How to not mess up an interview

[coldicecream]

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I've been reading other threads and it seems like I should do the following to prepare for the interview
- research the school in-depth
- be ready to answer all types of questions (there's a thread with tons of example Qs)
- ask thoughtful questions that you can't really find on the website like NBDE passing rates
- be yourself and not a robot

I was wondering where do people go wrong when they do get an interview, but then get rejected? Is it their personality that didn't match the program? Seemed too rehearsed?

 

[2jz]

Some decent advice I'd say is to always be positive - no matter the subject matter. You don't want to put negative thoughts into their head.

If they ask you about a particular weak point regarding your application you spin that into a positive in some manner. Poor grade? Explain how you buckled down the next few semesters and used it as motivation to blow the rest of your classes out of the water. Biggest weakness? Explain something that was a weakness and how you've worked at it to turn into a strength. Lacking shadowing or volunteer hours? Explain how you've already signed up for more. Instead of complaining: show how you grew as a person, show how you solved a problem, or fixed a deficiency you had. Have a story to tell.

Be confident too, even if you are borderline competitive, act like you'll be choosing the school rather than they'll be choosing you. Don't be arrogant, but don't suffer from self-doubt. Close the deal.

 

[Life of Pablo]

I’d say one of the best things you can do during an interview is stress to the interviewer that the school you’re interviewing at is your #1 school and that you will attend if accepted.

 

[#cariology]

Don’t look at your phone at all while on campus. Some schools will auto-reject you for this.

 

[Bingwen]

The other big thing that I have heard from dental students is to know how the interview will go. Creighton's interview, unless it has changed, is heavily based on you asking questions. ASDOH gives you scenarios and then asks you how you would respond to it. Try not to walk in blind to the interview.

Also feel free to take a minute. Taking a second to formulate an answer is better than rambling or maybe saying things that you didn't intend to.

 

[Sweet_Tooth]

My one regret is not doing enough mock interviews! Practice, practice, practice. It is NOT enough to just have a general idea of what you're going to talk about. Even if you normally consider yourself to be a well-versed and generally social person, you want to have an EXACT idea of how you will answer questions, and practice such that when you are asked the question you will have a well rehearsed answer prepared and won't go blank. Note that there is a very fine line between being well prepared and sounding like a robot--you still want to maintain a natural and conversational tone and the hard part is maintaining that balance.

I received 4 interviews and sadly only 1 acceptance and that acceptance was after the only interview I actually went through a mock interview with with my school's pre health advisor beforehand (it was also the only interview that was an MMI--I actually found this format easier to work with, let me know if you want me to elaborate). I think it helps to work with someone you know only on a professional level, like your pre health advisor, or a professor or even a dentist--simply practicing with a family member or a friend is not sufficient to prepare yourself--it's too informal and doesn't replicate the actual interview well. The great thing about mock interviews is the feedback you get--for example I got tips on how to improve my body language, which was honestly something that I hadn't even considered while answering the questions.

Also note that even if you prepare well and have an excellent interview, there is always a chance that a school will still waitlist or even reject you. It's not possible to know what each and every school is looking for in their class and sometimes it's often just a case of them wanting to have a well-rounded class. You might get waitlisted simply because there's already too many students in the class who have a similar background/personality type as you do, and there's nothing you can do to control that, you can't control the other applicants and interviewees--the most you can do is prepare as best as you can, be yourself, and hope for the best.

 

[2TH MVR]

I’d say one of the best things you can do during an interview is stress to the interviewer that the school you’re interviewing at is your #1 school and that you will attend if accepted.

you say this at every interview?

 

[Life of Pablo]

you say this at every interview?

Well, it’s tricky because at pretty much every interview they ask some iteration of this question. They can tell the applicants that are sincerely interested in their program from the ones that aren’t. If you don’t show strong interest, it’s an easy rejection/waitlist by the school.

 

[luisfigo]

As said, do at least two or three mock interviews before you start the real thing. Write down common questions then write down your best, most perfectly worded answer or at least the biggest bullet points you want to hit. Every generic/common question you answer is like a mini speech, you want it well rehearsed so that it comes out naturally; don't worry if you don't hit all of your points, they won't know if you've messed up or left something out.

I walked around all the time with notecards of questions with an entire paragraph in response to each question. I ran through each question in my head and the answer I would give for each question. Did it over and over till I had every question and answer, like studying for an exam. Be honest, be yourself, they will ask unrehearsed answers, that's what the mock interviews are for. They will help critique everything from speech patterns to posture. Make sure you believe what comes out of your mouth, otherwise they'll probably spot your bs.

 

[ChewyDrop]

pretend that you're talking to a respectable old friend.