I started this blog in February 2010 with the intention of chronicling my journey as an Air Force dentist and being a resource to help out people who had questions.
I was "scratching my own itch", if you will. I didn't see anything on the internet like what I wanted to read. So I made it myself.
500 emails, 250,000 page views, and a few phone calls later, I'd say it was quite a success.
After a long 10 years, I am finally in the process of leaving the military and acquiring a dental practice for myself. I can't say really anything more than that, but now you know. I've already learned a ton along the way, and I'm hoping to help military dentists get over the fear of transitioning into practice.
If you're a dentist (military or otherwise) considering transitioning to ownership, please contact me (my email is on the right side of the page)!
I would love to help you better understand if this is the right step for you and even do some help you look at different practice offers, associate contracts, or just brainstorm your next steps.
As for the future of this blog...
I've struggled recently trying to decide what direction to take it, if any, given the facts that:
1. I'm leaving the military (so the title doesn't work super well)
2. It makes me no money (so I can't sell it)
3. It's a very narrowly focused/designed blog (so there's not much else to explore)
However, I think it may be beneficial to continue my story in some way and I haven't quite decided if that will happen here at this domain or on some other blog that is tailored more towards my next phase in life. Stay tuned.
I've received literally hundreds of emails over the last decade and this blog has been a central location for those looking for information about military dentistry, the Air Force HPSP, dental school, and life in the military.
My email is still live, so keep the questions coming! Like I said at the top of the page, I'm welcoming any and all questions from those looking to transition to ownership.
It's been an honor and a pleasure, and I'm excited for the next step in my journey and helping you with yours.
Showing posts with label COT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label COT. Show all posts
Monday, June 24, 2019
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
8 Year Recap Post, FAQ, and My Future
This is an ambitious post. My goal is to make this post a very concise summary of my experiences over the last 8 years and answer some of the most common questions I receive via email, as well as an update on my future plans.
Before dental school
Recruiters
If you have even the slightest inclination that you might want to pursue the Air Force HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) for dental school, contact a recruiter. There is a link on the right side of my blog, or you can find it HERE and select "Healthcare Student or Professional".
Unfortunately, the recruiting system gets a bad rap for being unresponsive and often unhelpful, so if you're having trouble getting in contact with a recruiter in your area, start looking outside your area and contact one of those instead. They can probably help you get in touch with your actual recruiter who isn't returning your calls and emails.
Application process
Everything flows through the recruiter. You need to be in decent shape, have excellent grades and DAT, and nail your interview.
For the interview, focus on all the generic questions (strengths, weaknesses, etc), but be prepared for additional questions like: Why do you want to be in the Air Force? Why do you think you would make a good Air Force officer? What leadership experience do you have?
You're an officer candidate, not just a potential Air Force dentist.
Choosing a school
Go to the school in the area with the cheapest cost of living! Your stipend does not change based on where you live, and you'll devour the stipend if you're living in Los Angeles vs living in Oklahoma. I spoke about this on the Choose FI podcast, episode 99R at minute 57:40.
During dental school
Money!
You get paid about $2,000/month during school, and the Air Force will pay all your other required bills directly. Some things (scrubs, loupes, books) will be on you to buy, and then you will submit some reimbursement paperwork to the Air Force. You should have some information of some contacts at AFIT that can help you out.
Military obligations
You don't have any! Yay!
After dental school/AEGD-1
COT
The timing of COT depends on your school summer schedule and when you commission, but most dentists go after dental school. You may find the COT Survival Guide helpful, but keep in mind that it was written in 2014. Also, check out the newest Air Force PT Test Score Charts to get an idea of where you'll land and start training for this test during dental school! Here's a good pushup and situp video to help you out, but remember, the official Air Force guidance on fitness is found here at A5.3 and A5.4.
AEGD-1
Unfortunately, my AEGD-1 experience was not all that great, but most students love their experience. Having said that, despite my misgivings about the training I received, the year itself was very formative for me personally and the experience was one that I count as one of the most pivotal in my life. I certainly must recommend the AEGD-1 for the sheer fact that it's going to be difficult to operate as an Air Force dentist without this advanced training, since the Air Force has their own system to "allow" you to do certain procedures (called "credentialing"). Even if you did a procedure in dental school, a residency may be required to do it in the Air Force (restoring implants, for example).
You are required to apply for, and accept, an AEGD-1 now. Not everyone will be accepted by the Air Force, but there's enough spots for most applicants. Plan on going.
As far as what base you get, you'll fill out a preference sheet just before your 4th year of dental school, but they could send you to any of the 12 or so AEGD bases. I don't really have any insight as to why they send people where they do.
Specializing
I get asked this question a lot, and it's a bit of a moving target. Some specialties do allow you to apply right out of dental school, while others want you to have a few years of experience (or an AEGD-1) under your belt first. Your AFIT contacts should have this information.
After residency/Being a dentist in the Air Force
Where will they send me?
Assuming you do an AEGD-1 like most Air Force dentists, you'll get a list of bases (in February-ish of your AEGD year) that need dentists and you'll get to rank them based on where you want to go. Unfortunately, while you do get a say, you're not guaranteed a top choice. I got my 16th choice, but it ended up being the best thing for me and my career.
I got to go to a small and remote base that was in dire need of organization and streamlining, as we were updating and planning for the arrival of a new F-35 squadron in the coming years. Previous officers hadn't systematized the clinic functions, but instead just relied on the people to run the place. When those people left, so did their ideas and processes, and the clinic was constantly starting over on processes when people would leave! I stepped into some roles that most young Captains don't get to experience, and got to hone my organizational and systematizing skills that would ultimately prove very valuable for my life and career.
What's a normal day like?
It depends on what base you go to, but a fresh Captain out of residency will usually be doing dentistry about 80% of the week. The rest of the time is set aside for training, PT time, or lunch. Expect to do a lot of restorative, with some single unit crowns sprinkled in as the mission permits and requires, and exams. If you did an AEGD and have the training, you'll probably be doing some IV sedation and restoring implants as well! Elective procedures (anterior crowns, veneers) will depend a lot on what the mission of your base is, and how well staffed the clinic is to suit your desires. I did almost no esthetic work at my first assignment, but a dentist at my new base is doing lots of anterior crowns and veneers because the mission is much less strenuous here.
What's the best part about being an Air Force dentist?
This depends on how you look at it. The normal answer is that you get to do dentistry without being pressured to produce a certain level of $, while having a nice slow pace to the day and getting lots of vacation time (as compared to a typical civilian corporate job). I think the "bad" things are actually good, and I detailed them a bit more in this post.
As far as vacation days go, you get 30 days per year that accumulate at a rate of 2.5 per month. It depends on the base's specific rules, but this 30 days usually does count the weekend.
If you leave on a Friday and come back Monday, that's 4 days you have to take off. Monday-Thursday would also be 4 days. Your "leave" days start and end in your local area. The definition of "local area" depends on your base's rules.
What's the worst part about being an Air Force dentist?
Again, this is going to be very personal, but I think the worst part is the slow pace and the lack of incentive to produce. However, there are lots of dentists that love this part of the job and would consider this a benefit, since they can take their time on their dental work and typically don't have to work any harder than they want to. You just need to know what Air Force dentistry is like and weigh your personality against it.
(If you didn't notice, I cheated here by using the same answer -- no pressure to produce -- for best and worst part, which leads me to...)
How is Air Force dentistry difference than civilian/private practice?
*These are my opinions from having worked in 2 civilian practices during my time as an Air Force dentist*
-Quality of work - I believe the Air Force tends to have higher work quality than most civilian providers. We don't have time pressures or too many cost pressures, so we typically get to spend as much time as we need to get things done the right way. Also, most of our dentists are a few years removed from a 1 year AEGD, which lends to even higher quality knowledge and care.
-Patient experience - I'll give the edge to private practice. I think most Air Force bases do not put enough emphasis on customer service, and our outdated charting system results in far too many records errors. However, there's a host of different ways this is managed on the civilian side, but at least on the civilian side, a dissatisfied patient can choose to take their business elsewhere. This is where the Air Force slips behind: our patients don't have options so we aren't incentivized to give them a good experience and we too frequently miss the mark.
-Clinic organizational structure - Unbelievably, I give the edge to private practice here, and it's not even close. One of the most surprising things to me about Air Force dentistry is how disorganized the organizational and accountability structure is at the clinic level. There's usually some holes in accountability and organization at some level that lets a litany of small problems leak through constantly. There's very little focus on creating good systems. Instead, most clinics rely on strong-willed individuals to run large portions of the clinic that end up suffering mightily when they depart for a new base. It seems there's no real training on "systems thinking" that would alleviate so much of the constant stress and little mistakes that occur daily in military dentistry. Everything I've learned about how to lead people, implement systems, and build/design a clinic has come almost exclusively from books I've chosen to read on my own. The military doesn't teach you this.
The biggest problem here is that, contrary to popular belief, there's just no incentive to be organized in the military because our patients are walking through the door and our appointment books are filled no matter what we do. Most are content to do "enough" and never really get to the point of optimizing and organizing things so they actually run as smoothly as possible. Things run satisfactorily, and that's all that matters to most.
