Navy Dentists

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I am thinking about applying for the navy healthcare scholarship... I was wondering if there was anyone out there who has that scholarship right now or is working as a navy dentist currently. I just kind of want to know why you decided to accept it and if there are guarantees made about salary. Also, how do you know they will not call you back after you've done your time and have moved on to civilian life?

 

[kew]

After you've done your time, they can't call you back. They can only call you back if sign for another four years. But when those four years are done, so are you. After your four years of serving them, they stop paying you the monthly stipend and hence are no longer liable of serving them. So, when their money stops, so does your obligation to them. If you have any other questions, pm me.

 

[kew]

Or write it here also, but if I'm pm'd then I don't have to look for this thread again, and then I'll be sure to answer you.

 

[Midoc]

Thats not entirely true. I fully support the military scholarship put people must know exactly what it means. There is an 8 year commitment no matter how many years of active duty payback time there is. After your active duty payback time you are placed in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR). It is very unlikely for you to be called back once you're in the IRR but it IS POSSIBLE.

 

[SMW83]

Thats not entirely true. I fully support the military scholarship put people must know exactly what it means. There is an 8 year commitment no matter how many years of active duty payback time there is. After your active duty payback time you are placed in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR). It is very unlikely for you to be called back once you're in the IRR but it IS POSSIBLE.

you're right. My BF was in the IRR for about 2 1/2 years or so after he served about 6 1/2 years active duty in the Navy. But he didnt go for a scholarship he enlisted right out of high school.....

 

[dheav005]

IRR basically means the country has been invaded and people are getting ready for hand-to-hand combat on the streets of our fair country. id already be gettin ready for a fight at that point.

as a current HPSP recipient, i will tell you that in-school stipend is nice, as are minimal (in my case, none) student loans. when i graduate, i will be commissioned as O-3 with base pay, BAH, and several bonuses due to being a doctor, dental corps, etc. right now that number seems to be somewhere around $70-80K. that is for straight active duty, i dont know about AEGD/GPR or residency pay.

 

[grant555]

I think the Navy HSCP is a good deal also. Your tuition is not covered, but you do receive E-6 pay and all the benefits. The application process is somewhat faster. In other words, if you attended dental school in D.C. you would get $1979, plus $2200 for Basic Housing Allowance, and a small food allowance of about $245 a month.

Since you are active duty, your time in school is counted towards pay, and you would be higher paid than an HPSP student once dental school is completed.

Really, I think the Navy programs are more versatile of all the services, but you have to weigh really where you go to school and how much you are paying for tuition.

At a high end private school, the HPSP is the better option, while at a lower tuition school, I think the HSCP is a better option since you wouldn't have to take out loans to handle cost of living, but would to pay for tuition.

Realistically, I think you would take out some sort of loans with either option, but your debt would be reduced.

Still, I just wouldn't do it for the money. You have to really be able to handle being in the military which has its ups and downs like anything else. I hope this helps.

 

[toofache32]

I have known several Navy dentists....all spent about 6 months on a boat at some point. Something to think about if you have a family, etc.

 

[grant555]

The idea of deployment is a reality. The thing is that the Army deploys the longest; right now they are a year long. Personally, I would rather deploy 6 mths than a year, and that will not occur right out of dental school b/c the Navy has too make sure that you are competent enough to handle deployment.

Deployment as a Navy dentist would most likely occur if you are attached to a FMN with the Marines since the Marines are a part of the Navy.

More than likely, you would complete a GPR or AEGD in the Navy after dental school which in itself can be overseas or in country, but won't take place on a ship.

I hope this helps.

 

[hockeydentist]

After you've done your time, they can't call you back. They can only call you back if sign for another four years. But when those four years are done, so are you. After your four years of serving them, they stop paying you the monthly stipend and hence are no longer liable of serving them. So, when their money stops, so does your obligation to them. If you have any other questions, pm me.

Kew

Are you doing the navy scholarship??

HD

 

[dheav005]

something to consider about ship deployment is this: just because you are assigned to a ship does not mean you are floating out in the middle of the atlantic or pacific. you might be sleeping in your own bed for the most part and walking onto a ship in dock everyday. granted you might have to go out for exercises and the like for 5-7 days, but that doesnt necessarily mean you are gone a solid 6 months.

 

[dexadental]

About the Navy scholarship...does it really cover EVERYTHING?
Also, is the air force scholarship for hpsp any different?

 

[dheav005]

im pretty sure the armed forces have standardized the HPSP and HSCP programs over the last few years. so they are fairly similar as far as in-school scholarship programs goes, but not so much when you move to active duty. as for what it covers...my scholarship covers my tuition and supplies as billed by the school. other supplies and books are covered, but i have to be reimbursed for them. books have to be listed as required and there is a list of approved supplies (including 5 whole diamond burs! whoo!). i get a monthly stipend on the 1 and 15 of every month and have a requirement of 40 days of annual training per year. look around your school for a recruiter...if you are at all interested, you could probably get at least a free lunch out of it.

 

[ca_dreamin']

im pretty sure the armed forces have standardized the HPSP and HSCP programs over the last few years. so they are fairly similar as far as in-school scholarship programs goes, but not so much when you move to active duty.

