Entering the military post graduation is just one of many ways that dental students can put their hard-earned skills to use and help others through providing healthcare. This year, eight members of the Class of 2025 will be receiving their orders to serve as military dentists post-graduation. 

The U.S. Military Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) offers students a year-for-year commitment to service in exchange for education. The program provides a unique opportunity for students to learn dentistry and later serve their country.

Family, friends, faculty and staff celebrated the military scholars’ graduations and next adventure during the Military Scholars Ceremony on May 9. Following touching tributes by Shawn McMahon, D.D.S., MS, and Terence Imbery, D.D.S., the students were ceremoniously pinned by their loved ones.

 

The following students will be joining the military post-graduation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding courage and inspiration

It’s been a long time coming for these students. For many of them, joining the military was just as much of an interest as entering dentistry. 

“Joining the military had always been in the back of my mind,” said Colter Christensen, D.D.S., “But when I decided I wanted to go into healthcare, I thought that there was no way to do both. And then in high school, I was exposed to a lot of dentists and doctors who had gone the military route. I’d never heard of it until then. I looked further into it and ended up applying for the scholarship with the Navy and the rest is history.”

Haileigh Gofton, D.D.S., chose to apply because of the values that the military and dentistry share.

“I applied for the military scholarship because it upholds values I believe are important to provide dental care,” she said. “The Army Dental Corps, to me, is an environment thriving on innovation, leadership and teamwork to provide cutting edge, comprehensive and personalized dental care to fellow military members and ultimately, the country.”

Brandon Perroots, D.D.S., was first exposed to a military career by his grandparents. Speaking to recruiters in high school introduced him to the idea of practicing medicine in the military, but he wasn’t introduced to dentistry until his undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech.

“I was helping my grandma at the time and was introduced to a dentist at her assisted living facility,” he said. “It was one of those moments where I thought ‘Why didn’t I think of this?’. That’s where it all started to come together for me. I was able to shadow him for a while and realized that this is what I wanted to do.”

Inspiration comes in many forms. Several of the military scholars saw the positive experiences of their family, friends and mentors in the military and were encouraged by them to apply.

“I chose to apply for the Health Professions Scholarship Program because it provided a unique opportunity to pursue my passion for dentistry while fulfilling a long-standing aspiration to serve my country,” said Jerry Jarrett, D.D.S. “Having grown up in a naval city, military service has always held personal significance. The HPSP presented a pathway to achieve my professional goals while also contributing to a greater cause.”

Lauren Klein, D.D.S., also grew up with a family in the military. She will be following in her parents’ footsteps by joining the Air Force.

“The inspiration came from them,” Klein said. “I saw all of the really amazing opportunities they had to travel and help others.”

Joelle Ortega, D.D.S. found her inspiration right within the walls of VCU School of Dentistry. She named Imbery and Garry Myers, D.D.S., as sources of guidance during her application process. 

In a full circle moment, it was Imbery who pinned her during the Military Scholars Ceremony.

“A lot of my mentors in school were in the military,” Ortega said. “I got to speak with them about their experiences and the different opportunities that the military provides, such as traveling and continued education.”

Reflecting on dental school

Their time in dental school not only prepared them for treating patients in the clinic, but for the resilience and hard work required to thrive in a military setting. The students applied for their scholarships early in their dental school journeys, and received crucial mentorship from military officials and former military faculty members throughout their time at dental school.

It is a well known fact that dental school requires a strenuous amount of coursework, clinical hours and for many students, dedication to community service and extracurricular activities. Life as a military dentist promises a similarly busy schedule.

“The resilience I have developed throughout dental school will be a cornerstone of my professional identity and will guide me in upholding the values of duty, discipline, commitment and service in my future career,” said Jarrett.

Klein cited the Military Scholars program as providing a sense of stability during the transition from dental school to a career post-graduation.

“It was nice to have an idea of what comes next after graduation,” Klein said. “I had really great mentors both at VCU and in the Air Force who helped with the transition. I was able to focus on school and clinicals without worrying about the future.”

The start of their military careers also signifies the end of their times in Richmond. The past four years saw the group bond not only with each other as fellow military scholars, but also their classmates and faculty.

Ortega found mentorship in Class of 2024 military scholarship recipient, Anna Elizabeth Allen, D.D.S., who also joined the Air Force. She credits Allen and other military scholars with inspiring her to apply for the program during her first year of dental school.

“She gave me a lot of guidance,” she said. “We’ve continued to stay in touch and talk about her experiences in the military.

For Christensen, moving to Richmond from a small town in Utah provided many exciting opportunities and served as a prelude to his upcoming move to Chicago.

“I loved experiencing all Virginia had to offer, like the beaches and mountains and living in a city,” he said. “I feel ready to move onto an even bigger city.”

Parting wisdom

Four years flew by for these students, and they were able to take a moment to reflect on their journeys and what lies ahead. 

“I’ve learned that it’s so important to enjoy the moment,” Christensen said. “And no matter how busy you are, take time to find time for the things you enjoy.”

Adaptability was key for Perroots and Gofton.

“Nothing is going to happen the way you plan,” Perroots said. “Whether it be with your patients or life in general, being able to adapt and learn as you go is so important. Go with the flow.”

“Dental school brings many unique challenges and opportunities,” Gofton said. “Don’t be afraid to embrace them and learn something new because resilience and adaptability are important not only in dental school, but in success beyond.”

Klein agreed that adaptability and open mindedness was key to passing dental school and succeeding beyond.

“My dad has a saying that you always control the things you can control and adapt to the things you can’t,” Klein said.

Although their orders will see them moving far and wide across the states, the knowledge and experiences they shared while at VCU will live on.