For example, both bases I've been at didn't even have a consistent system to ensure the same items were reordered properly each time something ran out! There aren't even consistent locations for some items to be stored, so if they're out, it's impossible to know what was there without consulting someone who had the room memorized. (This is one area I've worked on at both of my bases to eliminate waste and confusion. It's usually just as simple as placing the order number and item name on standard containers and ensuring that 100% of items coming into the clinic have a permanent location, that everyone agrees on 1 method for altering the Logistics person that an item is low, and items don't just get tossed on a shelf or into a room.) If a certain person out for the week, good luck.
Often, an item would run out and there would be no accountability until the clinic was in an "emergency shortage" and had to rush order the item to the clinic. Fortunately, we have all the time in the world to do dentistry so typically these errors just result in rescheduling the patient or doing some less efficient procedure to get the job done. The minimal consequences of being disorganized tend to perpetuate the "good enough" mindset.
*Caveat: Most military clinics are far larger than civilian clinics, and the disorganization is far more obvious the bigger you get. Small civilian clinics can often survive (and typically do) just on the personality of the lead dentist, with little regard for attempting to imagine the business as a prototype model for a franchise (a la "The E-Myth"), but this fails in a military setting because there's always more than 1 dentist. Large civilian clinics that are poorly organized simply can't maintain their business structure and end up closing or restructuring. Large military clinics, on the other hand, stay open no matter what. In my experience, the larger the civilian clinic (if it's been open for a few years), the more organized it is vs a smaller 1-doctor civilian clinic.
-Employees - This is a touchy subject, so I'll tread lightly. I'm calling this one a tie. Here's why.
In the military, we sometimes get people that just flat out don't want to be in the dental field. Some have personalities and skillsets that are more well suited for some non-medical field. These kinds of people probably wouldn't last long in private dentistry (but to be fair, they would have never wanted to work there in the first place!). But, in the civilian world, you have an outrageous 60% (or more) of dentists that will be subject to embezzlement at some point in their career. That sucks! Civilian employees are no more saints than the military employees that don't care about their job but at least the military ones aren't stealing money from you.
Here's a huge positive with the military side: sometimes you get outstanding coworkers that have big dreams and aspirations and they understand that their performance in whatever job they have is an important stepping stone to the life they want. These are true gems and a total win for the military. Many civilians aren't thinking about the next thing, but in the military, some are constantly focused on learning and growing and getting to the next step, and it makes them valuable assets to your clinic.
In the end, people are people, including dentists. If you don't want to worry about hiring and firing, but also can't cultivate the team you want, the military is the way to go. If you're able to have those hard conversations, listen to your employees, facilitate their personal growth, and have studied and practice leadership and management, private practice is the way to go because you can create the office culture you want with the people you hire vs using the people you're given that may not want to be there. It's up to YOU as the dentist (and the officer) to create the culture you want and use the strong ones as your pillars while you build a new culture (military) or team (civilian).
Are you going to stay in the military? Why/why not?
I'm not staying in. I have a lot of personal reasons for this, but here are the top 3:
1. I believe that my experiences and skills can better serve humanity in a civilian setting
The Air Force is great, but it has its limitations. I can't run a clinic how I want to, I can't hire and fire, and I can't do the dentistry I want to do. Promotions happen in a stepwise manner, and your leadership skills don't really have any bearing on how quickly you can get into a command position. It has to do with your rank, which has to do with your time in service. I'm not a huge fan of the "wait and get promoted" style that the military uses to choose their leaders. Even if I could get into a command position, I don't get to choose who works at the clinic, and that can be a big hindrance to the development and progression of a clinical mission.
At the end of the day, I have a strong will and lots of leadership experience that is just going to take me far too long to manifest in the military setting. The limitations of the military also come with a lot of safety nets that suit many dentists very well, but not me. If they would make me commander of a clinic and double my pay, I'd think about it ;)
2. More time freedom
Notice how I did not say "more money". That's not a typo. I don't necessarily want more money, but what I want is more choices.
One "benefit" of the military is getting 30 days paid vacation every year plus a lot of federal holidays. But you know what? I still have to come to work 5 days per week, do a lot of non-dental stuff, and generally spend a lot of time doing dental work at a slow pace that I could accomplish in half the time. Lots of dentists in the military do less dentistry than me (and many do more), but we all still have the same schedule.
I could walk out right now and work 3 days a week and easily make the same amount of money. Or, I could work 5 days/week and make 2x as much as I'm making now. So what's the big deal about all these "days off" in the military? It's a logical fallacy in my opinion.
Which one is better -- making more money or working less? It's personal. It's about having the options.
Right now, my plan is to leave, buy a practice, implement my vision and systems, maximize productivity and systematize an outstanding patient experience using new technology and beautiful office esthetics, serve my community well, and have the freedom to work far less than I do right now.
Time is the currency of life. Don't let someone in the military use the "days off" argument as a way to convince you that you have more time freedom as a military dentist, because it's not true. Your skills have an extremely high value in the civilian world that, when leveraged properly, is far more valuable than what the military can offer you.
It takes more work to be a leader in the civilian sector than the military sector, but it's worth it. Read some leadership books, work on your management and leadership skills, and build a practice that lets you build a life of your choosing and take off half the year if you want to. We can't get our time back.
3. Self-actualization
I've read about 100 books in the last 2 years. I firmly believe that knowledge without action is worthless, so I've put a lot of action behind what I've learned. I've completely changed my diet, my workout routine, my morning routine, my habits, my beliefs about myself, and the way I handle stress (among many other things). I've also come to the realization that the life I envision for myself is not possible in the military.
Despite my emphatic shouts of "you must do the military for dental school", I firmly believe that a 3-4 year commitment, when utilized properly, is plenty of time to wrap your head around what it is you want for your life, your family, and your legacy on this planet.
This is getting a bit philosophical, but I mean it wholeheartedly. I have big plans and visions for my life, and I personally feel I would be doing a disservice to myself and those around me if I stayed in the military at this point. What I want for my life can't be accomplished in a military setting, and I feel it's time to break free and start to build that new life.
I must admit, when I graduated from my AEGD-1 residency, I was lost. I hadn't read more than a couple books that year, I was not confident in my dental or leadership skills, I had failed part of a PT test (and had it wiped from my record on a technicality), and I was generally confused about my future and what I had to offer.
But, over the course of the last 2-3 years, I started following and listening to leaders from all walks of life and came across a common theme: leaders are readers. So I started reading again.
It became an obsession that has continued to this day. I don't recognize the lost, confused, and complacent version of myself from 2014 and 2015. I'm a new person and I have books to thank for it. Those that know me from back then would be shocked at this statement, because I've always been driven, but I had lost my personal identity on what, exactly, I was driving towards.
I can't unread what I've read, or unthink the thoughts these authors have given me. I have a new confidence in my life and in my future, and I'm excited for the next step of my journey.
It is with no bitterness or resentment that I will wave goodbye to the Air Force, but instead, give it a warm farewell for a phase of life that broke me down, reshaped me, and sent me on my way with the confidence to design a life well lived.
--
As always, feel free to email me with any questions!
Before dental school
Recruiters
If you have even the slightest inclination that you might want to pursue the Air Force HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) for dental school, contact a recruiter. There is a link on the right side of my blog, or you can find it HERE and select "Healthcare Student or Professional".
Unfortunately, the recruiting system gets a bad rap for being unresponsive and often unhelpful, so if you're having trouble getting in contact with a recruiter in your area, start looking outside your area and contact one of those instead. They can probably help you get in touch with your actual recruiter who isn't returning your calls and emails.
Application process
Everything flows through the recruiter. You need to be in decent shape, have excellent grades and DAT, and nail your interview.
For the interview, focus on all the generic questions (strengths, weaknesses, etc), but be prepared for additional questions like: Why do you want to be in the Air Force? Why do you think you would make a good Air Force officer? What leadership experience do you have?
You're an officer candidate, not just a potential Air Force dentist.
Choosing a school
Go to the school in the area with the cheapest cost of living! Your stipend does not change based on where you live, and you'll devour the stipend if you're living in Los Angeles vs living in Oklahoma. I spoke about this on the Choose FI podcast, episode 99R at minute 57:40.
During dental school
Money!
You get paid about $2,000/month during school, and the Air Force will pay all your other required bills directly. Some things (scrubs, loupes, books) will be on you to buy, and then you will submit some reimbursement paperwork to the Air Force. You should have some information of some contacts at AFIT that can help you out.
Military obligations
You don't have any! Yay!
After dental school/AEGD-1
COT
The timing of COT depends on your school summer schedule and when you commission, but most dentists go after dental school. You may find the COT Survival Guide helpful, but keep in mind that it was written in 2014. Also, check out the newest Air Force PT Test Score Charts to get an idea of where you'll land and start training for this test during dental school! Here's a good pushup and situp video to help you out, but remember, the official Air Force guidance on fitness is found here at A5.3 and A5.4.
AEGD-1
Unfortunately, my AEGD-1 experience was not all that great, but most students love their experience. Having said that, despite my misgivings about the training I received, the year itself was very formative for me personally and the experience was one that I count as one of the most pivotal in my life. I certainly must recommend the AEGD-1 for the sheer fact that it's going to be difficult to operate as an Air Force dentist without this advanced training, since the Air Force has their own system to "allow" you to do certain procedures (called "credentialing"). Even if you did a procedure in dental school, a residency may be required to do it in the Air Force (restoring implants, for example).
