Hello Everyone! I am a licensed dentist and pursuing my dream career of becoming an orthodontist. If you are interested in dentistry as a career or are just curious about what the life of a dentist/future orthodontist is like, then this channel is for you!
A civilian right out of school might make more but have hundreds of thousand in debt that they have to pay back. If you factor in the school being payed for, you make about the same or a little more at least for the first 4 years.
Thank you for this podcast. It was very informative. Finance wise, for anybody that's a civilian considering this, I would say think about it long term. The Army will pay 100% of your dental school. Through the HPSP, you pay back in time the same amount of years you spent in dental school (4 years) then you decide if you want to get out and practice as a civilian or continue in the military. You will have 0 dental school debt. You will come in as a Captain for the Army. As of today, a captain with less than 2 years in service has a base pay of $5,102.10. Then you add BAH (Basic Housing Allowance) and BAS (Basic Allowance for subsistence) to that, and that's your paycheck every month. BAH rates depends on where you get stationed because of the cost of living of that area and also if you have a dependent. BAH rates for soldiers with depents is higher than for those without. BAS is the same rate for all officers. You also have to consider incentive pay based on your specialty. In summary, you will receive base pay, BAH, BAS, and incentive pay if that applies to you. I hope this helps!
This is so cool ! I didn't know that Boiling typodonts is a way to simulate tooth movement! I always wondered in which Students can practice on something realistic, without having to go through the slow 12-36 month process that humans do.
Will you be able to be a general dentist and just do ortho since you know how to do ortho already? Or do you have to go through an orthodontic residency to be able to perform ortho work?
Hello Erika, would you mind sharing how many interviews did you receive this year? Did you include recommendation letters from ortho faculty members at Rochester during this cycle? I think you should complete the preceptorship program and then apply again.
Hello! I applied to 14 programs this past cycle and received 4 interviews. I interviewed at Eastman at the University of Rochester, Bronx Care NY, USC, and Loma Linda. I didn’t include any letters from ortho faculty at Rochester but I will in the future. 😊
How are you working with student loans during all of this? Curious as a future D1 this fall! Thanks for sharing your journey. I’ve been watching since you started at USC!
Hey, 😊 Great question. During my GPR year I got paid a little bit (~$60K) and I was able to make loan payments every month. This year I actually took out more loans to pay for my preceptorship and masters program. Since I’m doing school full time and I’m not working, I was able to put my loans on deferment. Luckily my husband has a job so he pays for most of the living expenses. In a couple months when I start working full time, I’ll go back to making payments on my loans. Where will you be a D1 soon? Congratulations on getting into dental school! 🥰
@@ErikaCorrea so awesome to be able to make payments in school. I’ll be at MWU-az and luckily I’ll have my husband out there with me also for emotional support😅 and helping with living expenses
Hey Erika! First off I wanna say a big thank you for being so vulnerable on here and sharing us your story, your hardships, and things not going your way cause I feel like too much of social media portrays this illusion of only success stories. I’m a D3 who has gone through an untraditional route of transferring schools and also want to pursue some sort of speciality after I’m done. I really don’t know what will turn out or whether I will also have to work as GP first before anything but I am holding onto faith at the moment to guide me. I know you’re busy with your program but I would love to keep following you on your journey and I know you will figure out a path that will satisfy you, wishing you a happy new year!!
Hi! I didn’t even know it was possible to transfer dental schools so thanks for sharing. I appreciate the kindness 🫶. Happy new year and I wish you the best finishing up your D3 year!
Hey Erika, I know it didn't work out again. But you have so much going for you. I mean you are a licensed dentist for gosh sake! Not many have that privilege. And it's not like you are barred from practicing ortho, I know a few gps who only do cosmetic, implants and ortho full time. I hope your condition isn't causing you too much trouble still. Entering my last semester of hygiene school has really shown me what a toll this field takes on the body. Wishing you all the best. I hope you keep applying to residency programs, you will eventually get in, being such a bright woman as yourself :)
Thanks so much for the heartfelt comment 🥹 🫶. Yes! I’m grateful for what I do have. It’s not causing me any trouble anymore and hopefully it stays that way. ☺️ Congrats on almost being done with hygiene school! Take care of yourself and I wish you the best as well! 💕
Erika, I wish you all the best! Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your story with us. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Wishing you an awesome new year!
Let me get this right.. you finished your dental degree and then applied for an orthodontic residency and got refused .. then you spent 1 year in orthodontic fellowship then you applied again for orthodontic residency and you didn’t match again?!
thank you for being brave and sharing this with everyone!! I'm heading into dental school next year and I recognize that this is going to be the reality for a lot of people (me included if I choose to apply to residency down the line).
How hard is it to get into the navy ortho residency with the HPSP scholarship? Also, can you specialize and then serve the 4 years after you specialize or do you have to ask the navy for permission. Thank you
I am a 1999 graduate from this terrible place. To any undergrads watching.....DO NOT go to dental school if you have to take out more than $25,000 per year to attend. You will ruin your life. Dentistry has changed, markedly, for the worse over the last 10 years. I was a successful general dentist in spite of....not because of.....USC. All overpriced dental schools are the same, however. You won't listen; but you should do something else with your life. 100% of the graduates (all 30 of them) since 2013 that I have worked with and trained are borderline depressed and lost....especially the female dentists that haven't already quit. USC seems to prey upon first generation college grads and/or first generation dentists. You will ruin your life if you go into 6 figure debt to be a dentist.
I’m considering this route! What is the 45 day training like and how is it different from traditional bootcamp? Can your spouse come with you for the training or do you have to go solo?
Hi Erika, can you please tell what was your experience interviewing for ortho residency program? What kind of questions do they usually ask? Is there an blueprint to prepare?
