I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER

Arielle Miller, D3

​My motivation for becoming a military student
through the Army Health Professions
Scholarship Program (HPSP) stems from a
strong desire to serve the United States
military. My Grandfather was a Parajumper
for the 82nd Airborne, and my Uncle recently
retired as a Lieutenant Colonel after serving
a lifelong career in the United States Army.
These men, along with many other mentors I
have had throughout my life, demonstrated
true patriotism, bravery, and commitment to
serving their country. I am honored to have
the opportunity to uphold their legacy and
serve the men and women of the United
States Army, as an Army Dentist.

After commissioning, my life as a military
student has not been much different than my
civilian counterparts. The biggest requirement
that I have for the military while in school is a
45-day in-person Active Duty Training (ADT)
called Army Medical Department Direct
Commission Course (AMEDD DCC). This is
one of two trainings I have to complete prior to
attending my first station base after I graduate
from dental school. I completed AMEDD DCC
last summer in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. This
training was my first hands-on experience as
an officer in the United States Army. I
imagined it would be like all my favorite
military movies – filled with structure, military
language, and action.

During the training, they taught us how to
dress, talk, and walk like an Officer. We
learned customs, traditions and more
acronyms than I can remember. On the
second week of training, I was appointed
Platoon Leader (PL). The PL is responsible for
leading a group of 70 other Medical Officers.
Using this new military language and customs, I marched my Platoon all day for two weeks to medical, the classroom, the mess hall (dining hall), to fieldwork to do land navigation, to the range to work on our precision, to the gas chamber for gas mask training, and then safely back home every evening. 

During training at DCC, I was completely out of my comfort zone. I was humbled, and learned so much about myself as a leader and as a person. I learned that emotional grit, intelligence and strength are the cornerstone for being a strong leader. AMEDD DCC changed me - just 45-days of training taught me more than I ever had imagined, and I am happy to be able to bring my improved skills as a leader into my roles here at UCSF. 

Since returning from training I have found a strong military community here at UCSF. I have made connections with faculty and classmates who currently serve or who are veterans. Currently, I serve as the Physical Fitness (PT) Chair for the Uniformed Dental Corps (UDC) organization on campus. This quarter, we organized a UDC Workout Social & Barbecue, bringing together HPSP students from all three military branches (Army, Navy, and Air Force) for a fun day of physical fitness, food, and comradely. Even though we all come from different branches, we are all striving towards the same goal: the goal of serving the beautiful men and women of the United States military and their families. The goal of serving the ones that sacrifice time with their loved ones to fight for us. I could not think of a better way to serve my country. 

Participants in UDC Workout Social & Barbeque: D1 Yvonna Barrientos, Benjamin Lam, Kyle Palaganas, Muruudul Otgonbold, Byron Trinh; D2 Jenny Giao, Brian Leahy, Arielle Miller; D4 Ryan Andre Magsino

The Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) is a 3 or 4 year full-ride scholarship offered by three armed forces branches (Army, Navy, and Air Force). I feel fortunate that I can focus solely on my dental school education, knowing the military gives their full support in paying for tuition, books, and equipment, and providing a monthly stipend. I can also breathe a sign of relief knowing that I have a job for the next four years following dental school. That being said, the HPSP scholarship is a huge life commitment and not right for everyone. For those who are interested, they should understand all the details of the commitment. If you would like more information about the HPSP scholarship program or would just like to chat sometimes via zoom/google chat, please feel free to reach out (415) 637-9547, Arielle.miller@ucsf.edu