Military scholarship

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TSoD08

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I was recently offered an Army Scholarhip...and they let me have another week to decide...i've read many posts here and at dentaltown...but can't come to a conclusion...i thought deciding which dental school to go was the hardest...but boy....this is another big headache...any of you accepting a military scholarhip this year or have done it before...please share your thoughts...thanks.

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I'm a DS2 with the 4 year Army scholarship. First I would urge you not to think about the money. Whether you take the scholarship or not four years out of school you will be in about the same position.

Now without thinking about the money you can look at the advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:
-You can pay back our country for all that wonderful freedom you have
-You're respected for being in the military and an officer as well
-You'll be much more comfortable in school with the stipend
-You have access to up-to-date equipment and highly trained collegues
-You can stay in for 20 years and retire with a nice sized pension for the rest of your life
-A significant portion of your income is not taxed

Disadvantages:
-The government owns your life and body for four years
-You may be moved multiple times to places you don't want to go
-You may be deployed to a hostile area
-If you stay in past your four year repayment period you will make less money than your civilian counterparts
-You are more than just a dentist you're a soldier and an officer and expected to act like one


This list is not all inclusive but it may help to give you an idea. If you have further questions feel free to ask them here.
 
I applied for the Army scholarship and its been over a week since the board met and I still haven't received an answer.... Does anyone know how long it takes for them to respond??? My recruiter said that he is going to call me as soon as he knows something..
 
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Yeah, frickin' forever, I just now got my orders to report for OBC
 
Also, when the board met deciding on me, there was about a 2-3 week wait.
 
During my visit at Tufts, the director of admissions told me few graduates ended up in IRAQ last year.

Must be adventerous.
 
Well, it could happen, but I knew that signing on, so I can only blame myself if I don't like where the Army puts me.
 
Thanks Dan. Eveything is important, the money, family, the army life etc. i don't think anybody would be able to pay off 200k in 4 years after dental school. so it's a financial blessing. but everything came so quick and I have little time to think about....this is a big decision and it will certainly affect my life from here on.
My question now is, will I be able to get the same 4-year scholarship if I decide to apply during or right after dental school? thanks for any help.
 
i recieved and accepted the navy 4 year scholarship. reasoning behind navy and not army is there are less places to be stationed, (Bremerton, WA- Norfolk VA - pearl harbor - puerto rico- iceland- okinawa-san diego) or ship duty. you cannot apply for a 4 year scholarship after school and hope the military will pay off your student debt. you can join up anytime during or after school, they will pay the remaining years on your doctorate tuition, but with a minimum 3 year commitment. they make it simple but difficult decision, decide sooner and save $$. a lot of students join up after their 1st year, and consequently incur 1 year debt, and the 1st year is the most expensive. the biggest reason i accepted is that when you add it all up, tuition, stipend during school, and officer pay during your 4 year commitment, it adds up to a little under 1/2 million if you attend a $200K school. If you're only looking at financial, just consider your schools tuition, some schools are waaay cheaper than others and military doesnt make much financial sense.

there are other factors to consider:

-you have 4 years of practice to get your speed up where no one can file malpractice suits, and you get to work with several specialists in house. most navy clinics have at least 1 endo and 1 OS.

-but the caveat is that you have to want to, and be able to tolorate, being in a military organization, that means inept people, inefficiency, being ordered to do amalgam crowns etc etc.

- you may get to kill wayward arabs :thumbup:

-they do own you and will send you where you're needed, I want to go to pearl harbor or puerto rico, maybe san diego, but i may end up in F#$%ing virginia

-wayward arabs may bomb your car and drag your corpse through their dirt streets since they can't afford asphalt because theyre so poor and stupid. praise be to allah, jihad, jihad :thumbdown:

one way or the other you're gonna get the debt paid back, I just dont want to f$^& with it during or after school, i hate owing people $$

Tom
 
I know people say not to consider the money, but I'll be honest and say that is the only reason I am taking a Navy scholarship. Like someone already said, the financial benefit of the military can vary quite a bit depending on where you go to school. If I was attending my state school, I wouldn't have taken the scholarship.

There are other variable involved, but for me, the $$ was the biggest factor. Obviously if you can't stand the idea of being in the military, this isn't for you. Personally, I'm not all military gung-ho, but I feel the military lifestyle will suit me fine for a few years. I'm a little unsure how things will ultimatley work out, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. Will I have a great learning experience, or will I be put on an amalgam line? I don't really know, but when I finish debt free and set to go into private practice, I think it will be worth it.

If you want to wait a year, the army will only pay for three years of schooling, but you will only owe back three years in return.
 
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