I didn't have time to read through this whole thread, so sorry if this has been answered, because I'm sure it has, but I have a few simple questions. I just got accepted into dental school and this seems pretty appealing to me. So here they are:
1) I think the active duty is year-for-year in dental school, so that means 4 years active correct? If so, you do active duty before or after you graduate dental school? Year for year, correct for 3 and 4 year scholarships. 2 year scholarships still require a 3 year committment. Do you think the military is going to pay for your dental school if they aren't going to get you to pay the time back as a dentist? It would be very stupid for them to do otherwise. So, to answer your question, you serve your active suty time AFTER dental school.
2) Is there an inactive duty requirement? Only if you serve your committment and get off active duty. If you take a 3 year scholarship, you serve 3 years active and 5 years inactive - after dental school. If you take the 4 year, you serve 4 yeras active and 4 years inactive. If you stay in for 8 years, then there is no inactive obligation.
3) Where are you stationed during active duty? Are there different options? You can be stationed all over the world at any Naval or Marine base or on a ship.
4) What is the likelihood of getting deployed now, and possibly in the next 4 years (if that's possible to decipher)? To where? Right now, for tose just graduating there is a very good chances of getting deployed at least once. In the next 4 years, you will be in dental school, so you cannot get deployed then. After dental school when you are a dentist, that is another story. We have no idea what is in store for us. In 4 years, probably not Iraq because of the drawdown. But Afghanistan is still uncertain. Obama recently said he wants us out in 2011, but who knows. After that, with the fragile state the world security is in these days, anything can change. We could be done with the conflicts or we could be in the next world war. Who knows?
5) Your education is on a naval base, correct? So theoretically, 4 years of education plus 4 years active means a total of 8 years in the Navy? Your undergraduate dental education is at a any dental school. the military doesn't have dental schools like they have the medical school system. Now, as far as residencies go, you usually go to a military dental residency, but if there is a need, you get accepted to a civilian residencya nd not a military one and there is funding for it, there is a chance you could go a civilian residency program. Decisions are case by case only. 4 years education plus 4 years active means 8 years service - NO!!! The payback for the 8 years committment starts once you graduate. When in dental school, you do nothing, so why wold that count towards your committment time????
Again, my apologies for repeating questions, but I didn't have a chance to go through everything and I figured they are easy enough to answer for anyone who has a clue what they're talking about in regards to military dentistry. Clearly, I don't, but I really appreciate any help! Thanks in advance.