Common Interview Questions

[Swifty181]

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My stats aren't the best and I applied to 10 schools. So far I've got one interview offer and I think this might be it. I still have about a month to prepare for it and I don't want to blow it. I'm a recent immigrant to the U.S. so my vocabulary is not on par with most other applicants but I'm a good dresser and I communicate well. Does anybody have any suggestions for the interview? Any sources of common questions, or if anybody remembers any questions they've struggled with in their interview, please share them. Your help may mean the difference between acceptance or rejection for somebody on the borderline like me.

Thanks in advance.

 

[finchy86]

You can go here, be sure to select dental schools. You'll find a ton of questions from nearly all of the schools.

http://studentdoctor.net/schools/

 

[Swifty181]

Thanks Finchy

I was looking for more specific question types. Thanks anyway though. This is sad, only one reply 😕

 

[colombianDDS]

1. Tell me about yourself
2. Why dentistry?
3. Why do you want to attend school xyz?
4. What will be the biggest challenge in D school for you?
5. Why not medicine?
6. ethical scenario (i.e. what if you see someone cheating? Problems with patients etc)
7. Situations in which you had to display stress management, logic etc

be confident and prepare weeks in advance and have friends/family mock interview you until you can answer questions similar to the above easily and comfortably. Don't just memorize answers...but make sure you can talk about your passion honestly.

 

[Sal427]

What would you do if you saw someone cheating?

 

[colombianDDS]

What would you do if you saw someone cheating?

As a dental student and future professional, it is my duty to display integrity and honesty. If I was in the situation where you witnessed a classmate cheating, I would bring it up to the supervisor/professor privately; I would say that there was the possibility of cheating during the exam etc. I would not accuse the student of cheating in public nor privately, since you are not in the position to take disciplinary action against such behavior.

 

[Sal427]

As a dental student and future professional, it is my duty to display integrity and honesty. If I was in the situation where you witnessed a classmate cheating, I would bring it up to the supervisor/professor privately; I would say that there was the possibility of cheating during the exam etc. I would not accuse the student of cheating in public nor privately, since you are not in the position to take disciplinary action against such behavior.

Good answer! Thanks

 

[Swifty181]

Thanks everyone

I was talking to my dentist. The weirdest question she got asked during her interview was: If you were an animal what would you be and why? Lol I just thought that was really vague and not indicative of one's performance at all.

 

[UltimateHombre]

What is your greatest strength?
What is your greatest weakness?
Tell me about a trial you had to overcome?
If your friends had to describe you in one word, what would it be?
How will the current healthcare reform change dentistry?
If a patient needed emergent dental care and had no money or insurance, what would you do?
How will you adapt to the heavy course load in dental school?
What was your favorite class in undergrad?
If you could have lunch with any 2 people from all of history, who would they be and why?
What kind of books do you read and what is your favorite?

Sometimes you get some outside the box ones...

 

[jeffity]

As a dental student and future professional, it is my duty to display integrity and honesty. If I was in the situation where you witnessed a classmate cheating, I would bring it up to the supervisor/professor privately; I would say that there was the possibility of cheating during the exam etc. I would not accuse the student of cheating in public nor privately, since you are not in the position to take disciplinary action against such behavior.

Decent, but you're supposed to take it to the next level. The answer to the cheating/abusing drugs question should ultimately lead to the patient. There's not really a right or wrong answer, but you're not going to get full points for this question if you don't take it all the way.

 

[RSalha17]

Decent, but you're supposed to take it to the next level. The answer to the cheating/abusing drugs question should ultimately lead to the patient. There's not really a right or wrong answer, but you're not going to get full points for this question if you don't take it all the way.

What do you mean by take it to the next level? Talk about how you will use this type of judgement in your future practice to help treat patients honestly and ethically?

