Interview Experience & Practical Exam

[inddoc]

Hi wisdom tooth..this is great stuff...thank u so much..wish u good luck

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[superstar2008]

Hi Wisdom Tooth,
You just rock! I do really appreciate your tremendous effort in patient explainin your experiences in NYUCD. That means a lot to anybody who's awaitin anxiously to attend the interview. When wud they let you know abt your acceptance? Hope I'm not goin overboard. Thank you and keep the good work goin!

 

[arpamit]

I have already posted my stats in NYU interview thread and I will try my best to cover all the details abt my interview still if any one has any doubts plz feel free to PM me...
I have been informed about my interview call on my cell phone on 14th of january at abt 4:45 pm,was scheduled for 17th of january starting at 8 am.
If you are driving to the NYU make it sure to leave early expecting trafic delays in the morning peak hours perticularly if u r staying somewhere in new jersey also there is no parking alloted for us or nyu students,if u r staying in jersey city then i guess path train will be best for the transportation,while going back all the people who are going to get any public transportation can book a cab together in sharing to reach port authority bus terminal(its just a suggestion because we did the same)
I reached NYU at 7:45 am,when u reach the place been informed in ur invitation e-mail,u find a lady at the information desk at the entrance,she will give u something like a file with the information regarding tution fees and loans,etc inside and u need to wait to be called for a personal interview
u can heve coffee or some breakfast at that time if u want to...
I was interviewed early at about 8 by a lady and it was just for 15 minutes only.They make u very comfortable and ask general questions like.......
- tell me something abt u,
- why u decided to be a dentist?
- wat r u doing these day,if u r a student like me on MPA/MPH then which university u r? and when r u planning to complete ur MPA?...be careful answering this question caz they r starting their program in JUNE,so they want u to complete it till may otherwise they will enroll u for 2009 batch.
- generally they dont go for theory related questions but she asked me to explain her how to manage a patient with syncope
Lastly they ask us if we have any questions for them abt the program or collage.
They called 12 students for interview,8 were for Advanced Placement and 4 were regular DDS students,when all 12 completed their interviews we had a short tour to collage and then we all were requested to sit in a room where we had an advisor to answer all our doubts regaring program/collage untill we r all clear with all our doubts
They have 120 seats this year for advanced standing students but they filled 145 last year and r not going to repeat it this time and as they said they will call students for interviews till april...
again we got almost an hour of tour to different departments by a 3rd yr DDS student and had a chance to have a lunch in nyu caffeteria with some 2nd and 3rd yr students,where we can ask them whats really happening in collage and the current student's review for the collage...
If I miss anything I am requesting all the people who gets done with their interviews to write here in this thread to make it more informative for those who need r having the interview in the upcoming days...


Wisdom Tooth

Hi wisdom tooth ,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

 

[wisdom tooth]

they will take at least 2 weeks,no sooner to send any letters...

 

[ud80]

Thanks a lot wisdom tooth. All the best.

 

[NileBDS]

Great post wisdom. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us all. I'll merge this thread, with the "Interview Experiences" sticky, in hopes of benefiting future applicants.

 

[wisdom tooth]

hey thats good idea NileBDS
that way more students will be benefited...

 

[go2dentist]

My little additions to Nile's huge makeover ...
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=350309

Hi g3k,

I am also female dentist from India. I have just written nbde I . Can I have yr email id pls..........

 

[soriandra]

Great thread guys! Thanks for making it a sticky, sometimes it's hard finding stuff around here, there's so much information...

Did anyone interview with Temple? I know they have a clinical exam too, did anyone interview with them?

 

[denver ISP]

any one applying for university of colorado and recieved invitation for interview?

 

[leonisminora]

deleted

 

[rams]

any one applying for university of colorado and recieved invitation for interview? i wanna help

Hey ,
did u say u wanna help or u want help?

 

[dentinden]

any one applying for university of colorado and recieved invitation for interview? i wanna help

I have an interview on June 14,2008 at University of Colorado. Any tips on which teeth are commonly used for the Class 2 and full crown(PFM and cast gold) preps?

