Defer Admission One Year? I suddenly need to go downrange...

[SoftGel]

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My question is whether a school will hold my spot for year.

I am accepted to a dental school, paid the deposit, completed all paperwork yet asked of me. Classes start Aug 2020.

I am also an officer in the Navy Reserves and am 99% certain I will be called to go overseas for 9 months in September.

Do I proactively ask the school for a one year deferment? Or do I wait until I have official orders in hand, and then tell them? I would still get these official orders before classes start in August.

Thanks for input.

 

[deleted480308]

My question is whether a school will hold my spot for year.

I am accepted to a dental school, paid the deposit, completed all paperwork yet asked of me. Classes start Aug 2020.

I am also an officer in the Navy Reserves and am 99% certain I will be called to go overseas for 9 months in September.

Do I proactively ask the school for a one year deferment? Or do I wait until I have official orders in hand, and then tell them? I would still get these official orders before classes start in August.

Thanks for input.

Does navy have a “dental student officer” aoc like the army has for med students where you stay protected from deployment?

 

[SoftGel]

Does navy have a “dental student officer” aoc like the army has for med students where you stay protected from deployment?

I would actually like to execute these orders.
But I do not know the answer to your question and should look into this. I suspect, because my dental school is not HPSP or tied to the military in any official way, they would not care that I was in school. Anecdotally, I have read on SDN of med students being mobilized in school.

 

[armytrainingsir]

My SWAG is they would hold it for you. Bad press not to. Plus, it's not like they are losing anything. They will just fill your slot with another warm body this year and take you the next.

Personally, I would discuss it now, rather than later. Gives them time to fill your slot in AUG 2020. Plus, if they say they won't hold your spot, it gives you more time to decide what is more important, this deployment or school.

Good luck

 

[dpmd]

I am one of those people who deployed during school. I was enlisted not officer but I think it might have been possible to change to medical student officer even without being hpsp but it wasn't something I had ever heard of at that time. My school was very supportive (i was in the middle of clinical rotations when i left and the clerkship director kept his promise that i would get credit for the gyn portion i had finished and when i returned off cycle for rotations they created a two week rotation for me to do ob in which let me get on cycle for the other rotations which was important because i was gone 14 months but was able to graduate on time). Asking for deferral early lets them admit another student for this year if they want, but if you end up not getting deployed then you waste a year for nothing.

 

[deleted480308]

I would actually like to execute these orders.
But I do not know the answer to your question and should look into this. I suspect, because my dental school is not HPSP or tied to the military in any official way, they would not care that I was in school. Anecdotally, I have read on SDN of med students being mobilized in school.

Med students classified as med student officers absolutely do not get deployed. You do not have to be on hpsp or mdssp to be classified a medical student officer (some recruiters will say so but I have yet to see one produce a document proving that)

Loke dpmd said, If you keep an old classification you are fair game (and should be) for deployment or training

 

[Gastrapathy]

Don’t tell them until you have orders. If they give your spot away and the 1% chance that the military will not do what you expect happens, then what? Just proceed and when the orders come, handle it then.

 

[Cooperd0g]

Don’t tell them until you have orders. If they give your spot away and the 1% chance that the military will not do what you expect happens, then what? Just proceed and when the orders come, handle it then.

As much as I would love to say to talk to the school early, Gas is right. As an example I’m 7 months into 3 year orders. Three weeks ago I was told I was the number one choice for a job this summer that requires a PCS. As of a few days ago they are now trying to avoid moving me early. Now I have no clue what to expect.

 

[d2305]

Talk to your detailer or speciality advisor, both line and dental. (If you're unrestricted line).