ARMY DENTAL CORPS – ALL THE BASIC INFORMATION
Army Dental Corps - Details
To this point, we have covered all the aspects related to the process of applying for the Army Dental Corps. From now on we will discuss with examples, if the Army Dental Corps is the right choice in terms of career and what are the growth potentials.
Read very carefully, the points mentioned below. It will help you decide if the Army Dental Corps is
the correct choice for you at the current point you are in, in your Dental Career.
That’s right, you need to evaluate it as per the formula
What is my CURRENT Age and Career Prospect
Have you asked yourself these questions?
- Is Army Dental Corps the correct choice for you in regards to your career?
- As per the advertisement, I will join as a Short Service Commissioned officer that has a tenure of 14 Years. So, what after that?
- I am 26 years old now. If I join the Army Dental Corps, I will work till 26+14 = 40 years age. After that, what are my career options?
- Is there a strong chance that my Short Service Commission will be promoted to Permanent Commission?
- I want to do MDS. If I join the Army Dental Corps, will I get the opportunity to join & complete MDS?
- I am already an MDS when joining ADC. Is there any special benefit because of that?
There can be many such questions when a candidate decides to join the Army Dental Corps. It’s a great institution to join. However, do not just jump into it just because somebody told you. It might be great for someone but career-wise it may not be practical for you. So, what should you do and how can you decide if the Army Dental Corps is the correct one for you or NOT. Army demands a lot of dedication than a civilian career. Hence, if you are not clear why you should join or if you should join, then you will not be able to give your 100% on job. You will be filled with some sense of uncertainty and that is always counter productive.
The key point whether the Army Dental Corps is good for your career completely depends on the following points:
- What is the current stage of your dental career?
- Are you a fresh BDS graduate? (Trying to get into MDS or Job)
- Are you still completing your MDS?
- Are you MDS with a Job (faculty, corporate hospital, or academician in college)
- I already have an established career/future and I am motivated to be part of the army.
- What is your current age?
- Are you 21 – 25 years old (searching to get a foothold in MDS and Career)
- Are you 25 – 28 years old searching for a better alternative than the current one?
- Are you 29 – 30 + (Having a growing or established career)
The above questions are important before you decide to join the Army Dental Corps as you have to understand that the Army Dental Corps is a Short Service Commission, maximum to a tenure of 14 years. (There may be chances of Permanent Commission, but thats, not a Surety. There is no direct exam or progress to the Permanent Commission. You have to apply for the selection.
So, what’s the way your Short Service Commission can convert to Permanent Commission?
As per the application of 2020, On completion of two (02) years of service as SSC officer, as of 31st Mar of the year of application, they are eligible to apply for a limited number of vacancies available for the Departmental Permanent Commission (DPC) provided they have not attained the age of 30 years (for BDS candidates) and 35 years (for MDS candidates) on 31 Dec of the year of application for DPC as per extant policy guidelines.
So, as you can check, other than the fact that the Permanent Commission is not a surety – limited (depending on requirement) + review board selection – AGE also PLAYS a MAJOR ROLE. It’s better to join the Army Dental Corps at a younger age so that you satisfy the age criteria to apply for the Permanent Commission. It’s a short gap – BDS (30 years) & MDS (35 years). Join late and you might miss your chance at PC due to age.
Hence, check again the orange box above and then read the scenarios below
Joining the Army Dental Corps in you are a Fresh BDS Graduate
(Trying to get into a Job)
If you are an intern and newly graduated BDS, then Army Dental Corps may be a good choice for you. Here are the reasons.
Pros:
- You are relatively young (20 – 22 years) age. So, you have time on your side to join ADC, do MDS, and after ADC also, you have time to settle into a new job.
- Joining ADC provides you early entry into a paying job, making you financially independent.
- You also have the option to do MDS, but only after, you get a Permanent Commission. AD Corps doesn’t send you for doing PG/MDS, rather you need to prove your worthiness for eligibility to be a post-graduation candidate officer. You need to earn it, by first becoming a Permanent Commission Officer from the short service commission, by clearing the Departmental Permanent Commission Exam, then followed by clearing the neet PG exam to get a rank good enough to secure a seat in the prestigious AFMC or ADC.
- As mentioned in point 1, with Age on your side, you will have a good opportunity to do your best for qualifying the Departmental Permanent Commission Test (DPC)
Cons:
- The job has limited tenure in the normal course. (Max 14 Years). If you do not qualify for DPC (Departmental Permanent Commission), then there is no further extension.
- Let’s say you join the Army Dental Corps at an age of 25 years. Then you will leave the army at an age of 39 years. From this point, you will need to start your career again. Though Army experience may help you in securing jobs at corporate hospitals or you may also start your own practice. In either case, you are going to start competing with the Civilian candidates.
