2ND LT MARTHA MORALES

My name is Martha Morales. I'm a Second Lieutenant in the Army. I have an HPSP dental scholarship, and I'm currently a student at the University of Illinois, at the Chicago College of Dentistry. The Army is paying for three out of my four years of dental school.

I've always wanted to be a dentist ever since I was five years old, but I've also always had an appreciation for the military, and I respect people who give back to their country. With this scholarship, I'm able to do both, serve my country and practice the profession that I love so much.

Practicing dentistry in the Army is just like practicing dentistry on the outside, except for in the Army you work in a group practice with other doctors, so you can learn from them, and also if you need to leave, and take a vacation or something, you know your patients are going to be taken care of.

The Army has the most advanced dental technology out there. If it's new and it's good, then the Army's going to have it.

They do a lot of implants, which is a new thing in dentistry.

And I'm really excited about implants because it replaces the missing tooth, and it matches the missing natural tooth that was lost.

This machine right here is a panoramic machine that takes digital radiographs. And digital radiographs is another thing that is very current in dentistry.

When I visit Army facilities, especially their workout facilities, I notice that they're really well equipped, and it's really exciting to know that I have access to all the equipment they have to offer.