 

[m0chicheeks]

Be prepared for the weirdest, most absurd questions such as:

1. If any __(piece of furniture, bird, animal, plant, clothing piece)_____ were to describe you, what would it be?
2. If you could choose to have any superhero power, what would it be?
3. What three things would you bring with you to a deserted island?
4. What is one thing (abstract entity OR physical) you cannot live without?
5. If you were granted 3 wishes, what would it be?
6. If you could be reborn into another generational time when would it be and why?
7. If you had to give up one sense, what would it be? OR If you could only have one of the five senses, what would it be?
8. Describe a situation in which you were faced with an ethical/moral challenge

Some of my friends were asked these kinds of questions in the past... I presume these kinds of questions gives the interviewer an insight on how witty you are or a chance to make you stand out from the other applicants. 😉

 

[jeffity]

What do you mean by take it to the next level? Talk about how you will use this type of judgement in your future practice to help treat patients honestly and ethically?

Yup. That's good too. At this level, if someone is going to cheat and cut corners, it's probably not going to be something they will suddenly shake when they are treating patients.

On top of that, it's expounding upon the motivation behind your actions besides just being a good person or referring to only yourself. Who is the student cheating? You? Himself or herself? Classmates? Ultimately, they're hurting the patient. How so?

This isn't algebra that we are cheating on here. This is the material that will help us become healthcare providers. If you're cheating on anatomy, pharmacology, etc., that's something that can have a negative effect at the cost of the patient down the road.

 

[RSalha17]

Yup. That's good too. At this level, if someone is going to cheat and cut corners, it's probably not going to be something they will suddenly shake when they are treating patients.

On top of that, it's expounding upon the motivation behind your actions besides just being a good person or referring to only yourself. Who is the student cheating? You? Himself or herself? Classmates? Ultimately, they're hurting the patient. How so?

This isn't algebra that we are cheating on here. This is the material that will help us become healthcare providers. If you're cheating on anatomy, pharmacology, etc., that's something that can have a negative effect at the cost of the patient down the road.

Brilliant answer.

 

[m0chicheeks]

Yup. That's good too. At this level, if someone is going to cheat and cut corners, it's probably not going to be something they will suddenly shake when they are treating patients.

On top of that, it's expounding upon the motivation behind your actions besides just being a good person or referring to only yourself. Who is the student cheating? You? Himself or herself? Classmates? Ultimately, they're hurting the patient. How so?

This isn't algebra that we are cheating on here. This is the material that will help us become healthcare providers. If you're cheating on anatomy, pharmacology, etc., that's something that can have a negative effect at the cost of the patient down the road.

Goodstuff. 🙂

 

[kkabme]

no wonder you're from yale. lol very good answer! 🙂

 

[Swifty181]

Thank you all, especially m0chicheeks for the sheer number of possible questions. Also jeffity whats up with your picture I'm pretty sure Yale doesn't have a Dental School. Or is it so exclusive that mediocre applicants like me who live 30 mins from Yale wouldn't know about it lol.

 

[jeffity]

Thank you all, especially m0chicheeks for the sheer number of possible questions. Also jeffity whats up with your picture I'm pretty sure Yale doesn't have a Dental School. Or is it so exclusive that mediocre applicants like me who live 30 mins from Yale wouldn't know about it lol.

I'm just a trouble maker. Some find it funny. Some are extremely annoyed. Some think I'm an idiot because they assume I think it's a real school. When I had this avatar a year or so ago, I got some PMs from people asking to know more about it since they couldn't find any info.

 

[Swifty181]

Lmao. You found the perfect place to piss off some stuck-up people.

 

[Stacker]

VCU

Tell me about some of your extra-curricular activities.
Why dentistry?
What is your greatest fear?
What can you bring to VCU? What do you have to offer?
What was the toughest time in your life?
We have a large and very diverse patient population. What experience do you have working with people of different viewpoints and backgrounds than yours?
What makes you unique?
Tell me 3 of your weaknesses
Dental school is hard. How do you think you'll manage?
What questions do you have for me?
What was the hardest thing you have to accomplish?
What sets you apart from the rest?
What are the three worst things about you?
Why do you think we should pick you over the other candidates?
Define "qualtiy".
Name five of your biggest weaknesses.
What is the hardest part of dentistry?
What is the worst thing that ever happened to you?
What do you want me to remember about you?
What was my most impressing "chair side" experience?
What do you not want in a dental school?

