Indian Health Services

Started by ToothbrushBuddy
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ToothbrushBuddy

ToothbrushBuddy

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Hi, I am a member of the Choctaw Nation and I would like to apply for the Indian Health Services scholarship and was wondering if any other dental students have applied for the scholarship. I am curious about how competitive it is and what tribe you plan to work for upon graduation. Thank you for your time. 🙂
 
Hi there, I recieved the IHS scholarship in undergrad and plan on applying again for dental school. It seems like a good scholly if you are set on going the general dentistry route. I am a little hesitant to apply because I do not know if I would like to specialize or not yet. It's one of those things that you will not know until you get the exposure.
 
I have two words for you: DO IT

I hesitated about applying for NHSC scholarships and whatnot because i had delusions of grandeur for specializing in ortho or something. I realized very early on in dental school that it wasn't going to happen and I wish I had applied for it because I would have been happy to give 4 years of my time in exchange for a full ride.

DO. IT. You can always go back and specialize if it is something you want.


DO.

IT.
 
I received the IHS scholarship in undergrad and have been receiving it for the past two years and a bit in dental school. I attend ASDOH (class of 2015), which is costly. A cousin graduated here with $380,000 in debt! I have a family and could not afford it without the scholarship. It is a fantastic opportunity. The application is often more complex and a pain in the butt than the dental school application, but it is worth the time and effort. Plus you get a job out of the deal. You have three months to find a location you like before they assign you a location. I plan to return home to Alaska.
 
Wish I had enough Seminole blood to be eligible for this 🙁 I think by now I'm only 1/8th or less Seminole. Guess I'll just have to stick with HPSP?
 
I am currently on the IHS pre-dental scholarship. Although I will not be applying for the dental school scholarship because the GI Bill will cover my school costs, I would absolutely apply if you are eligible. Unlike the pre-dental scholarship, you should have no problem getting the IHS dental school scholarship as long as you are a competitive dental school applicant.
The main problem with the program in my view is that you cannot specialize immediately. However, if you are a member of the commissioned corps, you can go through residencies with full funding for tuition and full pay. So if you want to do something like ortho or perio, this is an amazing deal although it will incur additional service.
Also, serving as a general dentist in the IHS will make you much more competitive for matching into a residency. Had a friend this year who finished mid-pack in his DS class who matched into an OS program. I doubt this would have been possible without the experience he had working in a rural Native American community and a boss at the IHS that was willing to make phone calls on his behalf.
For Nunoyuk: Where are you from in Alaska? I am from Girdwood and am definitely planning on moving back to Alaska once I am ready to begin practicing. Do you know Tom at the ANMC?
 
I am definitely going to apply for this scholarship! I really hope that my tribe has an opening when I graduate from dental school. The only drawback for this opportunity for me would be that I couldn't get a dual MPH/DMD degree if I got the scholarship.
 
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