 

[tapanhp]

Would someone please list commonly provided burs and instruments for PFM and Amalgam Preps during bench tests

 

[dental1976]

get busy living or get busy dying

 

[dental1976]

I have a bench exam at umdnj nj schol of dentistry next week ,they sent me a letter stating what I have to do ,but in the letter they also stated that during the bech exam I have to take a written exam 1hour long ,a periodontic questionnaire 1/2 hour and a prosthodontic questionnaire 1/2 hour ,what does that mean ?How could I prepare for it?what kind of questions do they ask in a questionnaire?I went through this thread and I didnt find the answer ,could someone help me out ?your help will be apreciated.thatks in advance guys.

HI,

I really appreciate your help! I will have an interview in the same school. May I know your experience?

Thank you very much!

 

[DR TOOTH]

I have edited and added some extra information on Pacifc. If any other student can pm me or post here about their school and the experience they have had so far at their school that would be great. Its team effort and I sincerely hope everyone helps and everyone can benefit from it.

Hi
Can you please direct me to the link where you posted additionla information about Pacific please?

 

[Elderwand]

hello...any body having experience of interview at UOP..Kindly lemme know about the interview...wat type of questions are asked....

 

[uabsfm]

Hi!!
You reallly did wonderful job.
God bless you
Once again thanx

Uabsfm.

 

[pdha1]

Hi g3k,
Your post is very very informative.I truely appreciate you putting so much effort into helping people like us gettting ready for the interview.Is there any book u would recommend me to read for the PBL's for day one of the interview for USC?

In the end to summarize, I would say no school is the best school … it all boils down to what you want out of the schools. If you want the cheapest .. probably Boston is the best. If you want excellent clinical experience .. California schools, Minnesota, Penn and Michigan are all great schools. If you want help with your licensing exams, then Penn, Pacific and Boston are schools you can look into.If you want to specialize.. Penn, UCSF and Michigan are great schools…. See it all comes to what you want.

So my best advice would be … work towards your part 1 and improve your resume, get great recommendation letters from the US. Once you get that done, send in all your applications by end of August. Don’t wait for each school’s deadline, early applications help. Know what you want from your education. Know what you want to be. Research on every school - find if it gives you what you want. Still apply to every school even if some schools do not give what you want. Something is better than nothing. But aim for the best on your list. BASICALLY KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
Let the interviews roll in. September start preparing for the interviews .. answer and master basic questions llike :
1) Tell me about yourself
2) Why you?
3) Why this school?
4) Do you want to specialize?
5) What do you do for fun?
6) Have you read any book recently?
7) What have you done or completed back home .. what kind of crowns, what kind of endo work etc?
8) Why are your scores low in this section .. that is a given question?
9) What have you been doing in the US?
10) What did you do in your home country ?

Prepare answers that you can CONVERSE for three minutes for each of the above and master them… don’t cram them that should come out of your mouth like you meant every word you said... and it should be like you are talking to a friend... so keep repeating these answers and you will converse with your interviewer and not answer their questions. Talk to as many strangers as you can… it helps. And please don't be so sensitive. They are going to ask you faults in your application... why are these scores low, why no work experience.... all they want to know is why couldn't you do it and does your answer justify the situation enough to give you a seat over some student who has gotten such great scores, has an extra degree, more work experience and probably a research scientist! Now tell me - if you are hiring someone, why would you hire someone who has a 96 when you can hire someone who has a 92 with some experience in the field? So, don't be sensitive. It doesn't work in the US. Keep your feelings aside and talk like you are the best. Tell them what happened when things went wrong. Be sure and confident of yourself. If it doesn't work.. it's probably not meant for you.
Let me show you an example - http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=349317 read that thread and see how insensitive replies are floating around and the OP doesn't care! That's how we must be. Take everything lightly.