You are required to apply for, and accept, an AEGD-1 now. Not everyone will be accepted by the Air Force, but there's enough spots for most applicants. Plan on going.
As far as what base you get, you'll fill out a preference sheet just before your 4th year of dental school, but they could send you to any of the 12 or so AEGD bases. I don't really have any insight as to why they send people where they do.
Specializing
I get asked this question a lot, and it's a bit of a moving target. Some specialties do allow you to apply right out of dental school, while others want you to have a few years of experience (or an AEGD-1) under your belt first. Your AFIT contacts should have this information.
After residency/Being a dentist in the Air Force
Where will they send me?
Assuming you do an AEGD-1 like most Air Force dentists, you'll get a list of bases (in February-ish of your AEGD year) that need dentists and you'll get to rank them based on where you want to go. Unfortunately, while you do get a say, you're not guaranteed a top choice. I got my 16th choice, but it ended up being the best thing for me and my career.
I got to go to a small and remote base that was in dire need of organization and streamlining, as we were updating and planning for the arrival of a new F-35 squadron in the coming years. Previous officers hadn't systematized the clinic functions, but instead just relied on the people to run the place. When those people left, so did their ideas and processes, and the clinic was constantly starting over on processes when people would leave! I stepped into some roles that most young Captains don't get to experience, and got to hone my organizational and systematizing skills that would ultimately prove very valuable for my life and career.
What's a normal day like?
It depends on what base you go to, but a fresh Captain out of residency will usually be doing dentistry about 80% of the week. The rest of the time is set aside for training, PT time, or lunch. Expect to do a lot of restorative, with some single unit crowns sprinkled in as the mission permits and requires, and exams. If you did an AEGD and have the training, you'll probably be doing some IV sedation and restoring implants as well! Elective procedures (anterior crowns, veneers) will depend a lot on what the mission of your base is, and how well staffed the clinic is to suit your desires. I did almost no esthetic work at my first assignment, but a dentist at my new base is doing lots of anterior crowns and veneers because the mission is much less strenuous here.
What's the best part about being an Air Force dentist?
This depends on how you look at it. The normal answer is that you get to do dentistry without being pressured to produce a certain level of $, while having a nice slow pace to the day and getting lots of vacation time (as compared to a typical civilian corporate job). I think the "bad" things are actually good, and I detailed them a bit more in this post.
As far as vacation days go, you get 30 days per year that accumulate at a rate of 2.5 per month. It depends on the base's specific rules, but this 30 days usually does count the weekend.
If you leave on a Friday and come back Monday, that's 4 days you have to take off. Monday-Thursday would also be 4 days. Your "leave" days start and end in your local area. The definition of "local area" depends on your base's rules.
What's the worst part about being an Air Force dentist?
Again, this is going to be very personal, but I think the worst part is the slow pace and the lack of incentive to produce. However, there are lots of dentists that love this part of the job and would consider this a benefit, since they can take their time on their dental work and typically don't have to work any harder than they want to. You just need to know what Air Force dentistry is like and weigh your personality against it.
(If you didn't notice, I cheated here by using the same answer -- no pressure to produce -- for best and worst part, which leads me to...)
How is Air Force dentistry difference than civilian/private practice?
*These are my opinions from having worked in 2 civilian practices during my time as an Air Force dentist*
-Quality of work - I believe the Air Force tends to have higher work quality than most civilian providers. We don't have time pressures or too many cost pressures, so we typically get to spend as much time as we need to get things done the right way. Also, most of our dentists are a few years removed from a 1 year AEGD, which lends to even higher quality knowledge and care.
-Patient experience - I'll give the edge to private practice. I think most Air Force bases do not put enough emphasis on customer service, and our outdated charting system results in far too many records errors. However, there's a host of different ways this is managed on the civilian side, but at least on the civilian side, a dissatisfied patient can choose to take their business elsewhere. This is where the Air Force slips behind: our patients don't have options so we aren't incentivized to give them a good experience and we too frequently miss the mark.
-Clinic organizational structure - Unbelievably, I give the edge to private practice here, and it's not even close. One of the most surprising things to me about Air Force dentistry is how disorganized the organizational and accountability structure is at the clinic level. There's usually some holes in accountability and organization at some level that lets a litany of small problems leak through constantly. There's very little focus on creating good systems. Instead, most clinics rely on strong-willed individuals to run large portions of the clinic that end up suffering mightily when they depart for a new base. It seems there's no real training on "systems thinking" that would alleviate so much of the constant stress and little mistakes that occur daily in military dentistry. Everything I've learned about how to lead people, implement systems, and build/design a clinic has come almost exclusively from books I've chosen to read on my own. The military doesn't teach you this.
The biggest problem here is that, contrary to popular belief, there's just no incentive to be organized in the military because our patients are walking through the door and our appointment books are filled no matter what we do. Most are content to do "enough" and never really get to the point of optimizing and organizing things so they actually run as smoothly as possible. Things run satisfactorily, and that's all that matters to most.
For example, both bases I've been at didn't even have a consistent system to ensure the same items were reordered properly each time something ran out! There aren't even consistent locations for some items to be stored, so if they're out, it's impossible to know what was there without consulting someone who had the room memorized. (This is one area I've worked on at both of my bases to eliminate waste and confusion. It's usually just as simple as placing the order number and item name on standard containers and ensuring that 100% of items coming into the clinic have a permanent location, that everyone agrees on 1 method for altering the Logistics person that an item is low, and items don't just get tossed on a shelf or into a room.) If a certain person out for the week, good luck.
Often, an item would run out and there would be no accountability until the clinic was in an "emergency shortage" and had to rush order the item to the clinic. Fortunately, we have all the time in the world to do dentistry so typically these errors just result in rescheduling the patient or doing some less efficient procedure to get the job done. The minimal consequences of being disorganized tend to perpetuate the "good enough" mindset.
*Caveat: Most military clinics are far larger than civilian clinics, and the disorganization is far more obvious the bigger you get. Small civilian clinics can often survive (and typically do) just on the personality of the lead dentist, with little regard for attempting to imagine the business as a prototype model for a franchise (a la "The E-Myth"), but this fails in a military setting because there's always more than 1 dentist. Large civilian clinics that are poorly organized simply can't maintain their business structure and end up closing or restructuring. Large military clinics, on the other hand, stay open no matter what. In my experience, the larger the civilian clinic (if it's been open for a few years), the more organized it is vs a smaller 1-doctor civilian clinic.
-Employees - This is a touchy subject, so I'll tread lightly. I'm calling this one a tie. Here's why.
In the military, we sometimes get people that just flat out don't want to be in the dental field. Some have personalities and skillsets that are more well suited for some non-medical field. These kinds of people probably wouldn't last long in private dentistry (but to be fair, they would have never wanted to work there in the first place!). But, in the civilian world, you have an outrageous 60% (or more) of dentists that will be subject to embezzlement at some point in their career. That sucks! Civilian employees are no more saints than the military employees that don't care about their job but at least the military ones aren't stealing money from you.
Here's a huge positive with the military side: sometimes you get outstanding coworkers that have big dreams and aspirations and they understand that their performance in whatever job they have is an important stepping stone to the life they want. These are true gems and a total win for the military. Many civilians aren't thinking about the next thing, but in the military, some are constantly focused on learning and growing and getting to the next step, and it makes them valuable assets to your clinic.
In the end, people are people, including dentists. If you don't want to worry about hiring and firing, but also can't cultivate the team you want, the military is the way to go. If you're able to have those hard conversations, listen to your employees, facilitate their personal growth, and have studied and practice leadership and management, private practice is the way to go because you can create the office culture you want with the people you hire vs using the people you're given that may not want to be there. It's up to YOU as the dentist (and the officer) to create the culture you want and use the strong ones as your pillars while you build a new culture (military) or team (civilian).
Are you going to stay in the military? Why/why not?
I'm not staying in. I have a lot of personal reasons for this, but here are the top 3:
1. I believe that my experiences and skills can better serve humanity in a civilian setting
The Air Force is great, but it has its limitations. I can't run a clinic how I want to, I can't hire and fire, and I can't do the dentistry I want to do. Promotions happen in a stepwise manner, and your leadership skills don't really have any bearing on how quickly you can get into a command position. It has to do with your rank, which has to do with your time in service. I'm not a huge fan of the "wait and get promoted" style that the military uses to choose their leaders. Even if I could get into a command position, I don't get to choose who works at the clinic, and that can be a big hindrance to the development and progression of a clinical mission.
At the end of the day, I have a strong will and lots of leadership experience that is just going to take me far too long to manifest in the military setting. The limitations of the military also come with a lot of safety nets that suit many dentists very well, but not me. If they would make me commander of a clinic and double my pay, I'd think about it ;)
2. More time freedom
Notice how I did not say "more money". That's not a typo. I don't necessarily want more money, but what I want is more choices.
One "benefit" of the military is getting 30 days paid vacation every year plus a lot of federal holidays. But you know what? I still have to come to work 5 days per week, do a lot of non-dental stuff, and generally spend a lot of time doing dental work at a slow pace that I could accomplish in half the time. Lots of dentists in the military do less dentistry than me (and many do more), but we all still have the same schedule.
