- Joined
- Jul 29, 2007
- Messages
- 412
- Reaction score
- 6
Great meeting you guys. You will hear back from the program probably within a week.
Thanks for the info Steve, I enjoyed meeting everyone from the program as well as some of the other candidates.
For anyone that still has an upcoming interview, I will provide a semi brief overview of how my interview went today.
Cliffs Notes Version: Everyone was friendly and it created a relaxed atmosphere. There were two interviews: formal and informal. Prepare like it is a dental school interview (reading over the questions on the application is a good place to start). Relax. Be yourself. Enjoy. Good luck!
Verbose version: I got one of the early spots (8:30) and arrived a little after 8:00. Current participants in the program greeted us at the door. We went into a waiting room, where we were provided with bagels, juice and water (a nice touch, I must say). Dr. Rothman came in an introduced himself to everyone individually and explained the general format for the interview process. The students introduced themselves as well.
Everyone was very friendly, which helped me relax and students stayed with us in the waiting room and answered any questions we had about the program and predental rigors (AADSAS, prerequisites, etc.). It was a high energy, friendly atmosphere.
Our interviews consisted of 2 parts: a formal part with predetermined questions and an informal part that revolved around dentistry, other aspects of my application, and life in general. The interviews were conducted mostly by students with Dr. Rothman conducting some of the interviews as well. I don't know how it was decided who would interview with Dr. Rothman, so try not to psych yourself out if you do/don't interview with him. Relax, be prepared, be yourself and you will do fine!
My first interview was the formal one. I started at 8:30 and lasted half an hour. I had a break from 9:00 to 9:30, then had my second interview from 9:30 to 10:00. After that we got a tour of the campus (thanks Steve!). Others hung around after their interview, unfortunately, I had to drive down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for my makeup biology field trip, so I was not able to stay.
I am very impressed with the program. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The program participants work as a team to support and help each other work towards the goal of getting into dental school. It still amazes me that this is the case throughout the predental community, in my experience, considering the extreme competitiveness of getting into dental school.
Good luck to everyone who has interviewed or has yet to interview!
Brian