My birthday drew number 311 in the 1969 lottery while in undergraduate school. This meant that there was little to no chance of being drafted. However, when I went to dental school, this all changed. Being single meant there was a reasonable chance I could be drafted. Therefore, I joined the NROTC, applied for and received an HR-55 scholarship, and served in San Diego for two professionally satisfying and personally enjoyable years. Then I was able to use the GI bill for an orthodontic residency. It all worked out for the best.
