Navy Dentist Details Life at Sea, from Tooth Emergencies to Rarely Seeing the Sun (Exclusive)
From a young age, she dreamed of becoming a dentist. After high school, she attended Gonzaga University, where she discovered a unique opportunity: a U.S. Navy scholarship that covers dental school tuition and provides a living stipend
After being accepted into the program, she served as a Navy dentist aboard an aircraft carrier for two yearsLiving on an aircraft carrier was like a never-ending sleepover with her best friends — just a little louder. At least, that's how Kelsey Smith describes her life as a U.S. Navy officer and dentist aboard the USS Carl Vinson.
For two years, Smith left her Washington State roots and university life behind for the tight quarters and constant motion of life at sea.
'I shared a bathroom with other women and bunk beds with my best friend. It was kind of like college, but with jet engines overhead,' she tells PEOPLE exclusively over Zoom.
Smith's journey to the high seas began with a simple dream: to become a dentist. Growing up in Washington, she developed a passion for science and a desire to help others. After high school, she attended Gonzaga University, where she discovered a unique opportunity: a U.S. Navy scholarship that covers dental school tuition and provides a living stipend.
If accepted, graduates join the Navy as commissioned officers and commit to serving at least two years on active duty, or one year of service for every year of scholarship support. While in undergrad, Smith applied to the program, was accepted and enrolled at the University of Washington's dental school in Seattle.
After finishing dental school, Smith attended Officer Development School, where she was sworn into active duty as an officer and learned all about the Navy. She was then stationed in San Diego to complete a one-year residency in general dentistry.
Following that, Smith, 26 at the time, was assigned to the USS Carl Vinson — a massive aircraft carrier that doubles as a floating city. The flight deck — where aircraft take off — is about 4.5 acres, and when the ship is full, there are about 5,000 people on board.
'What was going through my mind is, I'm going to get lost because it's just a metal box —everything looks the same,' she says, recalling her first time on the ship. 'The hallways, everything's metal, and you can't see outside or windows. So it's like you don't know what's left and right. It is a maze.'
"But it is pretty crazy," she adds. "Every day I would go — if we weren't out at sea — just thinking, 'This is my office.' You're parking your car and walking up, and you're like, 'Whoa, this is big.' '
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
At first, the ship was docked in Coronado, Calif., so Smith could live at home and commute to work. But after a while, the USS Carl Vinson began heading out for 'underways,' which she describes as training missions lasting from a week to a month, designed to keep the crew and ship ready for deployment.
Not long after, the ship deployed into the waters.
While at sea, Smith's days followed a steady rhythm. She'd wake up at 6:30 a.m. in her bunk, get dressed in her uniform, put her hair up and head upstairs to breakfast, where the food was already prepared. The best part? She didn't have to do the dishes.
From there, she'd walk down a narrow hallway known as the P-Way, or passageway, to the dental offices. Each morning began with a team meeting to make sure everyone was aligned for the day ahead.
'We'd start at 7:30 a.m. or 8 a.m. and see patients for a full eight hours,' Smith says. 'Sometimes, probably a few times a week, we'd have night clinic from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. because those are the hours when people are just waking up for their shifts. The ship runs 24/7, so there are night workers who need dental care. So we'd keep the clinic open at night. And when we were out at sea, we worked six days a week, including Saturdays.'
"Every day, even when I wasn't working, I'd walk by my patients and they'd say, 'Oh, hi.' They'd talk about their tooth or something," she adds. "I really don't remember faces. I just remember teeth.'
Aside from work, some of Smith's most memorable moments came during port calls and traveling to places she'd never been to before, including South Korea, the Philippines and Singapore, to name a few.
While at sea, she also ran her first 5K race on the ship, fired a .50 caliber gun off the back, hosted a college basketball game — where she got to see Gonzaga, her alma mater, play Michigan State — and helped with burials at sea. Another highlight was celebrating holidays on board the ship, including a 'crossing the equator' ceremony held on Christmas Day that began before sunrise.
'We crossed the equator, and we do a ceremony — that's where it's called you become a Shellback,' she explains. 'Before that, you're a 'Pollywog,' and then when you cross the equator, they do this ceremony where you become a Shellback."
"You kind of have to go through this whole process … they slime you and make you do silly things,' she adds. "There's King Neptune, they have him over the loudspeaker, and they're dressed up. There was Neptune's throne and everyone is dressed up, and you have to go through this whole course. Then you get to the end — and you're a Shellback. That was really fun to do.'
But despite all the fun moments, life at sea came with logistical curveballs and challenges. For two years, Smith, now 30, navigated living away from her family — including her boyfriend, now husband— for extended periods. Although there was WiFi on the ship, it wasn't always reliable.
