Unique Position, input please.

[HawkJ2010]

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Hello there!

I just graduated from college last month with my degree in Psychology (3.71 GPA) and am bidding in the upcoming OCS board for a career in Intel/Nav within the Navy. Over the past few months I have really turned towards a hopeful future career as a dentist and wanted to ask you all a few questions.

Question #1: Would I have time to complete my pre-req's (O-Chem, Microbio, Physics, and Biochem) while serving full-time active-duty as an officer?

Question #2: If I do happen to complete those pre-req's before my ADSC is complete would I be allowed to apply for the HPSP and move onto a medical career (while tacking on the previous commitment to the next)?

Question #3: If ya'll were in my shoes would you just skip the whole OCS opportunity and finish your pre-req's in an informal post-bac program or does my plan not seem so bad?

The reason I ask this is because I am still young (20yrs old) and feel like I better grasp a career in the military while I have no obligations (such as family). Also, I am in no rush to complete dental school, sure it is my main overall goal but this race is a marathon... not a sprint (and if everything goes well I would graduate D-school at around 29 yrs old). Finally, I would enjoy the privilege of having a full-time job serving my country, seeing the world, completing my pre-req's, and having money to pay back some undergrad loans as well as pay for my 5 or so classes needed to apply to dental school.

Thank you all and God bless,

Hawk

 

[vellnueve]

It wouldn't be easy to complete your pre-reqs on active duty. If you're really looking at dentistry, I would focus on getting those done now.

 

[HawkJ2010]

I considered the ANG/Reserves but it did not seem like they would put forward any money for tuition (G.I. Bill/T.A.) since I would already have completed my degree. Any truth to this?

 

[vinnie83]

Question #1: Would I have time to complete my pre-req's (O-Chem, Microbio, Physics, and Biochem) while serving full-time active-duty as an officer?
-Really depends. There are people in the military who always work 9-5 and can easily attend night classes, I wouldn't plan on it.

Question #2: If I do happen to complete those pre-req's before my ADSC is complete would I be allowed to apply for the HPSP and move onto a medical career (while tacking on the previous commitment to the next)?
-Don't know about the Navy, but in the AF you are allowed to apply to HPSP while on active duty. The catch is that your current careerfield/functional manager has to be willing to release you. Mine wasn't.

People with degrees are not excluded from the GI Bill or TA. The quasi exception being that if the military paid for undergrad (Academy or ROTC) you aren't eligible for the GI Bill until after you finish the ADSC associated with your commissioning source. I don't know how the GI bill and TA differ for guard/reserve, but TA should be able to cover your pre-reqs. Use your google-fu, the details for these programs can easily be found.

 

[HawkJ2010]

Okay. Thanks for the information. I was just curious because a few of my enlisted friends (and a few others I've seen on the internet) have completed a majority of their classes for a degree while serving. I didn't know if the time commitment would be greater as an Officer opposed to Enlisted folk.

And pertaining to the GI bill part I paid for my way through my first (B.S.) degree but the forum was pertaining to the D.D.S. or Ph.D.

Thanks again!

 

[vinnie83]

Most of the people I've known that made serious progress towards a degree on active duty were taking online classes, which are convenient if you have an unpredictable schedule or get deployed, and let's face it they are typically really easy. Many dental schools state they will not accept online classes for the pre reqs you listed. Taking classes like orgo online that require a lab further complicates things, but it can be done.