I could walk out right now and work 3 days a week and easily make the same amount of money. Or, I could work 5 days/week and make 2x as much as I'm making now. So what's the big deal about all these "days off" in the military? It's a logical fallacy in my opinion.
Which one is better -- making more money or working less? It's personal. It's about having the options.
Right now, my plan is to leave, buy a practice, implement my vision and systems, maximize productivity and systematize an outstanding patient experience using new technology and beautiful office esthetics, serve my community well, and have the freedom to work far less than I do right now.
Time is the currency of life. Don't let someone in the military use the "days off" argument as a way to convince you that you have more time freedom as a military dentist, because it's not true. Your skills have an extremely high value in the civilian world that, when leveraged properly, is far more valuable than what the military can offer you.
It takes more work to be a leader in the civilian sector than the military sector, but it's worth it. Read some leadership books, work on your management and leadership skills, and build a practice that lets you build a life of your choosing and take off half the year if you want to. We can't get our time back.
3. Self-actualization
I've read about 100 books in the last 2 years. I firmly believe that knowledge without action is worthless, so I've put a lot of action behind what I've learned. I've completely changed my diet, my workout routine, my morning routine, my habits, my beliefs about myself, and the way I handle stress (among many other things). I've also come to the realization that the life I envision for myself is not possible in the military.
Despite my emphatic shouts of "you must do the military for dental school", I firmly believe that a 3-4 year commitment, when utilized properly, is plenty of time to wrap your head around what it is you want for your life, your family, and your legacy on this planet.
This is getting a bit philosophical, but I mean it wholeheartedly. I have big plans and visions for my life, and I personally feel I would be doing a disservice to myself and those around me if I stayed in the military at this point. What I want for my life can't be accomplished in a military setting, and I feel it's time to break free and start to build that new life.
I must admit, when I graduated from my AEGD-1 residency, I was lost. I hadn't read more than a couple books that year, I was not confident in my dental or leadership skills, I had failed part of a PT test (and had it wiped from my record on a technicality), and I was generally confused about my future and what I had to offer.
But, over the course of the last 2-3 years, I started following and listening to leaders from all walks of life and came across a common theme: leaders are readers. So I started reading again.
It became an obsession that has continued to this day. I don't recognize the lost, confused, and complacent version of myself from 2014 and 2015. I'm a new person and I have books to thank for it. Those that know me from back then would be shocked at this statement, because I've always been driven, but I had lost my personal identity on what, exactly, I was driving towards.
I can't unread what I've read, or unthink the thoughts these authors have given me. I have a new confidence in my life and in my future, and I'm excited for the next step of my journey.
It is with no bitterness or resentment that I will wave goodbye to the Air Force, but instead, give it a warm farewell for a phase of life that broke me down, reshaped me, and sent me on my way with the confidence to design a life well lived.
--
As always, feel free to email me with any questions!
Sunday, August 24, 2014
And Now Everything is Different
In a few short months, seemingly everything in my life is different than it was. Here's a quick rundown of everything that's changed in the last few months:
May:
Graduated dental school
Set up my move to Colorado Springs
June:
Wife quit her job in Oklahoma City
Actually moved to Colorado Springs
I left for COT (at the tail end of June)
July:
Wife got a new job in Colorado Springs
I did the COT thing in Alabama for 5 weeks
August:
Flew home from COT
Wife actually started her new job
I started my new life as a resident at the AF Academy
Dang. That's a lot. It was a lot, still is a lot, and definitely feels like a lot. I'm not going to get super deep into any of these things in this post for a couple of reasons.
Reason 1: It would be a novel
Reason 2: I started a new tab called "Additional Resources"
In the "Additional Resources" tab, I'll be posting full documents of various experiences I've had. When I started this blog in 2010, I was chronicling my dental school and Air Force journey. As I've gotten older and time has moved along, some of these things have actually ended. That's awesome because that part of my life is now in the past and nothing about it can change again. This means I can post full documents detailing every little thing I want to talk about in a place that you can access and refer to without having to jump on my blog to read! For example, I'm almost done with my full writeup about COT which is a very common topic I receive questions about. I'm also planning to do one about dental school in general as well as one about what it's like to be a student on the HPSP scholarship. I'm technically active duty now so my HPSP days are over. I've also done a full move with the military so I can definitely give you some start to finish information on that as well.
Here are just a few thoughts I have about the last few months.
When change happens in life, embrace it. Understand that it is temporary but very necessary for us to move forward. Think of it like a rocket on the launchpad. It will never fly without a fast and abrupt change. The fuel must be ignited and that can be very scary. Eventually the rocket reaches outer space, does what it needs to do, and now a whole new thing has started because of that. Just like our life, we can't sit on the launchpad forever. Talking about doing something and doing it are very different actions and if you want something new, something has to change.
With that said, let me talk briefly about a few things that I'll dip into more detail on later:
Moving: This is really nice because the military will move all your stuff for you for free. You can move part of your things and that's totally fine. I would definitely take valuables with you in your own car (if you are driving). They are efficient up until you want them to deliver it. Expect delays of up to several weeks in the summer. Call the moving company and keep tabs on the progress of your move.
COT: This is not an easy month but it was worth it. You will learn fast and you don't have a choice. It's a 5 week flood of information and you'll feel like you're in some weird Air Force blender for 5 weeks while you sweat and march all over Maxwell Air Force Base. Be prepared to be sleepy on a daily basis but keep a good attitude. When you're being yelled at, ignore the volume and listen to the words. Keep a good perspective and it will go by quickly.
The Air Force: In-processing involves getting an ID card, making sure your pay is correct, doing computer training, etc. It's a long process but embrace it. The military is a massive system and it's a wonder they keep things as straight as they do. Respect those ranked above you and enjoy the process. If your mindset going in is "I can't wait to do my time and be out" you're going to hate it. Even if you are planning on getting out, you can't for a few years so make the best of it!
Time to run but hoping to keep the blog a little more consistent this year! Starting to see patients in a couple weeks at my AEGD so that should be a blast. Be sure to check out the "Additional Resources" tab in the coming weeks for a whole new set of awesome information!
May:
Graduated dental school
Set up my move to Colorado Springs
June:
Wife quit her job in Oklahoma City
Actually moved to Colorado Springs
I left for COT (at the tail end of June)
July:
Wife got a new job in Colorado Springs
I did the COT thing in Alabama for 5 weeks
August:
Flew home from COT
Wife actually started her new job
I started my new life as a resident at the AF Academy
Dang. That's a lot. It was a lot, still is a lot, and definitely feels like a lot. I'm not going to get super deep into any of these things in this post for a couple of reasons.
Reason 1: It would be a novel
Reason 2: I started a new tab called "Additional Resources"
In the "Additional Resources" tab, I'll be posting full documents of various experiences I've had. When I started this blog in 2010, I was chronicling my dental school and Air Force journey. As I've gotten older and time has moved along, some of these things have actually ended. That's awesome because that part of my life is now in the past and nothing about it can change again. This means I can post full documents detailing every little thing I want to talk about in a place that you can access and refer to without having to jump on my blog to read! For example, I'm almost done with my full writeup about COT which is a very common topic I receive questions about. I'm also planning to do one about dental school in general as well as one about what it's like to be a student on the HPSP scholarship. I'm technically active duty now so my HPSP days are over. I've also done a full move with the military so I can definitely give you some start to finish information on that as well.
Here are just a few thoughts I have about the last few months.
When change happens in life, embrace it. Understand that it is temporary but very necessary for us to move forward. Think of it like a rocket on the launchpad. It will never fly without a fast and abrupt change. The fuel must be ignited and that can be very scary. Eventually the rocket reaches outer space, does what it needs to do, and now a whole new thing has started because of that. Just like our life, we can't sit on the launchpad forever. Talking about doing something and doing it are very different actions and if you want something new, something has to change.
With that said, let me talk briefly about a few things that I'll dip into more detail on later:
Moving: This is really nice because the military will move all your stuff for you for free. You can move part of your things and that's totally fine. I would definitely take valuables with you in your own car (if you are driving). They are efficient up until you want them to deliver it. Expect delays of up to several weeks in the summer. Call the moving company and keep tabs on the progress of your move.
COT: This is not an easy month but it was worth it. You will learn fast and you don't have a choice. It's a 5 week flood of information and you'll feel like you're in some weird Air Force blender for 5 weeks while you sweat and march all over Maxwell Air Force Base. Be prepared to be sleepy on a daily basis but keep a good attitude. When you're being yelled at, ignore the volume and listen to the words. Keep a good perspective and it will go by quickly.
The Air Force: In-processing involves getting an ID card, making sure your pay is correct, doing computer training, etc. It's a long process but embrace it. The military is a massive system and it's a wonder they keep things as straight as they do. Respect those ranked above you and enjoy the process. If your mindset going in is "I can't wait to do my time and be out" you're going to hate it. Even if you are planning on getting out, you can't for a few years so make the best of it!
Time to run but hoping to keep the blog a little more consistent this year! Starting to see patients in a couple weeks at my AEGD so that should be a blast. Be sure to check out the "Additional Resources" tab in the coming weeks for a whole new set of awesome information!
Friday, May 16, 2014
"I'm a Dentist, Don't Get Too Excited"
"... and if someone has a heart attack you should still call 911."
