Arizona Interviews

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Does anyone know what the interviews at Arizona are like? There are no interview feedback reviews for Arizona, and I have an interview there in a couple of weeks and I would like to know what to expect. Anyfeedback would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[Johnson22]

I heard that you have to be up on politics...is this true? I also heard something about a group setting with other students. I would love to have any hints possible.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Be up to speed on politics, current events, geography, etc.

Having said that, I'll say that this isn't stuff you can cram for.

No more hints from me. I look forward to seeing everybody as they come through for interviews.

 

[predentchick]

I'll give more info 😀 . The interview was crazy. They asked me to name as many european capitals as I could. They asked me who was a certain office holder or some political position (can't remember). They just asked the most random political/geography questions. So brush up on that in case it comes up. I didn't know some of them and I tried to just play it off and they didn't even crack a smile. They were sooo serious! 😴 Also, they asked ethical questions: "What would you do if..." Then they played this video of a "airplane crash survival" situation. This time you were in a group and you had to rank the items you would need. There was a panel observing what you had to say. It was sooo wierd, but it obviously served a puropse for them. I mean, who knows that you don't want a shotgun when you wreck in a plane??? All in all, it was the hardest of my interviews but some people liked that school the best. Good luck!!

 

[DDS2BE]

I hate politics and geography Arizona is not my number one school on the list, but still, would be interesting to go there. Well... I guess I will cancel my interview with Arizona then

 

[onetoothleft]

that interview sounds hard. when are your interviews?

mine is monday sept. 27th. anyone else that day?

um . . .

Albania Tirane
Andorra Andorra la Vella
Austria Vienna
Belarus Minsk
Belgium Brussels
Bosnia-Herzegovina Sarajevo
Bulgaria Sofia
Croatia Zagreb
Czech Republic Prague
Denmark Copenhagen
England London
Estonia Tallinn
Finland Helsinki
France Paris
Georgia Tbilisi
Germany Berlin
Greece Athens
Hungary Budapest
Iceland Reykjavik
Ireland Dublin
Italy Rome
Latvia Riga
Liechtenstein Vaduz
Lithuania Vilnius
Luxembourg Luxembourg
Macedonia Skopje
Malta Valletta
Moldova Chisinau
Monaco Monaco
Netherlands (official) Amsterdam
Netherlands (administrative) The Hague
Northern Ireland Belfast
Norway Oslo
Poland Warsaw
Portugal Lisbon
Romania Bucharest
Russian Federation Moscow
San Marino San Marino
Scotland Edinburgh
Serbia/Montenegro (Yugoslavia) Belgrade
Slovakia Bratislava
Slovenia Ljubljana
Spain Madrid
Sweden Stockholm
Switzerland Bern
Ukraine Kiev
Wales Cardiff

World capitals
there now we can study

 

[JavadiCavity]

Don't waste your time with this stuff. Either you know the answers or you don't. I had my interview last week, and the questions are differnet than the questions predentchick had. Furthermore, they interview 360 applicants for 54 spots! That means 1 out of every 6 interviewees gets accepted. I think those are pretty terrible odds. Plus, on December 1, the dean of admissions told us that they would only be sending out 20 acceptances. That means you have a 1 in 18 chance of hearing in December from Arizona. And, if that wasn't discouraging enough, they tell you straight up that they aren't looking for the "traditional" applicant . . . who knows who they are looking for?

Don't get me wrong about Arizona. The school and the people are amazing. I'd attend there in a heartbeat. My point is this: there is no reason to worry about or plan for their unique interview process. Either you'll do well or you'll bomb. And, even if you bomb, you may still get in. Or, you may think you did well because you answered all of the questions right, but you still won't get in (at least right away).

Hint: The current event questions are pretty obscure. To get the majority of them right, you'd need to follow CNN or Fox News every day for the last 5 years. If you don't know the exact questions before hand, you'll be in the same boat as the rest of the guys in my interview--you'll get about 2 of the 6 or 7 questions right. Which means, you're average. Which means, you really aren't at too much of a disadvantage to the other 95% of the applicants who also only got two answers right.

 

[hockeydentist]

I don't know if I would do it, maybe I would if I knew things were going bad, I would question, why we have to know current events for that matter. Flip the questioning on the questioner. Go on the offensive!

Would that get you rejected, because you questioned the motive of the interview?

I wonder,

Stickin it to the man
HD

 

[onetoothleft]

when are your interviews? if anyone is one the same day we could meet up!

 

[Sprgrover]

I had my interview the same day as Javadicavity and I didn't have the same questions as Predentchick either. I don't want to give away too much as doing so would spoil the surprise. They will have you write an essay, my group had to participate in a group activity of sorts, and yes, expect to be confronted with a lot of strange and off the wall questions relating to current events, geography, politics, current events, and yourself. They mentioned several times that they are very particular in what they are looking for, and they do not by any means place a premium on numbers or stats. They also mentioned that if you were invited for an interview you passed a high bar - although this was promptly followed by "only one in six will receive an acceptance letter." The school is sparkling and all of the students were very friendly,outgoing, and I never felt a stigma of "oh, interviewees" while I was there. Combined with an interesting curriculum, faculty members with some rather impressive accolades and credentials, and approach to dentistry I was very impressed with them and urge others to apply there as well.

 

[DrTacoElf]

I don't know if I would do it, maybe I would if I knew things were going bad, I would question, why we have to know current events for that matter. Flip the questioning on the questioner. Go on the offensive!

Would that get you rejected, because you questioned the motive of the interview?


HD

Yeah that wouldn't be a good idea. Saying your not up to date on current events and don't care about them carries with it a level of immmaturity. Plus if you had a patient in your office from a foreign country for instance it might help to be at least a little up to date on current events. Its basically just giving you more avenues to communicate effectively with your patients. Just my opinion....