Smith also lived below deck, so she'd only go outside about once a month. Despite there being little peepholes where you could see the sun below deck, they were still covered, so it wasn't the same as stepping outside.
'I would kind of go see where I worked out — in an area where you could see outside, but you're not getting sun on you," she says. "You can see the ocean. That makes sense because they're doing a lot of drills flying jets and maintenance on the top. You can't actually go to the flight deck unless they allow you or call all hands.'
For Smith, another hurdle was dealing with unpredictable supply logistics.
While she and the other dentists onboard didn't perform major surgeries, their scope of care was broad, so having a wide range of supplies for exams, fillings and crowns was necessary. But often, they'd run out of things.
'You order it, and maybe you're not going to get it,' Smith says, recalling supply issues. 'The stuff goes to where you say you're going to go. The ship's like, 'Yeah, we're going to South Korea,' and your ship's heading there but then decides to change course. So now your stuff's in a completely different country.'
"But I never felt like it completely limited our abilities," she adds. "I like to say that dentistry is very ... you can make things work.'
After completing her two-year deployment last October, Smith was stationed in Naples, Italy, where she will serve as a Navy dentist for the next three years. This is her final duty station for her commitment, after which she'll decide whether to continue in the Navy or pursue dentistry elsewhere.
Since arriving in Italy, Smith has been sharing her experiences online, posting videos about life as a Navy dentist. She wanted to shine a light on the scholarship program and Navy dental careers — topics she says many people know little about. What started as a way to inform quickly went viral: one video alone has garnered more than 7 million views and nearly 5,000 comments.
"This is so interesting! My daughter LOVES the military and also wants to be a dentist so I'm going to show her your TikToks!! 🤍" one mom writes.
Another viewer adds, "It's cool that you can go into the military to be a dentist."
Someone else notes, "This video and others like it are a great way to give this kind of career more exposure."
Smith says, "I had a mix of people who didn't even know that was a job on an aircraft carrier, to folks in the Navy saying, 'Oh, that's an officer life,' or sharing their own thoughts. It was pretty intense how much it caught on. But now, I'm motivated more than ever to keep sharing my Navy career journey.'
'I just want to inspire people and give them information, because most don't have it,' the dentist adds.
Looking ahead, Smith is ready for whatever comes next — whether that means more time in uniform or a new chapter beyond the Navy. One thing is clear: she's learned to meet every challenge, from navigating the complexities of life at sea to navigating the unexpected spotlight of viral videos, with resilience and a smile.
'The best part,' she reflects, 'was that while my friends were anxious about interviews and next steps, I already knew where I was headed for the next four or five years — the Navy. That security was invaluable. Now, it's time to put on my big girl pants and figure out what's next.'
Read the original article on People
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
SIGA to Host Business Update Call on August 5, 2025 Following Release of Second-Quarter 2025 Results
NEW YORK, July 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SIGA Technologies, Inc. (SIGA) (Nasdaq: SIGA), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company, today announced that management will host a webcast and conference call to provide a business update at 4:30 P.M. ET on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. Participating in the call will be Diem Nguyen, Chief Executive Officer, and Daniel Luckshire, Chief Financial Officer. A live webcast of the call will also be available on the Company's website at in the Investor Relations section of the site, or by clicking here. Please log in approximately 5-10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. Participants may access the call by dialing 1-800-717-1738 for domestic callers or 1-646-307-1865 for international callers. A replay of the call will be available for two weeks by dialing 1-844-512-2921 for domestic callers or 1-412-317-6671 for international callers and using Conference ID: 1130215. The archived webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website. About SIGA SIGA is a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company and leader in global health focused on the development of innovative medicines to treat and prevent infectious diseases. With a primary focus on orthopoxviruses, we are dedicated to protecting humanity against the world's most severe infectious diseases, including those that occur naturally, accidentally, or intentionally. Through partnerships with governments and public health agencies, we work to build a healthier and safer world by providing essential countermeasures against these global health threats. Our flagship product, TPOXX® (tecovirimat), is an antiviral medicine approved in the U.S. and Canada for the treatment of smallpox and authorized in Europe, the UK, and Japan for the treatment of smallpox, mpox (monkeypox), cowpox, and vaccinia complications. For more information about SIGA, visit Contacts:Suzanne Harnettsharnett@ and Investors Media Jennifer Drew-Bear, Edison GroupJdrew-bear@ Holly Stevens, CG Lifehstevens@
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sarepta shares rebound after shipments of gene therapy Elevidys resume in US
