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Dentist in the canadian forces / army


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Hi everyone,

 

I am starting my 3rd year of dental school in august and I applied to the canadian forces to become a military dentist. I wrote my aptitude test but they told me there were 7 people on the waiting list before me. I have friends in the army and the army recruiter that came last year told us they were almost "desperate" to recruit dental students so I was a bit surprised and disappointed that I would at least have to wait for another year (maybe two and by then I will have graduated...) to join the canadian forces.

Is anyone in the same situation? Is anyone a dentist in the army at the moment? I would like to get your feedbacks about your experience! 

 

Thank you,

 

Doomz

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think the military doesn't like to take students in their 3rd year.  Your obligatory service would be pretty low and retention after obligatory service is pretty poor for both dentists and MDs.  It's likely for that reason that you were overlooked.

Some people at my school got in in 2nd year but most got in during their 1st year.  Even people that applied in 2nd year did not get accepted.

There was an internationally trained dentist at our school who applied (2 year program) and he was basically told the same thing I am telling you.

Also don't believe anything the recruiters tell you.   Unless they are a specific health care professions recruiter.  

 

I'd still consider the military after graduating.  At times if the profession is in need of dentists they will offer a substantial signing bonus that would likely be equivalent to what you would have received for the 2 years of subsidization that you are looking for right now.

 

Good luck

 

 

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I forgot 2 things.

One person from my school did get in in her 3rd year.  She had previous experience working with the military.


Another.  it took me almost a year from the date of my application to when I actually got into the military.  Be persistent and don't be afraid to call.  My file was "lost" at one point and I lost almost 4 months of the process which takes at least 4 months anyway I've been told.

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1 hour ago, Starburst said:

Just curious, what's the compensation for those who join the military program? 

I never joined the military but I believe you start in the $130-140k range and after some promotions can get in the high $1XX,000 range.

The pay is competitive in itself, but the really good deal is if you sign on in first year dental school.  Then you get all your tuition paid, a very decent salary while in school (I think in the range of $70,000) and some other bonuses.

Signing up in first year is like getting a $400,000 sign up bonus.

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1 hour ago, Ostracized said:

I never joined the military but I believe you start in the $130-140k range and after some promotions can get in the high $1XX,000 range.

The pay is competitive in itself, but the really good deal is if you sign on in first year dental school.  Then you get all your tuition paid, a very decent salary while in school (I think in the range of $70,000) and some other bonuses.

Signing up in first year is like getting a $400,000 sign up bonus.

do you know how long you have to serve if you join in your first year? 

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http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/caf-community-pay/reg-force-class-c-officer-rates.page

 

scroll down to medical/dental officers.

A trained/licenced dentist starts as a Captain 1st incentive level.  While in school you are paid as a 2nd lieutenant.  The pay listed is monthly pay plus there is a non-pensionable "bonus" of 10,000 per year for dentists (20k for MDs)

There is also talk of a 20-30% pay raise for MD and DDS's to be more competitive with civvy street for retention of trained personnel.  The CAF invests a lot of money in both training and retention and to have people leave after 4 years isn't really a good long term plan for both the medical or dental corps

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6 hours ago, Ostracized said:

I never joined the military but I believe you start in the $130-140k range and after some promotions can get in the high $1XX,000 range.

The pay is competitive in itself, but the really good deal is if you sign on in first year dental school.  Then you get all your tuition paid, a very decent salary while in school (I think in the range of $70,000) and some other bonuses.

Signing up in first year is like getting a $400,000 sign up bonus.

What happens if you go to an American dental school? Would you still be able to signup?

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On 8/7/2018 at 6:42 PM, Futur3 said:

Keep in mind they increased commitment time. Commitment used to be 4 years of obligatory service after graduating, but now it's 6 years. Good luck!

Just curious..  when/where did you hear this??... its the first time Ive heard this 6 year obligatory.  I tried a qucik search online but couldnt find anything

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35 minutes ago, FutureDMD-QC said:

is it too late to apply now if I want to join in first year?

.. just go to the website and fill out an application now. 

Unless its changed you just fill out an online form.  There are no deadlines etc from year to year.  The application is a process and continues all year round for applicants

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  • 2 months later...
On 10/20/2018 at 12:39 PM, Futur3 said:

I'd like to correct a previous comment I made about the years of obligatory service. The contract is 10 years (4 during dental school, 6 after), but only 8 years of those are obligatory. So 4 years after dental school, you are able to apply to end your contract if you wish to do so.

What if dental school lasts for 5 years. Do you only have to serve for 3 years?

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/10/2018 at 4:17 PM, Futur3 said:

The CAF recruitment center provided this information. It was the first I'd heard of it as well to be honest. 

If you are entering first year and want to apply, I suggest beginning the process around the time you submit your dental apps. It will improve your chances. Historically, DOTP hasn't been competitive, but lately there have been waitlists to get in. People apply and do not get in, there are no guarantees anymore. And while you may apply at any point throughout the year, the intake periods are not year-round. To my knowledge, I know of only one intake period, which is in July. You will only be considered for this intake if you have completed your application in full (CFAT, medical, interview, background checks, etc.). Hopefully this was helpful for those interested, best of luck.

Hello Futur3,

I started an application for DOTP in June of this year. I did my CFAT, TSD, and background check a couple months after and all three came back with positive results. However, the recruiter I talked to on the phone said that I should wait until March 2019 to call back and request to reopen my application as they are not hiring at the moment. Is it normal to be asked to wait until then to further my application? You mentioned that applications are year-round but intake is only in July, so wouldn't it make more sense to have my medical and/or interview scheduled ASAP by the recruiter so I can be considered for the July 2019 selection?

Thanks.

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  • 2 months later...
12 hours ago, sdematt said:

So I came across this as I was researching my recruiting seminar.

 

So, I went through the DOTP and am now practicing at a major care center in the CAF. If you guys have questions, feel free to ask.

Just curious what type of dental work do you guys do on a normal day? Is it mainly restorations and extractions? Or do you get a little bit of fixed partial dentures and endo too?

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It really depends on the base. Some bases, Army, have a lot more extraction/graft or endo on a day to day, whereas at other bases, say Air Force/Navy, you'll see a lot more restos. It's just how it is, and it's hard to explain until you meet the patient population.

 

A typically day is usually split into Phases in one half of the day (annual check ups), and resto/pros/endo in the other half of the day. There's enough endo, but I know other bases are doing at least an endo or two a week, with microscopes being available.

 

The patient population where I am is mainly dentate. I'd say there's only about 20 members who have dentures on the whole base, so we honestly don't do a lot of them.

 

 

Overall, your mileage will vary depending on the base that you get posted, but the experience and mentorship are great. Overall, the value in joining is there, and I'd highly recommend it if you have an acceptance in hand already. I regret not knowing about it until I was in second year.

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