Prepare for your practicals. Practice the following :

1) Class II amalgam
2) PFM on anterior
3) Molar Gold crown prep upper and lower
4) 3/4 and 7/8 crown ( if you know full gold crown preps on the molars ¾ and 7/8 are easy)
5) Onlay prep on molars
6) PFM premolar
7) Amalgam fill and carve


Rules I learnt was important in practical…
1)Never nick the adjacent tooth. Use a matrix band or wedge if you can (you can use it in every school except usc… they are particular that you don’t use anything.. they disqualified a student’s work because of that…)
2)And please don’t even ask this stupid question of whether you can unscrew the tooth if your preparation went wrong .. no you can not! We are all dentists only difference being we can work in another country.. if you screw up on a patient’s tooth can you tell the patient guess what I nicked your adjacent tooth or I prepared the cavity on the wrong tooth, so let me extract both the teeth and replace it??? I think that is the most absurd question I have ever come across. Before asking questions please do think!
3) Under preparation is far better than over preparation … Make mistakes that are adjustable. Don’t err on the side that is irreversible.
4) In problem based questions like the one at USC… remember every answer is correct as long as you make your preps well.



My ideal school would be a 24 - 28 month program that would give you the opportunity to externships for specialization/ research / vacation for one month each year whatever you would prefer, with a PBL curriculum and excellent faculty and the training you need to get your licensing exam .. its hard to get all in one school and that’s why each school is unique in its own way … maybe one day I will start a school that gives all these… but again you all readers there may not like this combination. So which is the best school? Which ranked number 1? - The school that accepts you and the school that gives you what you want.

So good luck all!!

 

[sella]

Hi g3k,
Your post is very very informative.I truely appreciate you putting so much effort into helping people like us gettting ready for the interview.Is there any book u would recommend me to read for the PBL's for day one of the interview for USC?

so many sdnners have given interviews seems like they dont want to share their experience
comeone guysssss
dare to help others
thanks

 

[drvir]

hi how r u? i got interview call from newyork university. My GPA is 2.71 .right now i am studying in master in health care management. and In MBA my gpa is 3.35. I want to ask you what is answer of ques - why your gpa is too low?
My nbde part 1 is 89%
and part-2 is 77%

Hello all,
This is long overdue to my fellow SDN’ers. Thank you all so much esp. nilebds, gumpads, oral surgeon, Mekha, sumanvarireddi and lots more. I have been inactive for the past year as I did not want to write something until I was successful in getting an admission call from a university. So here goes my success story as a motivation to all you persistent FTDs. Note: persistent.

[ EDIT - Let me begin by saying this is my second round of attempt to get into a two year program. First time I got one interview out of 10. Second time I got 8 out of 9 and out of the 8 - got accepted into 3, waitlisted at 2 and rejected at 2; yet to hear from 1 - well now I may not attend the interview at UMich . What did I do? Improved my scores and added some work experience and modified my personal statement to fit the school; last but not the least got wonderful recommendation letters. I still made a mistake – I did not prepare for most of the interviews especially the California ones. I was the perfect candidate on paper (that's what got me so many interviews) but did not present myself so (that's what got me so few accepatnces). Please do not repeat it. It is disheartening especially after all the hardwork. Make a list of possible questions and turn it into a conversation. Remember the way to prepare for an interview is for you to sit down write out the answers to all the questions and then for you to turn it into a conversation… so practice like it is a natural answer practice practice practice… remember you are being interviewed not your husband not your friend not your brother it is you! Also, if you want to be accepted at a California school, even considered – PRACTICE your hand skills! ]

I am writing this like a diary as every day, or I should put interview, goes by for two reasons. One, I give you an unbiased opinion of each school as I am not accepted into any school yet and two, I don’t forget what happened at each school. Remember, I am writing down what I see in each school as pros and cons, which, you might see the same pros and cons as cons and pros respectively. Also my concern is clinical experience. I am a relatively fresh graduate and do not have any clinical experience in my home country except for the compulsory internship. So, what I am looking in a school, is the best clinical education I could get, for the money I am spending. So no school is the best and no school can be ranked overall. It all boils down to what you want – cheapest? shortest? best preclinical? best clinical? specialization? research? and so on. And mine is best clinical education – maximum number of patients I can treat. So as per my rating of schools for clinical experience would be any of these five - UCSF, Pacific, UPenn, UMich and UMN - all have the best clinical education.