For the movie people out there you'll recognize this line from The Hangover. It's a scene where Stu mentions something about being a doctor and his friend calls him out saying "he's a dentist, don't get too excited."
So here I am, finally done with school, and a dentist. But don't get too excited because for me this is really just the beginning. I've dreamed of this for a long time but really this is just my permission to being my career in a field that I find really fun and allows me to directly serve others. Toss in the Air Force gig and you've got the whole package. It really is a dream come true, I'm finally Dr. Matthew Lee!
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I haven't blogged in a solid 2 months and more happened in those 2 months than I can even wrap my head around right now. So let's rewind the tape:
1) WREB - Western Regional Examining Board
This was the regional exam I elected to take because I planned to get a license in Oklahoma and it was available at my school. Pretty easy decision. For the Air Force I can get a license anywhere but my home state is as easy as any. Details aside, I had to organize the back-up patient pool (since I was class president) and I'm glad I did because it really bailed a few people out. One of my patients was my brother and the other patient was not related to me but due to HIPAA, that's all I can really tell you. But he/she was wonderful. My endo section went very smoothly and I passed everything!
Here were my scores:
For the movie people out there you'll recognize this line from The Hangover. It's a scene where Stu mentions something about being a doctor and his friend calls him out saying "he's a dentist, don't get too excited."
So here I am, finally done with school, and a dentist. But don't get too excited because for me this is really just the beginning. I've dreamed of this for a long time but really this is just my permission to being my career in a field that I find really fun and allows me to directly serve others. Toss in the Air Force gig and you've got the whole package. It really is a dream come true, I'm finally Dr. Matthew Lee!
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I haven't blogged in a solid 2 months and more happened in those 2 months than I can even wrap my head around right now. So let's rewind the tape:
1) WREB - Western Regional Examining Board
This was the regional exam I elected to take because I planned to get a license in Oklahoma and it was available at my school. Pretty easy decision. For the Air Force I can get a license anywhere but my home state is as easy as any. Details aside, I had to organize the back-up patient pool (since I was class president) and I'm glad I did because it really bailed a few people out. One of my patients was my brother and the other patient was not related to me but due to HIPAA, that's all I can really tell you. But he/she was wonderful. My endo section went very smoothly and I passed everything!
Here were my scores:
Not too bad! Things went well and that was definitely the most stressful test of my life since the DAT.
2) Graduation requirements
This fell into place very nicely for me and I was fortunate that it did. I borrowed a crown prep from another student in case the 2 I had left fell through and I'm glad I did. I had just enough points to graduate and, in fact, both of the crowns in my patient family ended up falling through. Imagine that! Endo was a minor nightmare for many folks and I scrapped by with exactly how many I needed to graduate. It's a shame too because I actually found endodontics to be very fun and I'm really excited to learn some new methods to perform root canals in the future (Wave One?).
3) Speech! Speech! Speech!
So one of the cooler things I got to do as president was give a speech at our Senior Dinner. This is a few days before graduation and it's where our class along with their close family and our faculty get together and eat expensive food together and dress really nice. It's a blast (I had to help last year so I had been once before) and once of the best memories I'll have of dental school.
Back to the speech part. I had to give a speech (aka "reflection statements") and I found that very exciting. I'm usually quite introverted and typically don't assert myself unless it's requested of me. When it is requested of me, I go all out and try to do my best. I got a lot of compliments after the speech which was very nice to hear and a comment I heard a lot was "I had no idea you were so funny"! Well if you were class president for 3 years and constantly stressing out about not only yourself but everyone else, you'd be a pretty serious person, too. That was over and I could be myself and my true colors came out I suppose.
One of the coolest parts about the speech was when I promoted the hashtag #oucod2014 at the beginning. To do that I busted out my iPhone and took a panoramic x-ray picture of the audience and tweeted it to @oucod2014, our official class Twitter account. I encouraged people throughout the weekend to use #oucod2014 on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter so we could go back and search "#oucod2014" and pull up a bunch of posts and pictures from that night and the next few days, including graduation. We actually had pretty good participation and it was a lot of fun. Here's the pano I took on stage as well as a picture of me taking it:
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| It was more awkward for them than me, watching me slowly take a picture of everyone |
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| Photo by Shak Feroz |
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| Photo by Shak Feroz |
4) Email this paper and now you're a Captain
I have had tons of forms to fill out for the Air Force which I will definitely not go into (at least not here). One of them was my new Oath of Office. It doesn't actually have to be signed by someone in the military, just a Notary Public. I went that route since he had someone in that capacity at our school. I got the form from her in a PDF and sent it off to the proper Air Force authority. A couples hours later I got a replying saying I was "good to go" so I'm pretty sure that means I'm a captain now.
Cool!
We're moving to Colorado Springs at the end of June, I'm flying out to COT on June 30, back to Colorado Springs on Aug 1, and my AEGD starts on Aug 5. Whew!
That's all for now, sorry I've been such a bum about posting lately. I hope to ramp this up more soon and flesh out some of the static pages on this site as well to have more information available. I want to comb back through all the hundreds (seriously) of emails I've gotten from you guys and make sure all the relevant questions are addressed on the "Got a Question?" page.
Until I post again, email me if you have questions! And in the meantime, check out my official website at MatthewLeeDDS.com!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
I Can Almost Taste It
I'm officially in that weird stretch of school where things are almost done, and I feel a true sense of them being done, yet I still have a lingering stress of making sure everything actually does get done (follow that?).
I also feel like things really are starting to end as I bid farewell to some patients for the last time and reflect on all of the struggles my class in particular has had over the last 4 years with all the changes here at Oklahoma.
And finally, I'm starting to feel like this Air Force thing is real. That's where this post begins.
Just after my last post in October, I found out officially that I will be heading to the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO for my 1-year AEGD. It is scheduled to begin August 5th and presumably will end around that same time next year. Before that, however, I am slated to attend COT in the July class (June 30-Aug 1). Right now my wife and I are trying to decide if we should move to CO just before COT or try to squeeze it in right after. It's a tough decision and I'd rather move before, but it's probably going to come down to how comfortable we are financially.
Just before Christmas my wife and I actually went up to CO Springs to look around and we found two great apartment complexes just E of the Academy. My housing stipend will be about $1600/month so we are shooting for something in the $1000-1200 range to maximize how much we can save while still enjoying our time there. We plan to call the 2 complexes back in a month or so and whichever can offer us the better deal we will probably take. We like one of them a little more than the other but we'll see how it all shakes out.
I haven't received my official orders yet but they should be coming soon. That will allow me to schedule the AF to move my stuff and get that all sorted out. My wife is a NICU nurse and she'll be applying for a Colorado license soon so she can start looking for jobs out there. It's probably going to be a bit difficult considering she'll only be there for 1 year but I'm confident she'll find something, even if it's part time.
In terms of dental school, things are coming together nicely. I won't get into the details, but my class has taken the brunt of the changes here at Oklahoma the last few years and we are chronically behind in clinic compared to the classes before us and the upcoming classes behind us when we were them. Fortunately the faculty seem like they're going to be flexible with us because we are simply running out of time to get everything done. I think I'll actually be able to meet all of the requirements so I'm still working hard assuming that our requirements won't change (which they likely will).
So things are finally coming together and starting to seem real, but I'm still in the fog of school and working hard to finish up on time. As soon as I do, I'll have about a month and a half off (May 10 - June 30) to just hangout, which will be very nice. I'm such a high-gear person though that I think it's going to be kind of hard for me to have so much time off and I'm already trying to make arrangements to work part time or something for that short period that I'm waiting. We'll see!
Other than filling out tons of very similar forms for the Air Force that are emailed to me weekly (name, SSN, address... etc.), not much else has happened besides finding my AEGD spot and looking for a place to live. Things will heat up even more soon once I get my orders and buy my uniform (soon!) so stay tuned for more frequent postings as school comes to an end and my Air Force journey begins.
As always, email me if you have any questions!
Friday, July 27, 2012
It's summer break (again)!
My 2nd summer break is finally here! We have 3 weeks off after Spring Semester, and then 3 weeks off after our 8 week Summer Semester. Also, I'll be getting married on August 11 and I very excited to open that new chapter in my life as well. She'll be a nurse, the perfect occupation to come travel with me in the Air Force for a few years (at least) after I graduate.
Our school is going through some massive changes right now. I just got trained taking digital radiographs last week, as our dark room was completely removed to make room for a brand new computer lab to view digital x-rays. It looks amazing! We are also dumping our paper charts in favor of axiUm, a digital record keeping software that will be the new lifeblood of our school. The patient's x-rays, charting, treatment plan, financial information, etc. will all be in axiUm. Each operatory will be getting a computer (presumably by the time we come back in August) where we can input this information. This will dramatically change the look and feel of the way we deliver treatment. My biggest concern is the faculty members that are not too excited about the introduction of new technology. I think most of them see it as an obstacle rather than an opportunity. It's unfortunate, but I think most of the students are very excited about getting rid of these paper records and get more in tune with how dentistry is done in the real world. After all, most practices that my classmates will start or buy into will be using digital records of some kind so I think it's invaluable to learn dentistry using these kinds of technologies now.
