Got accepted while in the military

[gsxra4b6]

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My name is will, I am currently on active duty in the Navy and already have my BS (none science) and currently working on the sciences taking Chem./Bio this semester. I will be applying next year to dental school but my problem is I am up for orders and I have to obligate for another 3 years to meet for those orders. if I get accepted I will class up in 2013 which means I will still have time left on my contract. I have talked to my Career Counselor and he said the Navy will not let me go because I have to finish my contract.

I want to know if anyone with prior service got accepted while they were still on active duty and what did they do?

 

[tinman831]

Moving to military dental forum.

 

[krmower]

My name is will, I am currently on active duty in the Navy and already have my BS (none science) and currently working on the sciences taking Chem./Bio this semester. I will be applying next year to dental school but my problem is I am up for orders and I have to obligate for another 3 years to meet for those orders. if I get accepted I will class up in 2013 which means I will still have time left on my contract. I have talked to my Career Counselor and he said the Navy will not let me go because I have to finish my contract.

I want to know if anyone with prior service got accepted while they were still on active duty and what did they do?

I haven't heard of anyone getting released to go to school form any service - the only option I could even remotely see is if you talked to someone about the Navy's HCSP program since you are on active duty while going to school - but since I am Army that is only a guess.

 

[gsxra4b6]

thks, my EOAS in August, and almost everyone is telling me i should get out. so i decide to, since i can really concentrate my pre-reg and study for my DAT i am applying Next year..

 

[del Sol DOHC]

thks, my EOAS in August, and almost everyone is telling me i should get out. so i decide to, since i can really concentrate my pre-reg and study for my DAT i am applying Next year..

Getting out is a good decision. On active duty, it will be very difficult to take all the classes you need while achieving the grades and DAT score that you will need to get into dental school. Also, I can guarantee you that NOTHING will make you hate the military more than if you get accepted to dental school, but the Navy won't let you out of your active duty commitment.

 

[Act0fgod]

After reading the posts from other services I think this is something the AF has right. In the AF there is typically at least 1 HPSP scholarship reserved for individuals who are on active duty. I assume the intent is to provide an opportunity for the enlisted dental tech to transition to the officer dentist as the dental corps chief always talked about it as a great opportunity for the dental techs. I was told that it occasionally goes unfilled (probably because few people are aware of it).

I still had 2 years of commitment when I was accepted to dental school and separated (also lost rank because HPSP students are required to be O-1s). I also took my pre-reqs while on active duty. It sucked big time and I almost failed a lab because I missed the max number of labs and was really late for another. I took leave the day of big exams and the 4 days before I took the DAT and literally studied nonstop. I also was up front with my boss indicating that I would likely cut back on hours in the office (got to my desk at 6 and tried to leave by 5 when taking classes). So it's certainly possible to take your pre-reqs and complete the DAT while on active duty. I've typically seen the military as very supportive of individual educational goals (my dad is Navy and also received a number of degrees while on active duty).

It doesn't hurt to contact the office in the navy that works the HPSP or HCSP program and see if the navy offers similar opportunities.

 

[gsxra4b6]

That is exactly what i have been doing, at work at 645am get off most of the time at 4-430pm and then straight to class at 5/530pm, it was doable when i was taking my non-science classes but this is my first semester of taking my preregs, i am currently taking Genchem and Bio both with lab... which are on Mon-Thur and lab are over around 930-955PM depending on the lab..by the time i get home shower, eat and then hit the bed and then up at 6am ready to do it again.. I did take leave but there has been few times when i was unable to do so.. i am up for orders and donot know yet where i am going to go, what the command is going to be like, new duty. or maybe moving to another state..and starting to take preregs somewhere else .. but i do know in the future prereg are going to be harder hence why i am getting so i wont have to deal with all these restriction...

I dont want to get out, but being out would be more beneficial.

 

[ALTOSS]

That is exactly what i have been doing, at work at 645am get off most of the time at 4-430pm and then straight to class at 5/530pm, it was doable when i was taking my non-science classes but this is my first semester of taking my preregs, i am currently taking Genchem and Bio both with lab... which are on Mon-Thur and lab are over around 930-955PM depending on the lab..by the time i get home shower, eat and then hit the bed and then up at 6am ready to do it again.. I did take leave but there has been few times when i was unable to do so.. i am up for orders and donot know yet where i am going to go, what the command is going to be like, new duty. or maybe moving to another state..and starting to take preregs somewhere else .. but i do know in the future prereg are going to be harder hence why i am getting so i wont have to deal with all these restriction...

I dont want to get out, but being out would be more beneficial.

hi there, i think you should plan your timeline so that you could start d-school when your time with the navy is up. from starting to taking pre-reqs to DAT and 1st day of d-school would take you up to 2 years if you work fast, taking 2-3 classes per semester. you said you still have some time left, so that won't be so hard to do, i suppose. and yes, the courses w/ lab suck, but believe me, d-school is actually worse, so don't feel bad. i found orgo and biochem a joke compared to actual 1st or 2d yr d-school stuff. i think you said you already have a non-sci BS degree, so as long as you have pre-reqs up, it probably won't matter where you or how you take the courses, provided that you take them at a 4 yr university (i.e. not community or online). i honestly don't think the admission cares b/c there are just too many schools to count, but that is a risk not worth taking. also you could apply before you complete pre-reqs such as physics or orgo lab, as long as you have a DAT score (you could take them after you get your admission letter in december, before you actually start d-school).