 

[smile08]

hi,
i am not very sure as to what i can use for prepaaring on the dentoform teeth.an airrotoer or a micromotor handpiece.which is infact recommended in the bench exam because using an airotor for cavity prep on dentoform is a little more difficult than using a micromotor.please let me know ...so that i can proceed with my preps. thank u

 

[La fea]

hi,
i am not very sure as to what i can use for prepaaring on the dentoform teeth.an airrotoer or a micromotor handpiece.which is infact recommended in the bench exam because using an airotor for cavity prep on dentoform is a little more difficult than using a micromotor.please let me know ...so that i can proceed with my preps. thank u

Consider using 4 hole high speed hand piece. It takes a little getting used to, yes. But you have time on your hands. Also for some interviews like Pacific, UCLA, Colorado, LLU(I think) you have to carry your own anyway.

 

[smile and laugh]

i got a interview call from nova southeastern univ...........can anyone plz suggest me how can i prepare for the interview as i have never done crown preps...........plz help me out

 

[Pedro Paulo]

Hello, does anybody knows a place in USA that we can do a Postdoctoral course and be eligible to work as a dentist in that area??
Thanks

 

[ash78]

Hi Calalily, No problem.
Hey, I'm still struggling too, and we can all share our experiences here.
Yeah, Colorado state is very nice, lots of activities, and Denver in itself is a beautiful city as you mentioned. Very diverse, metropolitan and has a beautiful lanscape. The new UC dental campus and health science center have been moved just this year to Aurora, but that shouldn't be a problem sice Aurora is like 10 minutes out of Denver, and i'm sure that it's as beautiful and less crowded.
I have not heard back from them as of today. The entering class of ISP were scheduled to start this month, so it might take them a couple of weeks to process and send out the letters, if they ever do .
Anyways, my stats are
I:81, II:82, TFL:273, ECE:2.9, Exp:1yr home/3yr US DA.
I do have to say this though. Stats are misleading. It is true. I know people with better stats that have yet to be invited to a single interview, and people with scores simmilar to or even less than mine that have already been accepted elsewhere. Most schools are looking for a "package". They don't want a very intelligent student that can't speak english or communicate with their patients (TOEFL has no way of gauging your communication skills), nor do they want an excellent clinician with a poor personality and leadership skills.
The only schools that will admit you based solely on good board scores, are schools which are looking for research experience. Thats what they do. Research. They don't place much emphasis on the of the rest of the application, and to give you a hint, these schools don't even require a clinical exam on your interview (ding ding ding).
So, look at your whole application, not just at your scores. What kind of experience you have, reccomendations, extracirricular activities, awards, volunteer work ... you know. And don't get me wrong. Good scores are definately a strong point on your application, although they will not get you admission.
Hope it helps.
Good luck.

hi NileBDS
it's really a good information for people like me..scored 84 in part i ..post graduate .... 4 yrs teaching exp..few research studies and national level presentations..gpa 3.18..toeffel yet 2 gv..do i stand any chance..or retaking exam is the only option which is i'll prfrd 2 b d last..

 

[ispaspirant]

Any girl dentist interested to share accomodation on May 2 , 2009 interview at univ of colorado, please contact.

 

[bombay1996]

I just noticed this thread and that it is still going on after several years. I recently asked about preparing for Practical Exams for this year and was told in another thread that Duggan Study Institute has courses. I looked at the website, duggandds.com, and found a course outline under RT supplemental schedule. I called them and they have many 9-day courses scheduled that are flexible in content. They used to do courses for the Calif RT exam and apparently had over 3000 students in the program before the RT ended (sob). They seem like the place to go - anyone got some personal experience to share, I'm thinking about signing up?

 

[IMPACT]

Great post wisdom. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us all. I'll merge this thread, with the "Interview Experiences" sticky, in hopes of benefiting future applicants.

Hi All
Thanks for posting your experiences. Really appreciate you taking the time and effort to help fellow SDNers
Cheers to the SDN spirit

 

[Elderwand]

Any dental clinics in california...near LA...which may be available for preparation of bench exams..kindly pm...

 

[Minsat]

Hi,

I live in sunnyvale ca. And if anyone who is applying for the dental school live in and around the area, we can get in touch and do preparation together. Also if someone has gone through the interview and has got some stuff to pass on, please contact me.

 

[de2009]

hi i am looking to buy or rent a used amalgamator and slowspeed handpiece. if anyone is interested could you please contact me
at [email protected]

 

[ONS]

i am interested in buying handpiece and compressor......is anybody selling it...also want a general idea hw much a brand new of both wll cost.....do we need slow speed or fast handpiece.....pls pm me if somebody is interested in selling.....