On the Air Force front, not much is new. Just bought some health insurance again for the new year and will be submitting a reimbursement for that soon. Also, my LES (for my stipend) has been going to my old address and I've been trying to sort that out. They come every 2 weeks so here in a couple days I'll see if my latest address change efforts will get them going where they need to be, to my new house!
On a side note, school is slowing down a lot now. I'm excited because hopefully I can start getting back in the gym and get my body in shape for COT. I played sports in high school and recreationally in college, and I even play basketball quite a bit now, so it's not like I'm out of shape by any means. I can pull off about 9:40 on my 1.5 mile run which puts me near the high end of the Air Force PT scoring. Having said that, I want to prepare myself in the best way possible and I'm looking forward to trimming that time even more and getting stronger for COT in the summer of 2014.
I think that's all for now, lots of personal changes and changes at school. Things are getting easy which means I have more time to do the things I want to do. It feels like the big hurdles have been overcome and now I just need to buckle in and keep doing what needs to be done and in 2 short years, I'll be a dentist!
It's also that time of year again when people are starting school and I'm getting more and more emails. Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions about the program and check out the tabs at the top for more information!
Our school is going through some massive changes right now. I just got trained taking digital radiographs last week, as our dark room was completely removed to make room for a brand new computer lab to view digital x-rays. It looks amazing! We are also dumping our paper charts in favor of axiUm, a digital record keeping software that will be the new lifeblood of our school. The patient's x-rays, charting, treatment plan, financial information, etc. will all be in axiUm. Each operatory will be getting a computer (presumably by the time we come back in August) where we can input this information. This will dramatically change the look and feel of the way we deliver treatment. My biggest concern is the faculty members that are not too excited about the introduction of new technology. I think most of them see it as an obstacle rather than an opportunity. It's unfortunate, but I think most of the students are very excited about getting rid of these paper records and get more in tune with how dentistry is done in the real world. After all, most practices that my classmates will start or buy into will be using digital records of some kind so I think it's invaluable to learn dentistry using these kinds of technologies now.
On the Air Force front, not much is new. Just bought some health insurance again for the new year and will be submitting a reimbursement for that soon. Also, my LES (for my stipend) has been going to my old address and I've been trying to sort that out. They come every 2 weeks so here in a couple days I'll see if my latest address change efforts will get them going where they need to be, to my new house!
On a side note, school is slowing down a lot now. I'm excited because hopefully I can start getting back in the gym and get my body in shape for COT. I played sports in high school and recreationally in college, and I even play basketball quite a bit now, so it's not like I'm out of shape by any means. I can pull off about 9:40 on my 1.5 mile run which puts me near the high end of the Air Force PT scoring. Having said that, I want to prepare myself in the best way possible and I'm looking forward to trimming that time even more and getting stronger for COT in the summer of 2014.
I think that's all for now, lots of personal changes and changes at school. Things are getting easy which means I have more time to do the things I want to do. It feels like the big hurdles have been overcome and now I just need to buckle in and keep doing what needs to be done and in 2 short years, I'll be a dentist!
It's also that time of year again when people are starting school and I'm getting more and more emails. Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions about the program and check out the tabs at the top for more information!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Turning on the Motor Again
The title of this post is both literal and figurative, because as the new semester starts, it's time to get back into pre-clinic (the literal part) and it's time to get my brain back in school mode (the figurative part). Last semester was pretty crazy, but it's awesome to be done with NBDE part 1 and also have another hard semester under my belt. This semester is different than 2nd year spring semesters in the past because we have a redesigned pharmacology class that's being taught early (now instead of 3rd year fall or spring) and not much was taken away to make room for it! That basically translates into a harder than usual 2nd year spring semester, which in turn means that hopefully from here on out things will be smooth sailing. Implantology is our last pre-clinical class and we have that in the fall so that will be nice to be done and ready to treat patients full time until I graduate! I can't believe how far I've come because it seems like I started dental school (and this blog) just yesterday.
As for the Air Force, things are going great. I got my ADT orders, and I was actually emailed in advance asking what date range I wanted to do! That was very nice because it let me dictate when the best time for me was. The only stipulation is that I can't be out of the country during those 45 days, so I picked a time when I'm in school anyway so it won't be a factor. I finally bought some books that I'm actually going to be using, but I haven't found time to scan the receipt and send my reimbursement package into the Air Force yet. I'm still averaging about 2-3 weeks from the time I submit to the time I get the money in my account which I'm very pleased about. They're very efficient at that (and everything honestly). I have no plans to attend COT this summer, again, because we have 8 weeks of summer school and no time works for me to attend any of the 4 week COT sessions because I never have that much time off.
On another note, I got engaged last Saturday the 21st! We'll probably get married this summer so that will be a big fun life changer. She is graduating nursing school this year and it's crazy to think that one day I'll graduate dental school and never have to go to school ever again (unless I specialize, but we'll see about that)!
As always, feel free to tweet or email me with questions!
As for the Air Force, things are going great. I got my ADT orders, and I was actually emailed in advance asking what date range I wanted to do! That was very nice because it let me dictate when the best time for me was. The only stipulation is that I can't be out of the country during those 45 days, so I picked a time when I'm in school anyway so it won't be a factor. I finally bought some books that I'm actually going to be using, but I haven't found time to scan the receipt and send my reimbursement package into the Air Force yet. I'm still averaging about 2-3 weeks from the time I submit to the time I get the money in my account which I'm very pleased about. They're very efficient at that (and everything honestly). I have no plans to attend COT this summer, again, because we have 8 weeks of summer school and no time works for me to attend any of the 4 week COT sessions because I never have that much time off.
On another note, I got engaged last Saturday the 21st! We'll probably get married this summer so that will be a big fun life changer. She is graduating nursing school this year and it's crazy to think that one day I'll graduate dental school and never have to go to school ever again (unless I specialize, but we'll see about that)!
As always, feel free to tweet or email me with questions!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Been a while...
Well, it's darn near 2 months since my last post. Sorry I've been so lax lately! We are currently in a newly designed 8 week summer session and it has one huge upside and one huge downside...
Upside: Nearly half of our schedule are slots for patient scheduling and we only use it if we have a patient we want to schedule at that time... meaning 90% of those times we are off.
Downside: So much time off = most insane case of laziness of all time. We'll have a grand total of about 4 tests over the summer. That's 1 test every two weeks (average). Compare that to the roughly 100 test fall last year and you see the issue. No one is in high gear and it's just not a good deal! Motivation is not there.
Not much new on the Air Force front... no COT this summer, maybe next? I'm thinking probably 2014 at this point. Wish I could go and have lots to tell you all! Looks like that will have to wait.
Oh! Not sure if I mentioned this before somewhere (don't want to check, sorry!) but I was elected president of the class of 2014 for the next year! The guy that was president didn't want the position any longer so I stepped up and won the election, so that was neat! It's a lot of fun for me to have this responsibility and put this on myself. It keeps me motivated.
As always, email me with questions!
Friday, December 24, 2010
And that'll do it!
Well, here it is. I've anticipating writing this post not for the simple fact of writing it, but because it means that I'm done with my first semester of dental school! We had 12 tests our last 2 weeks of school, and I literally studied almost non-stop for 2 weeks except for a few hours I took off on a Saturday night. It was a crazy ride and I'm just so glad it's over. One strange thing I noticed was when I think back on the semester, it's hard to remember specific events. We did virtually the same thing every week for 15 or 16 weeks and it all just seemed to blend together. It's one of those things you look back on and think "wow, that was so long ago" but at the same time it feels like it was "just yesterday". Long story short, taking 25.5 credit hours will mess with your head.
I don't think I want to specialize. So naturally, grades are fairly irrelevant. For some reason, I couldn't make my self just "give up" during finals week. My thought was this: finals week is going to end at the exact same time whether I work like crazy or just settle for average grades. Needless to say, I went for it and worked like crazy and I'm glad I did. It was a wonderful feeling being done with school AND knowing I did the best I could. I think more than anything, it's that attitude that will define who I am as a dentist and a person, not the grades. If I had pushed myself that hard and not gotten the grades I wanted, that wouldn't have been the point anyway. It really wasn't about the numbers for me, but more so about proving to myself that I could do it and pushing my limits as far as they would go to see what I was made of. Must be something left over from all those football practices in high school or something, but that competitor in me just won't die. If there is one piece of advice I could give in terms of working hard, it would be this: just do your best as often as you can stand it. It's not about being better than anyone else, or getting higher grades, or being better in clinic. It's about taking YOU as far as you can go because at the end of the day, the only person you control is yourself, so don't settle for less than your full effort. The more you make hard work part of who you are, the more it will become a habit.
Well that's enough for my lecture, haha. Here is a quick rundown of my semester with a few tips that may help you guys:
Work hard. I talked about this a LOT already, but working hard will get you where you need to go and will let you prove to yourself who you really are.
Don't be afraid to make friends. You're going to be better off working together than splitting out on your own and trying to be the best. Some people may try this, but it's much easier and fun when you've got people going through it with you.
For those on the Air Force scholarship, make sure you get your reimbursements in ASAP. Don't wait around and make sure you are getting paid back for what is required! Don't settle for paying for small things that the AF would pay you back for, get paid for ALL of it. You earned the scholarship, so take advantage of it! (Example: I almost didn't send in a reimbursement for an $80 syllabus but I decided to anyway. I thought it was "just $80" and no big deal but I'm glad I just sent it in. It's silly not to, just get reimbursed for everything that you can!)