UCLA

Questions about dental volunteer work.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Asked if I understood that I'll be at the bottom and if I was ok with that.
Tell me about your family.
Do you think you should modify your study habits for dental school, and if yes, how?
Where do you se yourself in 15 years?
what specific instance was influential to you when you were shadowing?
Where do you see yourself after graduating? Where do you want to practice, do you want to pursue a specialty, etc.
Are you interested in research? Tell us about your research.
Why ucla and why dentistry?
will you pick UCLA and why/why not?
Name some things you can do which positively can change dentistry and public awareness of dentistry
tell me about your future personal and professional goals?
Nothing else. Mostly I asked him questions about what he was interested in and about opportunities in dentistry and at UCLA.
Dental school is very demanding, how will you find time for your hobbies/interests?
Do you really have a passion for dentistry?
What specialty are you looking to get in to?

UCSF

How do you manage stress?
Why dentistry? If you like people interaction why not business?
Why you?
Did you do research?
Tell me about an ethical dilemma you have been in and how did you deal with it?
Is there anything in particular you want me to tell the admissions committee
Stuff about my background, family, personal characteristics such as hobbies, interests, etc...
Why dentistry... what intrigues you about the profession.
Tell me about the research that you participated.
Why will you be a good dentist?
What is so great about this school?
Parents background
explain your community involvement
Do you have any leadership experience?
Is receiving a college education a privilege or a right?
What kind of leadership roles have you played?
Tell me about your self
what can you do with your hands?
What are some of the social issues affecting dentistry?
What do you think makes a good dentist?
How would you help the community in the future when you become a dentist?
Why dentistry at UCSF?
What activities did you do in undergrad?
Who is your role model?
What do you plan to do after Dental School?
Do you like diversity?
If you want me to bring anything to adcom, why should u be selected?
How have you demonstrated leadership skills?
Do you consider yourself an outgoing person?

UPenn

Ever been to Philly before? What are you doing after the interview?
what was your most worst time in college?
How will you deal with a tough schedule and coursework in dental school, and how will you manage stress?
What do you want to do with your career in dentistry?
Did you do any Martial art?
What was your favorite/least favorite class?
Tell me about yourself.
Tell me about your community service work?
Why Penn
Why do you think you would be a good dentist?
What do you like least about dentistry?
What do you think about specializing?
Why dentistry and not medicine?
What's the least appealing aspect of dentistry
What do you like to do in your free time?
What sort of things do you enjoy outside of academics?
What do i hope to achieve as a dentist (why not medicine)?
Tell me about your research. Would you be interested in pursuing that topic further?
Tell me about your family.
What is your least favorite subject and Why?
tell me about your community service experience.
Did you like the school you graduated from?
Tell me about a time in your life you experienced hardship and how you got through it.
Tell me about yourself and your goals
If you could meet five people, dead or alive, who would they be?
What was the turning point in your life that led you to pursue dentistry?
how will you manage your finances
How would you persuade a 7 year old child to go to the dentist?
What can WE do for you?

 

[telemonster]

I was asked "why dentistry" by both interviewers at Kentucky, so that one is a safe bet. And they asked me to rank my extracurriculars by how fulfilling they were.

 

[Swifty181]

Awesome stuff. Thanks Stacker

 

[mikeblanc]

The usual questions

Why dentistry? and not medicine ?
Why do you want to attend our school ?
What will make you a good student ?
What was your biggest challenge so far and how did you overcome it ?
How do you handle stress ?


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DDS Student Class 2015
dentiste hongrie

 

[pkhar123]

Hi there,
i got an interview for SIU and i don't really know how to answer "why you are a better pick over other applicant". what are they looking in this question?