Honesty during an interview

[BulsangHanNamja]

Most likely during an interview, you would be asked "why did you choose the field of dentisty." Is honesty the key? or do you try your best to suck up? Honestly.. my main reason is bc of the money. Being a typical asian minority and all... moving to the u.s. was tough and it is still tough ( financial wise ) Dentisty appeals to me not only bc of the money but also the fact that its an area that plays an important role with the dexterity of your hands. I enjoyed drawing... but i dont know if it has much to do with being a dentist. I like the working hours / benefits of becoming a dentist. But mainly.. its the money that got me into it in the first place. If i said something along those lines during an interview... would that be a thumbs down? lol thanks for the help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[airvent]

Most likely during an interview, you would be asked "why did you choose the field of dentisty." Is honesty the key? or do you try your best to suck up? Honestly.. my main reason is bc of the money. Being a typical asian minority and all... moving to the u.s. was tough and it is still tough ( financial wise ) Dentisty appeals to me not only bc of the money but also the fact that its an area that plays an important role with the dexterity of your hands. I enjoyed drawing... but i dont know if it has much to do with being a dentist. I like the working hours / benefits of becoming a dentist. But mainly.. its the money that got me into it in the first place. If i said something along those lines during an interview... would that be a thumbs down? lol thanks for the help.

No thats fine. I think you should really tell the truth. They will appreciate it.

 

[crazy_sherm]

There must be a lot more other than the money that should appeal to you about dentistry. Working with your hands, improving people's quality of life, owning a small business, automony, etc. Honesty is always the best policy during your interview, but that doesn't mean you can't spin things to make them sound positive. You shouldn't make up stuff if you really don't feel a certain way because it'll likely be inconsistent with your application. For example, if you talk about how you love to help the less fortunate, but have zero volunteer service, the adcom will think you're full of it. If you really can't think of anything other than money though, then I would say you are making the wrong decision to become a dentist in the first place.

 

[Irene010]

Hmm, I agree that you should be honest....these people have interviewed countless applicants, so if you give them an answer that is entirely full of crap, they'll be able to tell.

At the same time, if you're going to mention money in your answer, make sure you are really tactful with this answer, so that you don't sound greedy. (not that I'm accusing you of this at all...I mean, c'mon we all like the aspect of financial security, right?)

Also, you might want to mention some other things, besides just the money. Its totally understandable that money got you interested in the field in the first place, but I'm willing to bet that you also have some interest in science/healthcare/interacting with patients. If you don't have any interest in those things, I doubt you would pursue dentistry, b/c the money alone definetly dosen't make it worthwhile to devote yourself to the career. It would be really hard to be happy in your profession if money was your only motivation.

So, I'm sure there are other things that make it appealing to you, besides all the money....feel free to throw some of those things into your answer...mentioning the money is great, b/c its very honest...but if the whole answer is just focused only on that, there is a chance you might leave your interviewer with a shady impression. Balance is the key.

 

[vertical bite]

There must be a lot more other than the money that should appeal to you about dentistry. Working with your hands, improving people's quality of life, owning a small business, automony, etc. Honesty is always the best policy during your interview, but that doesn't mean you can't spin things to make them sound positive. You shouldn't make up stuff if you really don't feel a certain way because it'll likely be inconsistent with your application. For example, if you talk about how you love to help the less fortunate, but have zero volunteer service, the adcom will think you're full of it. If you really can't think of anything other than money though, then I would say you are making the wrong decision to become a dentist in the first place.

ha, volunteering came up in my interview.

I said how I loved working with people and one school asked why I didnt volunteer more. I said, there is plenty of time for that after college as I wouldnt have had time to get a 3.9 overall if I volunteered all the time.

That shut them up quick.

It was the truth.

I didnt have time to feed poor, shadow drs, work for free, I was too busy busting my aZZ getting A's.

 

[Dr.Bear]

Honesty worked for me. One part of my DAT stood out as a bit lower than I would have liked it to be....and after being asked why... one of the interviewers asked me what I felt was more important... "DAT or GPA" and I gave my honest opinion by saying "It's like comparing 4 years of work to 4 hours of work" and she said that was the most honest answer she had heard all cycle. After that, she began trying to "sell" the school to me.. and on Dec. 1st that was my first acceptance. I think many adcoms really appreciate you being honest with them....

 

[wammmy]

On one of my interviews, I'm not sure how it came up but I was told "hey, money is not a bad reason for wanting to be a dentist."

Then he told me that the only bad reason he ever heard was a kid told him he wanted to become a dentist because he didn't think he could get into med school.

 

[JavadiCavity]

Regardless of what the adcoms want to hear, you should evaluate whether or not your reasons for pursuing dentistry will be right for you in the end.

I chased money out of college by going to work for Morgan Stanley as a stock broker. I could have made good money forever. To make a long story short, I wasn't entirely happy with the type of work I was doing. I spent thousands of dollars starting businesses in addition to my job as a stock broker. Finally, I realized that the only thing I liked about my "jobs" was the money I was making--which wasn't as satisfying as I though it would be. So, I quit my job, sold my business, and came back to school to pursue a career that I didn't think I was smart enough or lucky enough to do--dentistry. And since making that decision, I've been a lot happier.

Tell the adcoms whatever you want, but, in the end, if you don't like dentistry, those $200,000 in loans you have to payback are going to be a real pain.

 

[eran76]

I think way too many of us are getting hung up on the "I want the money but I want to be humble about it" issue.

Fact of life: we trade our time and effort for money so we can eat, cover our bodies, house our children, and hopefully contribute to our community.