 

[dentistmaro]

Hello everyone
I would love to help out. I know what it's like going to your first interview. It's like you're about to hit a brick wall, and you don't know when.
I interviewed a UOP and UColorado so far. Here's what I have to say
(wait listed at both schools by the way);

1) Interview experience (eg. what questions you were asked)

UOP: Very delightful. Everything was carefully organized, and the staff were ok. They try their best to be helpful and put the interviewees at ease.
Q's: Tell me about your school, why UOP, why pay so much money for school, what are your future plans.

UC: Hmm ... let me just put it this way. UOP was much better organized. This is UC 3rd class for the advanced standing program, so they have limited experience with this kind of program. And boy, does it show.
I would not expect much. I will be re-applying anyways. I need my degree plus the University has a very good reputation.
Q's: How did you know about our program, Do you plan on staying in colorado, what are your future plans, what did you do while assisting, tell me about your family. More personaly Q's if anything.

2) Practical exam (eg. what you were asked to do)

UOP: #8 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only)

UC: #3 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only), several "wax" excercises. They give you two types of wax (red and orange) and ask you to make different shapes of wax on a piece of paper/card they give you. Also they give you a rod of green wax/compound and ask you to carve a box into it.
So as you see, it's nothing you can prepare for. But you will have plenty of time.

3) How you prepared for the practical exam

UOP: Practice at office. At UOP they will give you a booklet detailing every single step of the preps. which they will ask of you to perform, and it is very detailed. No worries there. Just stay calm.

UC: Practice at office.

Interviews: UOP, UC, NYU, UF
Declined NYU (last year), going to UF interview this month.
Accepted: ?

Do u know any thing about the interview process or about the program ?Is it good or not ?
as it's gonna be my first interview ?
thanks .

 

[dentistmaro]

hi every one ,i am going to have an interview at rochester dental center .Does any one knows any details about the interview process,Is it personal or include practical exam ?
any information would be helpfull .
thanks .

Hi Calalily, No problem.
Hey, I'm still struggling too, and we can all share our experiences here.
Yeah, Colorado state is very nice, lots of activities, and Denver in itself is a beautiful city as you mentioned. Very diverse, metropolitan and has a beautiful lanscape. The new UC dental campus and health science center have been moved just this year to Aurora, but that shouldn't be a problem sice Aurora is like 10 minutes out of Denver, and i'm sure that it's as beautiful and less crowded.
I have not heard back from them as of today. The entering class of ISP were scheduled to start this month, so it might take them a couple of weeks to process and send out the letters, if they ever do .
Anyways, my stats are
I:81, II:82, TFL:273, ECE:2.9, Exp:1yr home/3yr US DA.
I do have to say this though. Stats are misleading. It is true. I know people with better stats that have yet to be invited to a single interview, and people with scores simmilar to or even less than mine that have already been accepted elsewhere. Most schools are looking for a "package". They don't want a very intelligent student that can't speak english or communicate with their patients (TOEFL has no way of gauging your communication skills), nor do they want an excellent clinician with a poor personality and leadership skills.
The only schools that will admit you based solely on good board scores, are schools which are looking for research experience. Thats what they do. Research. They don't place much emphasis on the of the rest of the application, and to give you a hint, these schools don't even require a clinical exam on your interview (ding ding ding).
So, look at your whole application, not just at your scores. What kind of experience you have, reccomendations, extracirricular activities, awards, volunteer work ... you know. And don't get me wrong. Good scores are definately a strong point on your application, although they will not get you admission.
Hope it helps.
Good luck.

 

[javid]

Hi friends
I am applying some schools, but I am wondering that which schools can I apply and how is my chance? nbde1 88, TOEFL 104, GPE 3.32
Do you think that do I have any chance for UCLA?
Thanks.

 

[gaya]

Hello everyone
I would love to help out. I know what it's like going to your first interview. It's like you're about to hit a brick wall, and you don't know when.
I interviewed a UOP and UColorado so far. Here's what I have to say
(wait listed at both schools by the way);

1) Interview experience (eg. what questions you were asked)

UOP: Very delightful. Everything was carefully organized, and the staff were ok. They try their best to be helpful and put the interviewees at ease.
Q's: Tell me about your school, why UOP, why pay so much money for school, what are your future plans.