- SSC does not provide you PENSION after completion of your tenure or any additional medical benefits. You get limited benefits compared to Permanent Commission officers.
- You have a chance to apply for the Permanent Commission on completion of 2 years of SSC service as an Army Dental Corps. In total, you can apply & appear for DPC 3 times only.
Joining the Army Dental Corps if you are Still Doing MDS
If you are still continuing MDS in a Private or a Govt. college, technically you can apply and join the Army Dental Corps if selected. However, there are some points you need to keep in mind.
Cons:
- You will need to leave you MDS in between. You can do that, but please note, that Private & Govt. Universities charge penalty fees if you leave the MDS seat in between. So, you have to pay the fine fees.
- If you want to join ADC as it your primary goal, then that’s fine. However, if your plan is to join ADC and then plan do MDS being in the Army, it’s not that simple. As an SSC (Short Service Commission) ADC officer, you can only do MDS, when you qualify to be a Permanent Commissioned officer via DPC (Departmental Permanent Commission).
Pros:
- If you do not want to do MDS and want to be employed gainfully asap, then opting for the Army Dental Corps is a good choice.
- You do not mind paying the MDS discontinuation fees.
- You are highly motivated to join Army Dental Corps/Army Lifestyle.
So, in general, it’s better to complete the MDS that you are in between and then try for the Army Dental Corps. There is another benefit to it also. As per the official form, there is a provision for antedate promotion.
Candidates who hold three years of Post Graduate Degree (MDS Degree) recognized by DCI prior to joining service is eligible to apply for antedate seniority of a period of thirty-six (36) months commensurate with PG course duration of three years’ academic study after the grant of commission. They will be promoted to the rank of Substantive Major on completion of One year & Six Months of service.
Joining the Army Dental Corps if you are already settled in a career
This scenario is mostly applicable to people who have passed out of BDS/MDS some years back and are currently gainfully employed. For example:
- An MDS with an Academic Career only as a faculty
- An MDS with working as a faculty with private practice or only private practice
- A BDS some years into the practice
- A BDS/MDS working in other aspects (for example family-owned business)
In most such cases, the age of the dentist will be nearing 30 or 30+. So, at this point in your career is it a correct choice to jump into the Army Dental Corps.
Pros:
- If you are motivated to join, you can.
- If you are well settled financially for the years to come (for example well-settled family business), then if motivated, Army Dental Corps is for you.
Cons:
- At this juncture of your career and life, you already might be having a lot of liabilities – social and financial.
- You have already worked hard to establish your Academic or Private Dental Practice. You will need to leave all that if you plan to join ADC.
- Age is also to be considered. For example: If you are 29 when you join the Army Dental Corps, you can work for a maximum of 14 years (subject to availability). At the end of 14 years, you will be 29 + 14 = 43 years old when you have to leave Army (in case you are still SSC). At this point, it may not be so easy to get back into a career in a civilian society where you will need to compete with the rest all once again.
- If you leave as SSC then there is NO pension or additional benefits. This is a point of concern. Even after giving your prime mature age to ADC, you have no security of regular pension or other benefits.
Hence, review more than twice before you decide to join ADC if you are nearing or crossed 30 years of age, with a career that you have built over a few years now. It’s a crucial decision to leave a career where you are earning well.
Even then, if you are highly interested in experiencing being in the Army, then the best possible approach will be to work as an Army Dental Corps for a duration of 5 years and then leave it. That way you are able to realize your dream of serving the nation as an Army man and also you do not end up spending 14 years which might affect your career in the 40s, requiring to start over again.
Also, in the 5 years, you are in the Army Dental Corps, you have the chance to apply for Departmental Permanent Commission (DPC). You can apply for it after 2 years in ADC. You can apply 3 times for it.
Please Note: If you are a BDS only, then the upper age limit to apply for DPC is 30 Years.
If you are MDS, then the upper age limit to apply is 35 Years.
I have interacted with one of my seniors who joined the Army Dental Corps at an age of 27. By 29, he applied for DPC and qualified. (Though he was not expecting at all). So, by 30 he was in Permanent Commission in Army with all pension & other benefits. But you also need to understand, not every candidate will clear DPC.
We just had a detailed discussion, if the Army Dental Corps is the suitable choice for you depending on your age & the stage the career you are currently in. I do understand that being in the Indian Army as the Army Dental Corps is highly prestigious & meaningful. However, at the same time, it is important that you take into consideration the various other practical factors also.
So, we again come back to your Question – Is the Army Dental Corps the Correct Choice for me?
The answer is explained in the three colored boxes above. Please read those twice and understand depending on your current age.
All said and discussed, there are many facts related to the Short Service Commission (SSC) Army Dental Corps, that you must know.
Go to the next slide for some Practical Facts on Army Dental Corps & also to read the responses by real people who have tried or worked as Army Dental Corps