 

[hockeydentist]

Are they looking for a type of reaction, wether right or wrong?

How well you handle pressure?

HD

 

[ItsGavinC]

Are they looking for a type of reaction, wether right or wrong?

How well you handle pressure?

HD

Of course they are. You'd be amazed at how many people don't understand that concept.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Furthermore, they interview 360 applicants for 54 spots! That means 1 out of every 6 interviewees gets accepted.

Not entirely true. They obviously have to accept more than 54 students in order to fill the class. What is true is that they don't accept 2-3x more as do some other schools.

 

[succedaneous32]

I had an interview last January at AZ and I can tell you how my experience there was. I was nervous too, but after I got there, several students said hello and assured you not to be nervous and to BE YOURSELF.
We did stay in a group most of the time. You do have to play well with others in a group activity, like the airplane crash in the desert. It is not to see if you die or kill your group, but to see how well you work with and in a team. This is VITAL in dentistry. Then you write and essay or go to your interview. I had 3-4 people in my interview. It doesn't really matter, because you will always be nervous in an interview. They will ask you questions that others have already posted and the key is CURRENT events and basic geography. I was asked who the presidential candidates were at the time. But just like everyone who new a little, I memorized some capitols of Europe, Africa and the US. It gave me something to do on the plane. 🙂 Ask someone close to you, (that will be honest), what your strenghts and weaknesses are and know that!
After my interview the student that sat in on my interview said that I had done the best that she had seen. That made me feel good. So, if you can get the cahnce maybe you can ask the student, if there is one, how they think you did.
All in all, I loved the experience and I would definately go there in a heartbeat. They are very warm and family oriented. If you don't want to be a zombie by the 2nd year of dental school and question why you ever placed yourself here, then apply to AZ.
Sadly to say, I did not get accepted, but I am going to try and strenghten my stats and apply next year.
Hope this helps. Oh I work with a dentist that teaches at the UW dental school so I can tell you a little about them too. Best wishes!! 🙂

 

[JavadiCavity]

Not entirely true. They obviously have to accept more than 54 students in order to fill the class. What is true is that they don't accept 2-3x more as do some other schools.

True. The dean said they made about 80 offers last year. So, the revised number is about 1 in 4 to 1 in 5 get accepted.

 

[ItsGavinC]

All in all, I loved the experience and I would definately go there in a heartbeat. They are very warm and family oriented. If you don't want to be a zombie by the 2nd year of dental school and question why you ever placed yourself here, then apply to AZ.

That is one of the best selling points of our school--I LOVE going to school each day and have time for myself and my family.

 

[drtagman]

Hey you guys- I got an interview today at Arizona and its on the 22nd of Sept, real soon. I am staying at a hotel near by. I wanted to know if anyone else's interview is that day or the day before and will be there on the 21st or 22nd. Im goin alone so any company would be welcome, we could even share a room on the night of the 21st- the room comes with 2 beds.

 

[msf41]

That is one of the best selling points of our school--I LOVE going to school each day and have time for myself and my family.

GavinC...can you give me some specific examples of how Arizona is family oriented. Do they have family picnics, or drill your kids day? 😀

I'm married with a kid on the way. Spending four years in D-school and maintaining a family life is important to me.

Other question...you have said that your family is important to you. Do you want to specialize. Some dentists have told me that the only way to specialize is to study so much that you won't see your family for 4 years (so competive). Can you comment on the sacrafices you are making (if any) of your education in exchange for family time?

One more question oh mighty gavinC...
can I ask how you are financing schooling? my wife is getting scared about the idea of staying home with our newborn instead of working (does your wife work?). Are you living on loans? are you a genious and have a scholarship? Parents helping?

 

[ItsGavinC]

GavinC...can you give me some specific examples of how Arizona is family oriented. Do they have family picnics, or drill your kids day? 😀

I'm married with a kid on the way. Spending four years in D-school and maintaining a family life is important to me.

Other question...you have said that your family is important to you. Do you want to specialize. Some dentists have told me that the only way to specialize is to study so much that you won't see your family for 4 years (so competive). Can you comment on the sacrafices you are making (if any) of your education in exchange for family time?

One more question oh mighty gavinC...
can I ask how you are financing schooling? my wife is getting scared about the idea of staying home with our newborn instead of working (does your wife work?). Are you living on loans? are you a genious and have a scholarship? Parents helping?

Well, we have a unique environment that make it easy for the family to be around. For example, my wife and kids bring me lunch 2-3x a week, and we always talk and chat with the deans during this time period (they know my kids' names, etc.). My boy tosses the football with me in the lobby, etc.

I'm financing everything through loans and not too worried about it. I'll be able to pay it back, although if interest rates stay low then I'll freely admit that I'll lock in and pay it back over the longest time period possible. That way I can invest what I would be paying into loans and only make minimum payments. As long as the investment rates eclipse the interest rates on the loan, then I'm making money.

The degree of studying relative to the specialty you are interested in is going to vary depending on the specialty. You do have to be tops in the class with excellent board scores to go into Ortho or Endo, etc. My board scores were good, but not tops in the class, that's for sure. Right now I'm working on moving my class rank up. I'm also planning on doing a GPR/AEGD before applying to specialty programs.

The really excellent thing about dental school is that you don't have to strive for perfect grades if you don't want to. I don't mean to imply that mediocrity is satisfactory, because as healthcare providers it certainly isn't. But what I AM saying is that a grade of 80% or even 75% doesn't always equate with mediocrity. Quite often the difference between a 95 and an 80 is a handful of trivial and meaningless facts.