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Job Role
Dental Officer Reserve
Job Role

Dental Officer Reserve

Test your dentistry expertise outside your civilian practice and find out what it takes to provide first class care for Royal Navy personnel. As a Dental Officer (Reserve), the work you do will be vital to keeping our operations on track.

HealthcareHumanitarian aidCivilians
  • Undergraduate Degree
  • Surface Fleet
  • Royal Naval Reserve
  • Officer level

At a glance

Test your dentistry expertise outside your civilian practice and find out what it takes to provide first class care for Royal Navy personnel. As a Dental Officer (Reserve), the work you do will be vital to keeping our operations on track.

Lead

A team on global operations

Tax-free

Annual bounty for training commitment

Paid Leave

Proportionate to attendance

Pension

Membership of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme

Travel

All around the world

Extra

Pay if mobilised
I thought qualifying as a Dental Officer was the hardest thing I’d ever do, but I was wrong. Since I joined the Royal Navy I’ve been challenged more than I imagined possible – it’s been really rewarding.

Steve

Dental Officer Reserve

Role details

What you’ll do

Test your dentistry expertise outside your civilian practice and find out what it takes to provide first class care for Royal Navy personnel. As a Dental Officer (Reserve), the work you do will be vital to keeping our operations on track.

You’ll have the support of a dedicated team, including a Dental Hygienist and Dental Nurse as you spend 24 days a year looking after the wellbeing of our people, anywhere from a UK shore base to a ship in the Caribbean.

Your role

  • Deliver world class healthcare as part of a highly skilled and motivated team.
  • Provide vital support to maritime and wider military operations across the globe.
  • Provide support in a range of challenging conditions at sea, on land or in the air. Adapt to a variety of platforms including state of the art warships such as the new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.
  • Travel the world as part of the front line medical services team.
 

Pay & benefits

  • Daily rates of pay equivalent to those of full-time personnel
  • Annual tax-free bounty subject to meeting the minimum training commitment
  • Paid leave in proportion to the number of training days attended
  • Automatic membership of the non-contributory Armed Forces Pension Scheme
  • Expenses and allowances when undergoing training
  • Access to sports and fitness facilities
  • Opportunities for Adventurous Training (AT)

Skills for life

Qualifications you'll gain

  • Leadership and management courses from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)
  • Qualifications based on your role and specialisation

Skills you'll develop

  • Determination, discipline and confidence, which will transfer to your civilian career
  • Leadership, responsibility, time management and personal organisation skills
 

 

Eligibility

  • Aged from 21 and up to 55 (or 56 if you're serving or are an ex-regular, when you start training
  • 5 GCSEs grades C/4, which must include English Language and Mathematics
  • You’ll need a dentistry degree and full General Dental Council registration, without restrictions
  • Relevant speciality training with national training number or a Consultant
  • A National of the United Kingdom, a Commonwealth citizen or Dual National. Dual Nationality restrictions do apply
  • You need to be within the healthy range for Body Mass Index (BMI) 
  • Pass the Naval Swimming Test
     

Skills & Interests

  • An ambitious medical professional
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Quick thinking and calm under pressure
  • Caring and compassionate nature
  • A team player
  • An adventurous spirit
 

 

Joining Process

From picking your role to starting on your first day, these are the steps you'll take to join as a rating.

Step 1

Submit an application

Your first step is to request and fill in your online application. If you have any questions beforehand, you can phone us on 0345 600 3222

Apply
Step 2

Presentation

You will be invited to attend an Initial Maritime Reserves Presentation (IMRP) at your nearest Unit. This is your chance to have a look around, meet the team, ask any questions and find out about life in the Reserves
Step 3

Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA) and interview

You will be invited to an interview, which is normally conducted using your own device over the Shine video platform, where we will check your eligibility and outline the joining process. See more advice here. You will then sit the DAA, which assesses: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Work Rate, Spatial Reasoning, Electrical Comprehension and Mechanical Comprehension. You will also be invited to have an interview with the medical recruiting team

practise the DAA
Step 4

Join your local Unit

You will then be invited to join your Unit for Attestation. This involves swearing allegiance to His Majesty The King and signing the Official Secrets Act. At this point you’ll be a Phase 0 recruit, and will attend weekly drill nights, however you won’t be able to start formal training until you pass your medical and fitness test
Step 5

Medical and fitness test

The medical tests are carried out by your nearest Ministry of Defence approved doctor, but eye tests can be completed at selected high street centres. The Pre-Joining Fitness Test (PJFT) requires you to complete a 2.4km run on a treadmill at a local approved fitness centre
PJFT
Step 6

Admiralty Interview Board

This stage is unique to officers and takes place in two parts. A Pre Recorded Interview (PRI) is an online assessment which assesses your motivation to join the Royal Navy as an officer and your awareness of the Royal Navy. The Group Planning Exercise (GPE) is the second stage of the AIB and is an online competency based assessment which will take place on a separate day to the PRI. It will be conducted in a virtual group environment and you will be assessed on your contribution to the team based on your individual performance
AIB
Step 7

Phase 1 training

You’ll now be a signed-up member of the Royal Naval Reserve as a Phase 1 recruit. At this stage you’ll be given your Royal Navy identification card and uniform, and be able to conduct formal basic training
Step 8

Training

During your Phase 1 training you will learn about life in the Royal Navy. This takes place on weekly drill nights. You’ll also spend two weekends learning about life in the military and what it is like at sea
Step 9

Confirmation course

This two-week course is held at HMS Raleigh. Once you’ve completed this you will go on to specialise in your chosen discipline

Got a question?

Our virtual recruiter is available to answer your questions 24 hours a day

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