Interview Preparation

What does it mean if I get an interview call?

• If you're called for an interview it means the admission committee has selected your application as one of the finalists
• At this point, you are considered to have a strong enough academic profile, they will now evaluate you on a personal level to determine whether or not you are a good fit for their program
• Remember, they are looking for someone they can trust to practice under their dental license so they want someone who will be trustworthy, honest, responsible, well-spoken, and efficient.

What Interview Structure Can I expect?

• The interviews are generally structured differently depending on the school 
  • A single interview with a single faculty member
  • A series of individual interviews with different faculty members
  • A single interview in front of several faculty members
  • A single or series of interviews with current students with or without faculty members

How Do I Dress?

• Business attire- Suits are best
• Some schools require scrubs to be worn for the bench exam so be prepared for that as well- some people changed midway during the interview day during some of my interviews
• Look like a professional, every little detail counts and carry yourself as one! 

How Do I Prepare?

Interview preparation takes a lot of revision and it's best to practice answering questions with several different people (you will feel silly doing this but trust me it helps!)

Body Language

• Look like a confident doctor-- someone who patients will trust!
• Sit upright with good posture
• Maintain eye contact with everyone in the room throughout the interview
• Don't fidget or shake your legs. 
• It's normal to be nervous but you're going into a profession where you're dealing with people's health and lives. That means you have to be able to handle way more stressful situations than sitting and talking with people at a table. Let them know that!
• Smile, be calm, be cool, be someone you would want to have operate on your face. 

Structuring Your Responses

• For any question, make sure you think about what is asked and respond to the question they are answering-- for example if they ask you to tell them about yourself don't start listing off your CV
• You should be able to speak to the point but add enough detail so the conversation can flow
• In reality the interview is nothing but a conversation-- you don't want to be annoying and too talkative, too brief and awkward, or off topic and rambling-- just speak calmly and intelligently and be yourself.

Commonly Asked Questions

• "Tell me about yourself"
  • This is the question you will be asked first almost wherever you go
  • It is your first impression in front of the staff so if you answer well, the rest of the interview can go very well
  • This response can also be used to guide the interview towards points you want to talk about with the interviewers later
  • This response should be concise and to the point. I recommend keeping the answer within 2-3 minutes
  • They want a brief intro to who you are- a quick summary of where/how you grew up
  • It doesn't have to be dental related at all! In fact, a lot of interviews have NOTHING to do with dentistry (Mine didn't, at the place I got accepted I ended up talking about travel, the Himalayas, and books)
  • Please DO NOT use this response to list your CV- that's just annoying for both interviewers and candidates
  • It's ok to include your hobbies, family, things that are important to who you are as a person. But remember to keep it concise and quick so the interviewer doesn't lose interest and you don't go off on a random tangent!
• "Tell me about your long and short term goals"
  • You can decide how long short term and long term mean
  • I prepared responses for 5 years and 10 years
  • Concise answer again- it can be related to professional life or personal life
• "Tell me about a difficulty you faced"
  • As mentioned above, they want someone who can handle real difficulties and real problems with intelligence and calm
  • If the hardest thing you've faced is failing an exam then that won't be a good representation of how you will handle the stress of handling an aggressive patient
  • Maintain professionalism during this answer- you don't need to cry or become overly emotional, They want facts.
  • Also useful to mention what you gained/learned from the difficult situation
• "What makes you a unique candidate"
  • Incorporate your CV with your personal qualities/attributes
• "What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?"
  • Good to have 2-3 of each
  • Make them diverse 
  • Use weaknesses that are secretly strengths: "I tend to be indecisive because I always want to select the best option"
• "How do you relax"
  • Pretty much just avoid saying drugs and alcohol
• "How will you handle the stresses of dental school?"
  • Same answer as above
• "Why do you want to be a dentist?"
  
  • ​This is a very important question that serves to screen applicants
    
  • It is important that you show the faculty a genuine interest in dentistry and your patients
  • Avoid mentioning financial incentives, but rather, try to show them the side of you who will be a great dentist and bring their school a good name
• "Tell me about your family"
  • You're an adult so don't talk about your parents off the bat
  • Talk about your husband/wife and kids or lack of with intention/not of making a family 
  • After that talk about parents/siblings
  • It is unethical to ask about your marital status or pregnancy status
• Be prepared to talk about the following:
  • Your CV- A few lines about each component 
  • Ethical Scenarios- Always important to maintain a high ethical standard! Remember, the patient comes first!
  • Clinical treatment planning- Some schools ask this. Make sure you think about all components of treatment (cost, longevity, etc.)
  • Motivations in your life- personal and professional

Most important point- Be yourself!

• Everyone accepted into my program is very unique but all are VERY GENUINE. That's what has made my class so incredible so far! The people interviewing you have done this hundreds of times so they can spot a fake instantly. Don't think you can outsmart people just be real and your chances go up exponentially! 

After the Interview

• Send a written card or email thank you note. 
• Use it as a chance to refresh them about who you are

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