Do you know more about what the differences are when you move to active duty? Thanks.

 

[double4life]

Once you sign up for it, what are the requirements one must fulfill while IN dental school? (i.e. maintaining a certain gpa, physical training, officer indoctrination, etc.)

 

[grant555]

For the HSCP, the requirements are a little different since you are on active duty. In other words, you would have to check in with the recruiter once or twice a month, pass a physical fitness test 2x a year, send in transcripts after every semester, and don't do anything that would jeopardize your career or make you unfit for service.

As an HSCP student, you are enlisted, and won't complete OIS until after you graduate dental school.

Take this with a grain of salt because any recruiter with common sense is going to know that dental school requires a lot of time in order to navigate and won't be breathing down your neck every other day.

As far the HPSP, I am not sure, but I am pretty sure that you would not want to do anything to make yourself unfit for service.

The HPSP application takes a little longer b/c you have to get clearance to gain a commission before you actually start on the program.

I am not sure, but I think you must maintain a 2.5 gpa while in school.

I hope this helps.

 

[kew]

my recruitor told me that for the HPSP program, you have to maintain a cumulative gpa of a 3.o and for the scholarship, it is a 2.5 the HSCP.

 

[food4thots]

for hscp, how long is the commitment?

 

[grant555]

For HSCP, the committment is a year for year active duty for years of participation while in school and the remaining time out of 8 yrs is spent on IRR.


I was on IRR in the Army Reserves for 4yrs through 2003 and was never activated. To be activated while on IRR (Inactive Ready Reserve) is very rare, and would only occur under extreme circumstances because you are not participating in monthly drills or yearly training like someone who is in the regular reserves.

For example, if you were on HSCP for 3 yrs while in school, you would owe the Navy 3 yrs active duty time and 5 yrs IRR.

Most, if not all, military contracts carry that 5yr IRR committment, which has existed for quite some time.

I hope this helps.

 

[food4thots]

thanks.. i will be considering my options this summer..

 

[caitlin823]

I am applying for the Navy HPSP scholarship and I am just wondering if anyone knows what it is like to have this scholarship while in dental school. Are there things you have to do in the Navy from time to time? I know that OIS is a requirement, but are there any others? What are the chances of ending up outside the U.S. or on a ship after dental school? I am nervous about accepting this scholarship!!


--USC Class of 2010--

 

[grant555]

I understand your concern especially if you have never been in the military because you don't have the advantages of experience of hindsight. Even those benefits are limited because things change in the military all the time.

Having said that, if you are concerned, I would hold off on the military until you are as comfortable as possible with the decision.

I think that deciding to accept one of those scholarships is a bigger decision than deciding what dental school to attend because there is a sense of danger with the military that exudes because of current conflicts.

I am not to sure what the exact requirements of the HPSP are b/c I didn't apply for it. There should be clerkships with the Navy if your school schedule permits it.

You could end up outside the U.S. in one of their AEGD or GPR programs. As far as a ship, that is a possibility. Really, you might want to try the Air Force if you don't want to be on a ship. For personal reasons, I would not join the Army.

There are good and bad in all of them, but the Air Force is the closest to civilian life.

I hope this helps.

 

[iiwahii]

I am currently a 3rd year student at UMDNJ Dental School (4th year is going to begin in about 1 month!!) and I am currently enlisted in the HSCP program. I enrolled several years ago with the older program, where they provide you with E-3 pay. It has been recently upgraded to provide new enlistees with E-6 salary (up to E-7 with a referral or placement on the deans list).

In terms of maintaining a certain GPA, I'm not sure what the requirements are for the HPSP, but with my HSCP, they require you to maintain a 3.0 GPA. If you don't, I believe you just have to write a little statement informing them why you didn't perform better. They just want to make sure that you'll be able to graduate. I don't think they will kick you out for not maintaining a 3.0, but don't hold me to it.


Why did I join the Navy?
-to help pay for loans
-to gain more practical experience after graduation
-to travel to and experience different parts of the globe
-to expand my professional network
-to serve our country

HPSP = good for high-tuition private schools
HSCP = good for low-tuition state schools

Some differences between HSCP and HPSP:

HSCP
-you are considered "active duty," and your "active duty" requirements are to finish dental school and to participate in two PRTs every year (physical readiness test) which entails running 1.5 miles, max pushups in 2 min, max situps in 2 min, and sit&reach.
-you receive an E-6 (or E-7) salary and accrue vacation days
-you are considered "enlisted" until you graduate dental school and become commissioned as an O-3
-you are not required to do anything for the Navy in the summers
-you go to OIS after you graduate dental school
-after commissioning, you get much more money than HPSP students - they will be getting 0-year O-3 pay, and you will be getting a 3rd or 4th year O-3 pay (since you were "active duty" during dental school) and that equates to about $8,000 increase per year with HSCP. That also means less time towards retirement.
-requires montly face-to-face meetings with your recruiter, so they can make sure you aren't becoming insanely obese or failing out of school

HPSP
-you go to OIS during your first available summer while in dental school, and are considered to be on "Reserve" status
-you are required to spend your summers with the Navy doing dental-related things
-they pay for all your tuition and any books you need and provide you with a monthly stipend


Hopefully this will answer most of your questions!