Fact of life: we're all going to die sooner or later, either way, the end of life is not nearly as much fun as life is when you're younger.

My point is that I want to enjoy life (family, vacations, time off) while I'm still young enough to appreciate it all, and dentistry lets me help the community but still maintain a lifestyle just about anyone can be happy with.

You guys are getting worked up over $175K/yr (with any luck) and having to justify it to the interviewers. The question itself in today's economy is flawed. Do you think any of those fortune 500 CEOs that siphoned BILLION$ in accounting schemes were asked to give moral justification for their already ridiculously high level of compensation and career choice? "Tell us Bob, what do you want to be a multi-millionaire executive board member?" No, that's bullsh*t. They do it for the money just like the guy who works at Arby's, just with better business lunches.

Dentistry is noble profession that has patient medical priorities in the right order, properly compensates the doctors (20 years of continuous education from 1st grade), and doesn't pollute the environment, cause global warming, generate obesity or push countries towards war. Any we have to justify why we want to get involved with that??? There are far less positive professions to go into that pay a lot less. I just think it’s insane that we should have to justify ourselves to (mostly) academic types that gave up on the business world for the tenure and security of academia. “It’s my loan money. Justify to me why I should want to go through the pain and suffering or debt and 4 years of your dental school.”

 

[airvent]

I hear what you're saying, but i think the point is that Dentistry is not the only avenue to make money. Something else must be drawing you to the field. Like Javadi' said He was a stock broker that wanted something more rewarding than just making money. If you're main site is on the dollars you can lose sight of the patient care or you just might get bored with it.

But I don't think you need to feel guilty if you are already imagining the sail boat or the BMW X5. Its Just the basic principle behind any Health care field is to help others, sometimes when they are at their most vulnerable.

I would like to hear what an adcom would say if you told him you were doing it for the money....My original post#2 was meant to be sarcastic. I don't think telling them that would be a good idea.

or whatever

 

[Pikeyman]

Busanghan,
I totally understand where you're coming from with the money issue. Sure, it is one of my reasons why I want to be a dentist but that shouldn't take 80-90% of your reasons or intentions to become a dentist.

I know it's a cliche to say "don't do something just for the money" but doing
just that can make your life so f'ing miserable. You definitely don't want to come to a realization with that cliche 2 years into your practice.

Unfortunate as it is, it seems as though every year dentists take the top honors in the suicidal rates of diffferent professions by the US Department of Health. Something to think about. Make connections as you see fit.

I'm sure you heard all of this thousands of times but it's something to think about.

 

[rsweeney]

ha, volunteering came up in my interview.

I said how I loved working with people and one school asked why I didnt volunteer more. I said, there is plenty of time for that after college as I wouldnt have had time to get a 3.9 overall if I volunteered all the time.

That shut them up quick.

It was the truth.

I didnt have time to feed poor, shadow drs, work for free, I was too busy busting my aZZ getting A's.


Awesome


As a side note: I think wanting to earn a lot of money is understood. Just like writing a paper, things that are understood should be kept at a minimum.

 

[airvent]

Unfortunate as it is, it seems as though every year dentists take the top honors in the suicidal rates of diffferent professions by the US Department of Health.

That myth has been debunked a dozen times.(Thats a wholenuther thread)

But anyway You may find yourself seriously unhappy and unable to perform if you enter Dentistry only to make money like opening a DairyQueen franchise.

At the end of the day the actual job of working on patients teeth may not be worth the money if you don't have some interest in it.

As a side note: I think wanting to earn a lot of money is understood. Just like writing a paper, things that are understood should be kept at a minimum.

Well said

 

[dWiz]

Most likely during an interview, you would be asked "why did you choose the field of dentisty." Is honesty the key? or do you try your best to suck up? Honestly.. my main reason is bc of the money. Being a typical asian minority and all... moving to the u.s. was tough and it is still tough ( financial wise ) Dentisty appeals to me not only bc of the money but also the fact that its an area that plays an important role with the dexterity of your hands. I enjoyed drawing... but i dont know if it has much to do with being a dentist. I like the working hours / benefits of becoming a dentist. But mainly.. its the money that got me into it in the first place. If i said something along those lines during an interview... would that be a thumbs down? lol thanks for the help.

"I'm in for the money" --> I don't think that will get you far, so lying may be a better bet

 

[dentist_to_be?]

I think telling adcoms that you want to go to dental school for "money" is very risky... you have NO IDEA how they will interpret that answer. They might appreciate the honesty OR they will frown upon it.

I personally wouldnt say money... because they know everyone applying is interested in the money, it is one of the appealing factors. Besides, there are many other fields you can get money, why dentistry? surely you have an answer to that. For instance, wanting to work as healthcare profession, etc...

Have a genuine answer... but i think you could make yourself look bad if you said the money was the reason..

 

[vertical bite]

ha, volunteering came up in my interview.

I said how I loved working with people and one school asked why I didnt volunteer more. I said, there is plenty of time for that after college as I wouldnt have had time to get a 3.9 overall if I volunteered all the time.

That shut them up quick.

It was the truth.

I didnt have time to feed poor, shadow drs, work for free, I was too busy busting my aZZ getting A's.


Awesome


As a side note: I think wanting to earn a lot of money is understood. Just like writing a paper, things that are understood should be kept at a minimum.

It was true. And by the way, I got accepted into UNC and I turned them down for pitt. Campus was beautiful and I liked that I could live in an apartment or buy a house there but honestly the people there were punks and snobs. So I choose a top rate school over them that offered me more scholarships.