Need Opinions: To Separate or Not to Separate? (Civilian vs Military Residency)

[unstoppable_heme]

I am currently finishing my last year of payback for my military scholarship. I am at a vital point in my life where I have two roads I could take.

If I was younger and applied to OMFS immediately after dental school into military, then that is a given path. However, I didn't do that route and stuck with general dentistry during my active duty time (then later, I grew a fascination with the OR, face recon, etc... that's another story). Now, I am finally near separation with the future wide open for me to choose.

I want to open up a discussion to hear veteran's thoughts on this topic on civilian or military residency, specifically OMFS residency. (Any residency is fine too)

Would a mediocre CBSE score and my veteran background help me match? Should I risk the the known with the unknown? How was that path for you? Any regrets separating? I would love to hear from others experience that is similar to mine and why you chose the path.

Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

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[averageasian]

I am active duty general dentist as well and I get out in 2 years.

Remember that aside from med school tuition, omfs residency won’t cost you financially.

I can only speak for the navy but what I’ve seen of omfs is mostly limited to 3rds with some implants and you’re the most underpaid oral surgeon.

Get out, go to civilian residency and make money.

The military i think will certainly help. It can’t hurt.

I’ve seen colleagues in the past match to civilian omfs no problem. Even after doing their payback.

Unless you really enjoy the military, just get out.

 

[bird2youth]

You can’t go wrong either way. I know people who gotten in residencies after their contract just fine.

 

[Recip]

I am currently finishing my last year of payback for my military scholarship. I am at a vital point in my life where I have two roads I could take.

If I was younger and applied to OMFS immediately after dental school into military, then that is a given path. However, I didn't do that route and stuck with general dentistry during my active duty time (then later, I grew a fascination with the OR, face recon, etc... that's another story). Now, I am finally near separation with the future wide open for me to choose.

I want to open up a discussion to hear veteran's thoughts on this topic on civilian or military residency, specifically OMFS residency. (Any residency is fine too)

Would a mediocre CBSE score and my veteran background help me match? Should I risk the the known with the unknown? How was that path for you? Any regrets separating? I would love to hear from others experience that is similar to mine and why you chose the path.

Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

Here is my two cents. The OMS mil residencies that I have seen and the one I attended are fairly well rounded. Most send you out TDY for trauma. Pathology/oncology is lacking. Cosmetics, orthognathic, and dentoalveolar are dominant. You are well trained to kill it in private practice.

That being said, you would own the military some time. If you are near the end of your commitment you could sign a 4 year multi year RB and it would pay off concurrent with your OMS program. My co resident did his four year dental pay back, signed 4 year RB that started just before residency and made a little extra while being a resident. Not sure what the current RB is maybe 20k/yr for a dentist, and you have to be careful with contract timing. So you could make more a bit more than double what a civ resident makes. Now when you finish, you will indeed be extremely underpaid.....and it sucks...

Depending on your branch, it may be easier for you to get a spot in a mil program. Later applicants tend to have a negative stigma, and rightly so IMO. You have been working very little for four years as a DOD dentist. A month of paid time off, all these four days holiday, zero responsibility, ect... Realistically, unless you crush the CBSE you will likely need to do a non cat year to prove yourself. So 5-7 years of training. All civ programs are different, there are great ones and terrible ones. The one I rotated at while in residency was eyeopening bad compared to my program. When it comes down to it, if you have hesitation about staying in, GTFO.

 

[axiumgod]

Your odds are much more favorable in-service. Plus, there can be a nice RB involved as stated above.

 

[LFA20]

Generally speaking you will probably have a higher chance matching in the military than civilian residency. Both the navy and army are always in need of OS support. In the Navy the acceptance rate has been around 55%-75% for the last 5 years(I’m not even including alternate list)

 

[lol105]

If you're dead set on doing O.S, then in-service route has the best odds.

For civilian, you would need a lot more competitive CBSE, GPA and research experience. With a mediocre CBSE score, it'll be a lot harder to match in civilian sector.

I am not talking bad about the military OMFS training, but the competitiveness is a lot lower than the civilian sector, as of a few years ago. I have heard a rumor that the military is offering spots to civilians... but idk if that is true. Anyways, in-service training is the best bet for OFMS.

Also for Pros, I do recommend in-service training since your pay would be pretty decent with the current retention bonus scale for Pros (at least in the Army).

For all other specialty, I recommend attending a civilian program.

 

[pointynose]

If you stay in and do Navy OMFS, you'll finish residency, take a pay CUT (assuming you took a RB during residency), and then you could be separated from your family on a ship making a fraction of what your civilian colleagues are pulling-in on the outside.
If you get out and do a civilian program, you may incur some debt, but you'll also graduate and be able to make $500k-$1 mil / year and also not be separated from your family and also not be treated like a child.
Take the risk, get out.

 

[Guocamole]

I am currently finishing my last year of payback for my military scholarship. I am at a vital point in my life where I have two roads I could take.

If I was younger and applied to OMFS immediately after dental school into military, then that is a given path. However, I didn't do that route and stuck with general dentistry during my active duty time (then later, I grew a fascination with the OR, face recon, etc... that's another story). Now, I am finally near separation with the future wide open for me to choose.

I want to open up a discussion to hear veteran's thoughts on this topic on civilian or military residency, specifically OMFS residency. (Any residency is fine too)

Would a mediocre CBSE score and my veteran background help me match? Should I risk the the known with the unknown? How was that path for you? Any regrets separating? I would love to hear from others experience that is similar to mine and why you chose the path.

Thanks for sharing. Cheers.

Purely financial standpoint it’s probably close to even so I would consider money too much. However, military OS is generally super easy to get into (as in not enough applicants so they send supplemental applications begging people to apply and I know ppl who got in without submitting a cbse at all). If you think your application sucks then stay mil to gurantee you become an OS and separate when commitment ends. If you hate mil then get out ASAP because it’s not gonna be worth 8 more years of your life.