Don't argue with teachers. Just because you think you're right (and maybe you are) you are in professional school and so treat your teachers with respect. We had a few instances of people making comments in class that just blew my mind. Be respectful of those in charge, even if you don't agree.
Remember where you came from. Don't get too down when things aren't going your way, because there are lots of people (especially these days) that would kill for the chance to trade you places. You worked hard to get into dental school and remember how badly you wanted it. Don't get selfish and pouty when things aren't perfect. You're fortunate to be where you are, and if you do your work, you'll get out and be a dentist like all your classmates. Dental school may suck at times, but life could be much much worse.
You are being looked up to whether you know it or not, so act professionally. I think this is self-explanatory.
Respect the upper-classmen because no matter how awesome you think you are, they've been where you've been. Learn from them and listen to them and respect them. Regardless of your opinion of someone in the class above you, they've done more than you have to respect that.
Understand that your classmates have come from all sorts of places. I was one of the youngest in my class and many students were 2nd and 3rd time applications. Several had kids, about half were married or engaged, and several were in their late 20's and even early 30's. You're not in undergrad anymore where everyone is within 3 years of you, you're going to be dealing with all sorts of people, so be ready and understanding of others' situations. Just keep in mind that not everyone took your path to get here and not everyone will take your path to get out.
This is going to sound a little childish, but get involved! Just do something other than school because it will make you feel more a part of your new campus and your new dental school life. If the extent of your dental school experience is studying, you're not going to be very happy. Branch out and go do things!
Work hard all semester. Don't say "oh I can let this test slide" because in a month, that might not be true. You have to take advantage of every test and quiz so that if something does go wrong later down the line, you're not in a hole. Lots of students didn't work hard during the semester and that killed them during finals. If for no other reason, work hard in the semester to give yourself a good cushion going into finals week.
Well that's about all for now. For those interested, I ended the semester with roughly a 3.55, giving me a 3.475 overall (counting anatomy). I'm very happy with that and it was due in large part to my work during finals week. I sent in my reimbursement package for my loupes last week and should be getting the money for that in a couple weeks. The new schedule is official, so that means no COT next year. I think I may end up doing it after I graduate.
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and as always, feel free to e-mail me with any questions about dental school or the Air Force scholarship!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Almost there!
Can a month in dental school be totally un-memorable? Well I think I've found it and it's the month of November. This was by far the most average month I've had so far. I had no Air Force reimbursements, no truly difficult weeks, and really nothing super awesome (except my birthday!). I hate to break it to you all, but there's just not much to report from an Air Force perspective. I had some tests, did well enough, and am looking at (hopefully) a 50/50 split with A's and B's. I was seriously considering just doing enough to get B's in all my classes but my inner competitor came out last weekend and I got really motivated to study like crazy these next two weeks. I think it's a good thing because it can't ever hurt to have better grades. Besides, everyone else will be studying so it isn't like it's really going to benefit me to sit on the couch a little more. Might as well push it to the max! I've already gotten more B's than I did in 4 years of undergrad, so that was a bit discouraging, but I keep reminding myself that this is a whole different deal and it's my effort, not always my grades, that's going to make me successful.
We found out a few weeks ago that our schedules will be undergoing a massive overhaul beginning EITHER next summer or fall. For the incoming class, they will begin under the new system. As you all know (or at least now you will) my plan was to go to COT in the summer of 2011. If the new schedule takes effect this next summer, that will not be happening. We'll only have 3 weeks off, which is not enough time regardless of when COT beings and ends. So in all likelihood I may just move COT to 2014 after I graduate and stop fussing with it. I'm still disappointed I didn't just do it last year before dental school, but doing it after school has it's benefits too. I'll be a higher rank, it'll be fresher on my mind, and I won't run the risk of growing out of my clothes before active duty. Either way, it will all work out. As for the new schedule itself, the goal is to create a test block environment where we only take a few classes at a time, take their finals, and then move onto new classes; rather than taking 26 credit hours spread out over 4 months, this would mean taking about 6 hours at once for a month, and then 6 more, etc. It will hopefully lighten the burden and allow us to really sink our teeth into the material. They're also thinking about changing our clinics to make them less "requirement" oriented so there is less competition for patients and such, but I have yet to see a patient so I won't comment on this because, quite frankly, I don't know enough about it now to know how drastically it will change.
I did order my loupes yesterday, and I'm waiting on my school to write me a "proof of requirement" letter so the Air Force will reimburse for them. Our school tells us to have them, but it's not officially written anywhere so I have to have the school type up a letter so the Air Force won't think I'm asking them to buy stuff I don't need. for those interested, the Air Force (as of December 2010) covers $1,100 for loupes and $300 for a light attachment. That's a total of $1400, ad most companies have a student deal just under the (for example, my package with loupes and light run $1370). They don't really have individual prices in the package so they just write up the receipt for $1100 loupes and $270 light so I can get it all covered. For those wondering, I got the Designs for Vision black nike pounce frames with 3.5x magnification. (http://www.designsforvision.com/DentHtml/D-Frame.htm)
Finals are around the corner and I have 12 tests and 1 quiz in 9 straight school days starting this Tuesday. 5 this coming week with a quiz, and 7 next week. I'll be back after I get my grades and report on how my first semester went and let you all know how smoothly the loupes reimbursement goes. If my prior reimbursements with the Air Force are any indication, it should be no problem.
Oh, and I hear our spring semester is pretty light compared to the fall semester I'm in right now, so I've agreed to work at my old job tutoring just chemistry for 5 hours a week next semester. Should be no problem but we'll see how it goes!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
And so it begins
Well, I've got my first 3 weeks of dental school under my belt and it has certainly been an interesting experience. One of the things that surprised me most was how young I was compared to my classmates. I came to dental school straight out of college but most (and when I say most, I mean about 45 of the 60) have taken at least 1 or 2 years off, probably half are re-applicants, and many are in their late 20's or early 30's. This really surprised me because I had always assumed it was normal to go from college to dental school. I feel very fortunate to have made it this far so early in my life.
Another thing that I've been doing is my anatomy class. We take anatomy in the summer (from about July 1 to August 5) so it's pretty crazy. We got quick lectures on arms, legs, and back, but will only be tested on material covering the thorax, abdomen, pelvis, head, and neck. Our first test was a few days ago (thorax, abdomen, pelvis) and so far I only have my results from the lab practical. It was a standard dissection lab where we rotate through and identify structures on a human body. I've never been good at this, I much prefer the more "problem solving" type learning rather than memorizing type stuff and I ended up with a C on this part. I was a bit shocked at first because it had been about 2 years since I made a C on a test. One thing I remember coming into dental school was all the students really emphasized the fact that grades are not the most important thing in school (unless you intend to specialize) and I'm still coming to terms with this. Not that it's ok to do poorly all the time, but that you just have to accept what you get and move on because when it comes to it, you'll be a dentist regardless. I hear this our most difficult class the first year so I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm glad I got that first test out of the way because now I know what worked and what didn't when trying to cram a huge amount of information in my brain for a test in just 8-10 days. Besides, I feel better about the biochemistry/neuroanatomy, etc. type classes coming up because I've never been much of a 'lab' guy. I'm ready to start doing some dentist stuff! I'm sure it will all work out, and I feel much better about the written portion of the test that we took that same day. Still waiting on the results for that part, I'll tweet that in a day or two when we get the scores. Hoping for an A!
As for the Air Force HPSP, all of that is going well. I got a reimbursement rejected last week for not giving adequate proof of who my insurance was purchased from, but I plan to e-mail a credit card statement in a few days which should clear that up with no problem.
I finally got a regular stipend payment on the 15th of July, and it was exactly what I expected. It was $1030 (half of the monthly $2060) minus some taxes. Came out to about $930. One thing I have loved about this experience is how little I've had to do. I literally had to do nothing to get the school and the Air Force on the same page, the Air Force handled all of that for me. I have already verified that my bursar tuition/fees were covered by the Air Force and I have had absolutely no hiccups with the finances at all. More importantly, the Air Force treats me with as much respect as I treat them, and I take this relationship very seriously. It's great to have such an organized and professional group of people on your side. I couldn't be happier with my decision up to this point.
As you might have seen, I haven't done COT yet but will be going next summer. Just a reminder for anyone looking into what that's like. I'll let you know in a year!
More on that really quick. If you are selected on a 4-year scholarship, you're expected to go to COT before your 1st year unless you have a scheduling conflict with school. Well I did have a minor (it was an informal welcome dinner type thing, not nearly as critical as I had expected) conflict and got COT moved, but in hindsight, I wish I would have gone to COT this summer before school. I think I would have felt more like a part of the Air Force team and it would have been a good kickstart to dental school. I also loved having the time off, but right now, part of me wonders if waiting on COT was the best move. I'm sure it's not a big deal either way, however, it would have been nice to get paid a few thousand $ for that and feel more like a part of the Air Force.
That's all for now... I'll probably update again when anatomy is over around August 5th! School starts up again on August 18th (weird timing... I know) so I'll have a little break before my ~25 credit hours come crashing down on me.
