, but here are the common elements: right now, concentrate on getting good grades to prepare you for college. Once in college, make sure you know which classes you should take to meet the pre-admission requirements for the dental schools. If you want your college paid for, you can do ROTC (I didn't), but it means you have more years to commit to the military. Once you're ready to apply, or you have an acceptance in hand, you can talk to the Navy/Army/Air force health professions recruiter to talk about scholarships for dental school.

I paid my own undergrad tuition thru a variety of sources (family, loans, scholarships, etc). Still have some debt, but while I'm in the military any educational debt can be deferred, and payments put on hold until the end of your military service. Loan companies are very accomodating.

Time commitment to military stuff is minimal to zero during your dental school years. The military wants you to concentrate on your studies and become a good dentist.

Hope this helps.

 

[dctim211]

Depends on what Congress will let us have, and also depends on how many dentists the Navy needs. It changes year by year.

Currently HPSP scholarship has a $25K sign on bonus, in addition to all the other perks.

I was told the Navy HPSP bonus is 20K not 25K. The website also says 20K. Did it change, OffAngleHatchet? I was recently approved for the Dental Officer Program (HPSP) and just need to get into dental school now. Was happy with 20K but I wouldn't complain about an extra 5K either.

 

[krmower]

Hi, I'm a Junior in high school and I was wondering if some of the more experienced, veteran dentists in this forum can provide a timeline from highschool to where they are now. Did you guys pay for your own undergrad tuition? Did you have a "life" during your studies while balancing time with the Navy?

Sorry for asking a question that might have been already answered. I just wanted to get an idea of how I would go about to becoming a dentist while serving time with the Navy.

My recommendation is not to do ROTC in college if you plan on being a dentist. It will limit your income and affect your obligation when you come on active duty.

 

[Smills91]

Ok here's the deal. All services require the same payback. If you are on a four year scholarship and hypothetically do a four year scholarship, you will spend a total of 8 years in the military before your obligation is paid and you can walk.

Your HPSP obligation/payback is basically on hold during your residency years, so as was said earlier they are neutral years. All residencies except ortho and endo incur a one year obligation for every year of the residency. Ortho and endo incur a three year payback for two years of residency. Once your residency is completed you begin paying back HPSP/HSCP obligation and residency obligation concurrently, or at the same time. So after residency you payback 8 years of obligation in 4 years which means in essence your getting your residency for free.

Does that hold true for the comp Dentistry AEGD of 2 years?

So HPSP/HSCP for 4 years in D-School + 2 years AEGD + 4 years HPSP/HSCP payback + 2(or 3 years?) payback for Comp Dent. AEGD.

For a grand total of 12-13 years Active Duty on HSCP or 8-9 years Active Duty on HPSP?

Does that sound right?

 

[krmower]

Does that hold true for the comp Dentistry AEGD of 2 years?

So HPSP/HSCP for 4 years in D-School + 2 years AEGD + 4 years HPSP/HSCP payback + 2(or 3 years?) payback for Comp Dent. AEGD.

For a grand total of 12-13 years Active Duty on HSCP or 8-9 years Active Duty on HPSP?

Does that sound right?

No - this has been explained in other threads.

Comp dentist would be 6 yrs active obligation + 2 yrs IRR (or you could do a total of 8 yrs active). This holds true as long as you start the comp program within 2 yrs of graduating dental school.

 

[clp416]

I'm looking for a navy dentist who might be interested in doing a feature article with us.
I'm the editor of Dentaltown Magazine. We try to illustrate the many different directions dentists can take their careers.
Can someone here put me in touch with the right people?
Thanks.

Chelsea Knorr
[email protected]