 

[gsxra4b6]

Thanks that a great idea, I have about 5 months left which will be going through the summer semester. My other question is when i get out. should i change my resident from Florida to California. since i will be applying to USC, UOP, Western and maybe Nova. One of the dentist i have been working with went to USC and is going to write me a LOR.

 

[krmower]

Thanks that a great idea, I have about 5 months left which will be going through the summer semester. My other question is when i get out. should i change my resident from Florida to California. since i will be applying to USC, UOP, Western and maybe Nova. One of the dentist i have been working with went to USC and is going to write me a LOR.

It depends on how confident you are that you will get the HPSP. If you get the HPSP residency for tuition purposes won't affect you (it may help if you apply for state schools though).

Long term unless you can switch back to Florida you will have to pay state tax when you come back on AD.

My recommendation is to also broaden your look to more than just California schools - taking this type of investment in your future you don't want to limit your chances/choices.

 

[gsxra4b6]

I do not see why i would not get selected for HPSP scholarship. Since I have 8 years of prior service verses someone who does not and is not sure about the military and is just using HPSP just to pay their way through den sch. Here are the den-sch i will be applying to next year.

#1 USC
#2 UNC
#3 WESTERN
#4 SIU (where i completed my undergrad..)
#5 UIC
#6 MUSC
#7 MEH
#8 CUL
#9 ECU

#10 NOVA/UOP/ UCLA Depends on if i take BioChem/Micro Bio b4 spring 2013

@krmower knowing the den schs i plan on applying to, with your experience if you were in my "my shoes" would you change your residency from FL to CA.. PS i have to look into if i am able to change my residency back to FL if i decide to change it.

 

[krmower]

I do not see why i would not get selected for HPSP scholarship. Since I have 8 years of prior service verses someone who does not and is not sure about the military and is just using HPSP just to pay their way through den sch. Here are the den-sch i will be applying to next year.

#1 USC
#2 UNC
#3 WESTERN
#4 SIU (where i completed my undergrad..)
#5 UIC
#6 MUSC
#7 MEH
#8 CUL
#9 ECU

#10 NOVA/UOP/ UCLA Depends on if i take BioChem/Micro Bio b4 spring 2013

@krmower knowing the den schs i plan on applying to, with your experience if you were in my "my shoes" would you change your residency from FL to CA.. PS i have to look into if i am able to change my residency back to FL if i decide to change it.

Not sure how the Navy does their boards - having sat on an Army one, I can tell you that prior service is only one of several factors looked at - and may not be enough to swing the scholarship your way.

If you think you are going to get HPSP I would not change my state of residency unless there is some near-term financial benefit for you. I would probably leave mine alone.

 

[hugs]

I'm not in dental school or anything like that, however being a prior service army veteran, I think that you should rethink your thoughts on getting out to pursue D-school, first of all getting accepted into D-school is extremely tough and not guaranteed, do you have a back up plan, if 1) You get out of the militay and 2) Get rejected from D-school? I read on these forums that some students take 2-5 tries to even get accepted, I understand that it is extremely tough to pursue school and be on Active Duty, and I know it probably won't help you much, but when I reenlisted the army offered me an option to go to school for one semester and and be a civilian during that time,no army duties, I don't recall what the program was called, Not trying to bring you down, just wanted you to be realistic, if it was me and I could redo it again, getting out or staying in, I would 1) Have a job lined up, before I even considered getting out and if that didn't happen I would stay in and knock out the prereq's in the 3 years like another post has already said, the economy really sucks right now, very tough to find a job, I really wish I would have stayed in, I would have 7 years to retirement, just a thought🙂, good luck to you

 

[OffAngleHatchet]

knowing the den schs i plan on applying to, with your experience if you were in my "my shoes" would you change your residency from FL to CA.. PS i have to look into if i am able to change my residency back to FL if i decide to change it.

I'm not Krower, but looking at the schools on your list...

#1 USC - private school, one of the most expensive in the nation
#2 UNC - takes most people within state
#3 WESTERN - brand new private CA school, takes healthy % out of state
#4 SIU (where i completed my undergrad..) - no comment
#5 UIC - state school, but FL/CA residency incurs out of state fees
#6 MUSC - South Carolina, out of state fees
#7 MEH - ?? - not familiar
#8 CUL - ?? not familiar
#9 ECU - ?? not familiar

#10 NOVA/UOP/ UCLA Depends on if i take BioChem/Micro Bio b4 spring 2013

So overall, changing your residency won't make much of a difference. I think admissions committees will understand that you're a military person, and you've declared FL residency. You can always change it back.

I think changing your residency makes the most sense if you are getting out of the military and are using the time to take additional courses in CA (or whatever state) at a state college or university, you'll probably want to pay resident fees rather than out of state fees, which can get pretty close to private university fees.

 

[OffAngleHatchet]

<describes schedule>

I dont want to get out, but being out would be more beneficial.

Have you considered doing a 1-year post-baccaleaureate program? Compresses all the requirements for med school/dental school into a full time one year block.

http://services.aamc.org/postbac/

Might be good for you, if you don't want to waste time and drag things out.