Don't hesitate to e-mail me if anyone out there has questions about the program or dental school!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Reimbursements and the days ahead...
A lot has happened since my last blog post a few months ago, and a lot is about to come my way. I'll go one by one, starting with the Air Force stuff, and then narrow down to some odds and ends I've been doing. Then I'll close with what's to come... enjoy!
First off, the Air Force.
2 things I need to cover here. For those awarded a 4-year scholarship, Commissioned Officer Training (COT) is supposed to happen the summer before their first year. For 3-year scholarships, COT happens after the last year. For me being on a 4-year, mine was supposed to be this summer. However, the dental school I'm attending starts so early (I'll talk about that soon) that COT would have ended too close to the start of school so it was deferred to next summer, between my 1st and 2nd year. So you'll have to wait another year to hear all about that!
Now about reimbursements and dealing with AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology, where the people you'll be in contact during your scholarship work, located at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio). Let me say that dealing with AFIT has been one of the easiest, quickest, and overall amazing experiences I've ever had. The people working there are extremely fast at responding to e-mails, accommodating my needs, and making things absolutely clear. It truly has been a joy to have my questions answered so quickly and to deal with such professional people. One of the best parts is about reimbursements. When I was awarded the scholarship, I was under the impression that I would need to mail my reimbursement packages to the Air Force base, which would be a big pain, and if anything was wrong, I'd have to mail it in again. Well all those worries went away when I was informed that reimbursement packages can be submitted by e-mail! It was such a relief, because they respond so quickly to my e-mails, I could get almost immediate confirmation that my package was accepted or what needed to be altered. Huge weight lifted off my shoulders. For those that are wondering what a 'reimbursement package' is, it's fairly simply. If I buy something the Air Force will pay for, lets use my textbooks as an example, then I go buy the books and then assemble what's known as a reimbursement package. A reimbursement package is simply 4 things, proof of requirement (I have to prove that my dental school makes me have what I'm asking to be paid for), proof of purchase (basically a receipt or a credit card statement), an AFIT form 31 (this is where you list everything you are buying and total it up for the AF), and an EFT form (a form where you verify who you are with SSN and signature and give the AF the bank account # where you want them to direct deposit your money). All in all, reimbursements are much easier and smoother than I could ever imagine, one of many reasons I am very happy with my choice so far! My first reimbursement was submitted by email around May 22, and my account had the reimbursement money in it on June 15. Only about 3 weeks! I was very impressed.
Secondly, about what I've been up to since my last post.
I went and paid for my scrubs! Cost me about $250 and the Air Force actually doesn't cover the whole cost of that, but it's enough! They cover basically everything else in full.
I got health insurance through the dental school which the Air Force will pay for too, awesome!
I finally got my military ID and have gone over to Tinker a few times. It's pretty weird still to think I'm in the military because I haven't really done any 'military' type stuff yet.
I think I've got all the teeth I need. I almost had 100 at least check and I've got a bit more than that so I'm sure I hit my mark. I hear we don't need them until spring anyway so I'm considering the possibility of continuing to collect them this fall.
Class starts for me on June 29, so I've got all my anatomy books ready to go. We take anatomy by itself from June 29 to about mid-August, so it's going to be pretty intense. Once it hits mid-August, anatomy ends and we start in on our normal 24-25 credit hour schedule... ahh!!!
For now, that's all I can remember. School starts for me next Tuesday... wish me luck!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Finding all my ducks... and getting them in a row.
Well I haven't posted in about a month... but seeing as no one is probably reading this right now, I think we'll all survive...
I took my oath of office on March 5th so I am officially a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force! I don't feel very official yet, probably because I don't yet have a military ID (hopefully in a month!) and haven't really done any "military" things yet. Speaking of military things, on the 4-year scholarship, they "require" you to attend COT during the summer before dental school. I had mine deferred to the summer between 1st and 2nd year because I have an orientation thing for dental school that was the same day that COT was set to end this summer. So for those of you wondering if you can change your COT date around, the answer is yes. To an extent. If I didn't have this legitimate reason to move it, I would have, in all likelihood, been in Alabama at COT this coming summer and missing the last week of my job... not good. Luckily I will be able to work the final week and hit up COT between my first and second year, giving me one last summer of salvation before school. For those on a 3-year scholarship, COT will be tacked on after your 4th year. So you'll graduate, go to COT, and be off to the Air Force!
Here are some other things I have been up to lately...
I got my scrubs ordered! Our class, the great class of 2014, will have hunter green scrubs. There are far worse colors than hunter green to be stuck with for 4 years. In fact, I think hunter green is probably the best color we could have gotten in my opinion... I really like that color.
I have to get a CPR certification for dental school (CPR with Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, aka BLS) and I plan on doing that sometime in June just before school starts. The certification through the American Heart Association expires every 2 years (as opposed to every year like some others, for example, the Red Cross) so I checked the 2009 school schedules to make sure my certification will extend beyond my 2nd year so I will have a gap with no school when it expires.
I also recently got my vaccination history from my pediatric doctor and was lacking 2 minor things which I got taken care of a couple days ago.
I took my oath of office on March 5th so I am officially a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force! I don't feel very official yet, probably because I don't yet have a military ID (hopefully in a month!) and haven't really done any "military" things yet. Speaking of military things, on the 4-year scholarship, they "require" you to attend COT during the summer before dental school. I had mine deferred to the summer between 1st and 2nd year because I have an orientation thing for dental school that was the same day that COT was set to end this summer. So for those of you wondering if you can change your COT date around, the answer is yes. To an extent. If I didn't have this legitimate reason to move it, I would have, in all likelihood, been in Alabama at COT this coming summer and missing the last week of my job... not good. Luckily I will be able to work the final week and hit up COT between my first and second year, giving me one last summer of salvation before school. For those on a 3-year scholarship, COT will be tacked on after your 4th year. So you'll graduate, go to COT, and be off to the Air Force!
Here are some other things I have been up to lately...
I got my scrubs ordered! Our class, the great class of 2014, will have hunter green scrubs. There are far worse colors than hunter green to be stuck with for 4 years. In fact, I think hunter green is probably the best color we could have gotten in my opinion... I really like that color.
I have to get a CPR certification for dental school (CPR with Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, aka BLS) and I plan on doing that sometime in June just before school starts. The certification through the American Heart Association expires every 2 years (as opposed to every year like some others, for example, the Red Cross) so I checked the 2009 school schedules to make sure my certification will extend beyond my 2nd year so I will have a gap with no school when it expires.
I also recently got my vaccination history from my pediatric doctor and was lacking 2 minor things which I got taken care of a couple days ago.
I had my final transcripts mailed off to dental school this morning... since I graduated in 3 1/2 years, I don't have to wait around for grades to be posted in May (since I graduated this last December) because I'm not in school right now. So bonus for me and my sanity.
Other than that, I'm just waiting for an updated book list from the school so I can go ahead and purchase thousands of dollars in books! How exciting... I know...
One other thing that is slightly irritating is that to be reimbursed through the Air Force, my required items must be purchased within 60 days of the start of my scholarship. For a 4-year guy like me, this means the start of school in late June. That's not a HUGE deal, but it did require some delaying of payments with the scrubs company (who were very nice about it and helped me out a ton) as well as some potential little things that may not get covered (vaccinations, etc.). Not terrible, but a bit annoying. Obviously I have yet to send in a reimbursement form but hopefully when I do my first one that will go smoothly.
Other than that, I'm just waiting for an updated book list from the school so I can go ahead and purchase thousands of dollars in books! How exciting... I know...
As a final note for anyone who is interested... I have yet to determine where I will be living for my first year of school. Possibly with my dad which is preferable in terms of $. Stay tuned...
I'll try to be more diligent about keeping up with this so that people referring to it years down the road will have a better idea of the steps I have been taking with the start of dental school just over the horizon.
I'll try to be more diligent about keeping up with this so that people referring to it years down the road will have a better idea of the steps I have been taking with the start of dental school just over the horizon.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Oath
So today I went out to the State Capitol of Oklahoma to check out some places that I might be able to take my oath for the Air Force HPSP. My recruiter told me I just have to have a place with an American flag and an Air Force Officer (which he's going to work out for me) so I wanted some place neat and memorable and I think the State Capitol building would be really neat.
I've been looking into the Commissioned Officer Training material a bit and I'm hopeful that my schedule will work out to allow me to go to COT this summer (May-June). I'd like to get that under my belt before dental school so I don't have it looming at the end of my 4 years, although I've heard it's just fine either way.
Once COT gets closer, I'll be creating and updating the COT page. I've found lots of great information on the internet but it seems to be scattered in several locations. Hopefully when it's all said and done I'll have lots of great first hand experience information to pass along to those looking at the HPSP scholarship or COT in general.
Since I haven't mentioned it yet, I'll talk about what I'm doing this 'semester' since I'm not in school.
I currently work as a high school math and chemistry tutor for a few kids in the area. My dad is friends with a lady who started her own tutoring company a few years ago and had told my dad she was looking for a new tutor. Lucky me! I was looking at the possibility of waiting tables (again...) and I'm much happier with this job. It's a shame that my favorite job to this point in my life is a job that will only last a few more months but all good things must come to an end.
I'm off... hopefully I'll get some time to work on these pages quite a bit this week!
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