UC: Hmm ... let me just put it this way. UOP was much better organized. This is UC 3rd class for the advanced standing program, so they have limited experience with this kind of program. And boy, does it show.
I would not expect much. I will be re-applying anyways. I need my degree plus the University has a very good reputation.
Q's: How did you know about our program, Do you plan on staying in colorado, what are your future plans, what did you do while assisting, tell me about your family. More personaly Q's if anything.

2) Practical exam (eg. what you were asked to do)

UOP: #8 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only)

UC: #3 PFM, #30-MO Amal. (prep only), several "wax" excercises. They give you two types of wax (red and orange) and ask you to make different shapes of wax on a piece of paper/card they give you. Also they give you a rod of green wax/compound and ask you to carve a box into it.
So as you see, it's nothing you can prepare for. But you will have plenty of time.

3) How you prepared for the practical exam

UOP: Practice at office. At UOP they will give you a booklet detailing every single step of the preps. which they will ask of you to perform, and it is very detailed. No worries there. Just stay calm.

UC: Practice at office.

Interviews: UOP, UC, NYU, UF
Declined NYU (last year), going to UF interview this month.
Accepted: ?

what exactly is this wax exercise .i dont understand please someone explain.

 

[constillations]

hi since we r discussing interviews does any1 know wats asked in the interviews in TEXAS-San antonio?? thanks

 

[Crossbite27]

Hi,

I live in sunnyvale ca. And if anyone who is applying for the dental school live in and around the area, we can get in touch and do preparation together. Also if someone has gone through the interview and has got some stuff to pass on, please contact me.

Hi,
I live near sunnyvale, ca. I too am looking for someone to practice with, especially the practical and interview part. how can i get in touch with u?
Regards.

 

[pile]

It seems like there is information regarding other universities but nothing for San Antanio univ. Anyboby who has attended this interview, pls share your experience, this would be really appreciating.

 

[pile]

no body to help:cry:

 

[habab]

Hiiii
Pls I need help regarding of what should I prepare for Pacific Arthur bench exam ?, Thanks in advance for your help

 

[dentist001]

Hi,

I live in sunnyvale ca. And if anyone who is applying for the dental school live in and around the area, we can get in touch and do preparation together. Also if someone has gone through the interview and has got some stuff to pass on, please contact me.

Hi,
I stay near by,so we could do this together.
How are you preparing for the Bench Exam..Do you have any DVD'S or are you taking any classes ?
Just let me know.You could also reach me at [email protected]
Thanks.

 

[RICKET]

Thanks a lot for all of the threads. This is the first year I apply to dental schools in the US. I have not got any interviews yet. I will post my experience when I get one.

 

[desertsriit]

[hello everyone i joined this forum today itself..I graduated from dental school in India,in july 2009.I am a fresh graduate and applicant.NBDE part 1 score 92,gpa 3.65,toefl 110/120 ibt.I have applied to 7 schools and fortunately got calls from 5 UCLA,UCSF,USC,UIC n BU
I need help with the UIC interviews. Please share your experiences about the interview at UIC .i desperately need help.My interview is scheduled for the 30th of october,as ia m a fresh graduate i dont have much work experience so what are my chances here at UIC,whats asked on their interviews.??? pllzzz help me out..
waiting for replies...

 

[Ushi]

Hello everyone,

I have applied to different universities- USC, Penn, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Boston, Connecticut.
Got Rejection letter from Minnesota.
My stats are- 88, 107, 3.56 (nbde1, toefl, ece)
I am really worried!

 

[indidentist]

hi
i am a female with a very long hair .can someone guide me how i should manage my hair for the interview .

 

[BombayBDS]

Hello everyone,

I have applied to different universities- USC, Penn, Minnesota, Texas, New York, Boston, Connecticut.
Got Rejection letter from Minnesota.
My stats are- 88, 107, 3.56 (nbde1, toefl, ece)
I am really worried!

dont be.
all the best!

 

[soriandra]

hi
i am a female with a very long hair .can someone guide me how i should manage my hair for the interview .

Well, logically you have to put it in a pony tail or a bun and you're good to go.