(Reuters) -Sarepta Therapeutics shares surged more than 30% before the bell on Tuesday, as analysts said the resumption of U.S. shipments for its muscular gene therapy partially removes financial headwinds and decreases the risk of market withdrawal. The company said on Monday it would resume shipments of Elevidys — approved in the U.S. to treat a rare condition called Duchenne muscular dystrophy — to patients who can walk. U.S. shipments to patients who cannot walk independently are still halted, following the death of two teenage boys earlier this year. These incidents brought heightened regulatory scrutiny to Sarepta in recent weeks, while the pause of shipments raised concerns about the future of Elevidys — the company's largest revenue generator. Sarepta's announcement followed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recommendation that the voluntary hold on shipments be removed after a probe showed the death of an 8-year-old boy in Brazil was not related to Elevidys. Wall Street analysts said the resumption of shipments would allow Sarepta to fulfill its near-term payments to partner Arrowhead and maintain access to its debt facilities. "The FDA's recommendation and the resumption of commercial treatment in the U.S. virtually eliminate the risk of Elevidys being formally withdrawn from the market," said William Blair analyst Sami Corwin. While the decision allows some patients to regain access to the treatment, analysts warned that patients and doctors could show hesitancy in light of the recent hit to reputation. "It remains to be seen how the news headlines regarding the patient deaths will affect commercial interest in the near term," Corwin said. Sarepta's partner Roche had also stopped Elevidys shipments in certain countries outside the U.S. Shares of Sarepta surged 36% to $18.85 in premarket trading. They have fallen more than 80% since the first Elevidys-related death was reported in March. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data


Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
Sweeping Problems Under The Rug By The Feds Doesn't Make Them Go Away
A man walks his dog past a homeless man sleeping under a message painted on a boarded up shop in San ... More Francisco, California on April, 1, 2020, during the novel coronavirus outbreak. - The US death toll from the coronavirus pandemic topped 5,000 late on April 1, according to a running tally from Johns Hopkins University. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) For decades, every administration, every Congress, put many things off for someone else to deal with. No one can get everything done all the time, that's understandable. But many current economic and social programs aren't a result of juggling what might be possible. Instead, they have become the ultimate attempt to kick every can down the road. That doesn't solve problems. It only hides them and allows them to grow and fester. One of the current examples is homelessness. Here is a statement out of the presidential executive order, Ending Crime And Disorder On America's Streets: 'The overwhelming majority of these individuals are addicted to drugs, have a mental health condition, or both. Nearly two-thirds of homeless individuals report having regularly used hard drugs like methamphetamines, cocaine, or opioids in their lifetimes. An equally large share of homeless individuals reported suffering from mental health conditions.' Homelessness is a problem in many parts of the country. And, yes, people on the streets are often troubled in one way or another. However, the entire executive order is a rhetorical setup, claiming that 'nearly two-thirds' of the individuals reporting having used 'hard drugs like methamphetamines, cocaine, or opioids in their lifetimes.' No source for the statistic that is then delivered to deemphasize that any such use might have been long before. And then a statement that an 'equally large share of homeless individuals reported suffering from mental health conditions.' No source, again, and no explanation of what mental health conditions mean. Broadly defined enough, like any amount of depression, anxiety, discomfort, and so on, it could include everyone in the country. Next, a combination of claiming that spending by the federal government and states has run tens of billions on failed programs 'that address homelessness but not its root causes.' After claiming that homeless people leave 'other citizens vulnerable to public safety threats' comes the statement, 'Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order.' After stating that previous spending never looked at root causes, presuming that the administration knows the root causes, the proffered solution is to lock people away. The message is to ignore the problem and put it out of sight. The point isn't really for safety, because most dangerous behavior in the country doesn't come from homeless people. It's for comfort and to pretend everything is fine. This has economic and social implications. Institutionalize where? Privately owned prisons where someone makes a lot of money from incarcerations? Hospitals that have been financially struggling but will even more now that Medicaid has been so thoroughly cut? Similar issues come in arguments over diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI. The administration wants it purged not only from websites and government discussions, but from corporations, universities, and anywhere else the term might appear. Again, the communication expressed by action is to strike any mention of the topic anywhere, to bury it from consciousness as though that makes issues go away. It never does. Other parts of life are no different. Corporations want to promote the use of the most recent forms of artificial intelligence. Traditionally, the argument executives would use is not that technology was about enabling job cuts, but to free people up to do more useful and interesting work. That mask has finally begun to slip as CEOs and their corporations boast of shrinking their workforces. Ultimately, this will lead to fewer people being employed, greater degrees of consumer financial struggle, and economic weakness. But, again, that all gets brushed under the carpet. No society can long stand with such undermining. So long as problems are ignored, they likely grow worse until there comes a point that they demand more resources than are available.