Inside advice from an interviewer!

[D06-Interviewer]

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Hi guys,

I've been reading up on this forum to learn more about my residency applications/interviews/ranking/match/nightmares and found it very helpful. So, I thought I'd return the favor and offer some advice to pre-dents who are currently undergoing their interviews.

Me - a happy 4th year dental student, chosen as a TA for 1st+2nd year classes + interviewing, recently finished my interviews for residency (so it's easy for me to remember what it's like to be on your side of the interview room)

I've only been interviewing candidates for a few months so I don't know a whole lot but I think I know enough from my personal experience (interviewed at least 10 candidates) and talking to faculty/fellow classmate interviewers to offer some good tips to rocking a strong interview.

1. Your personal statement. Make it interesting. The admissions committee are the first to screen the applications and they have stacks and stacks of essays to read. The faculty/interviewers usually only spend a few minutes reading over your entire application so long-winded, wordy essays are usually skimmed over quickly and your hard work spent volunteering/work/research may not receive its proper attention. In my opinion, essays that include a lot of personal anecdotes are most interesting. It's always nice to hear about the person behind the essay.

2. Motivation towards dentistry. This is huge. Previous exposure to dentistry is very important (almost standard) but I would say your opinions on your shadowing is even more important. I would stay away from expressing interest in particular procedures (ie. implants, surgeries etc) because you haven't performed them and unless you're in that position - it's hard to guess if you'd enjoy it and if you'd be good at it! However, it's interesting to hear that you would enjoy the NATURE of the work. I like to hear if people are interested in doing the refined, detailed prostho work or the faster paced operative restorations. This shows that you have gained a sense of the daily routine of a dental professional. And lastly, I think almost every interviewer is looking to see if you are motivated towards helping people. Compassion and patience is essential to treating patients. Even as a dental student, I can see happy patients with my dental friends who are pleasant and grumpy patients with my dental friends who are jerks. This sounds obvious but all of my experiences grading poor candidates were reflections of their motivation.

3. Be humble. People who are in the position to interview are usually motivated and their reputation has given the admissions faculty enough trust to interview the candidates. I've interviewed along side endodontic chairs and surgery chairs and watched the candidate brag his application/resume right into the garbage bin. It's painful to watch but it's very easy to dislike someone who isn't humble and respectful. On the other hand, it's very easy to like someone who is humble and respectful. I've interviewed someone with an incredible resume and GPA/DAT scores but his ego ruined all his chances towards an acceptance. I can remember another candidate with a less impressive resume but he seemed to ooze niceness so he scored almost a perfect interview with me.

4. Be critical of the school. 4 years of dental school is a big deal. Make sure you find the school that fits your needs. Hopefully you will have more than 1-2 acceptances and if you do - you will need to base your decision on a few generic websites and published descriptions. Ask tons of questions! Try to picture yourself in their classes, clinic and city! Try to talk to students who aren't associated with the interview process. Watch the interactions of students in their lounges/classes/hallways.

Lastly - have fun with your interviews! When I was interviewing - I enjoyed taking time off school and taking mini-vacations flying all over the place.

Good luck to everyone and if anyone has any questions - feel free to ask!

 

[ItsGavinC]

Some great advice, thanks for taking the time to relay it.

 

[teefRcool]

Hi guys,

I've been reading up on this forum to learn more about my residency applications/interviews/ranking/match/nightmares and found it very helpful. So, I thought I'd return the favor and offer some advice to pre-dents who are currently undergoing their interviews.

Me - a happy 4th year dental student, chosen as a TA for 1st+2nd year classes + interviewing, recently finished my interviews for residency (so it's easy for me to remember what it's like to be on your side of the interview room)

I've only been interviewing candidates for a few months so I don't know a whole lot but I think I know enough from my personal experience (interviewed at least 10 candidates) and talking to faculty/fellow classmate interviewers to offer some good tips to rocking a strong interview.

1. Your personal statement. Make it interesting. The admissions committee are the first to screen the applications and they have stacks and stacks of essays to read. The faculty/interviewers usually only spend a few minutes reading over your entire application so long-winded, wordy essays are usually skimmed over quickly and your hard work spent volunteering/work/research may not receive its proper attention. In my opinion, essays that include a lot of personal anecdotes are most interesting. It's always nice to hear about the person behind the essay.

2. Motivation towards dentistry. This is huge. Previous exposure to dentistry is very important (almost standard) but I would say your opinions on your shadowing is even more important. I would stay away from expressing interest in particular procedures (ie. implants, surgeries etc) because you haven't performed them and unless you're in that position - it's hard to guess if you'd enjoy it and if you'd be good at it! However, it's interesting to hear that you would enjoy the NATURE of the work. I like to hear if people are interested in doing the refined, detailed prostho work or the faster paced operative restorations. This shows that you have gained a sense of the daily routine of a dental professional. And lastly, I think almost every interviewer is looking to see if you are motivated towards helping people. Compassion and patience is essential to treating patients. Even as a dental student, I can see happy patients with my dental friends who are pleasant and grumpy patients with my dental friends who are jerks. This sounds obvious but all of my experiences grading poor candidates were reflections of their motivation.

3. Be humble. People who are in the position to interview are usually motivated and their reputation has given the admissions faculty enough trust to interview the candidates. I've interviewed along side endodontic chairs and surgery chairs and watched the candidate brag his application/resume right into the garbage bin. It's painful to watch but it's very easy to dislike someone who isn't humble and respectful. On the other hand, it's very easy to like someone who is humble and respectful. I've interviewed someone with an incredible resume and GPA/DAT scores but his ego ruined all his chances towards an acceptance. I can remember another candidate with a less impressive resume but he seemed to ooze niceness so he scored almost a perfect interview with me.

4. Be critical of the school. 4 years of dental school is a big deal. Make sure you find the school that fits your needs. Hopefully you will have more than 1-2 acceptances and if you do - you will need to base your decision on a few generic websites and published descriptions. Ask tons of questions! Try to picture yourself in their classes, clinic and city! Try to talk to students who aren't associated with the interview process. Watch the interactions of students in their lounges/classes/hallways.

Lastly - have fun with your interviews! When I was interviewing - I enjoyed taking time off school and taking mini-vacations flying all over the place.

Good luck to everyone and if anyone has any questions - feel free to ask!

Do you think after the interview it is legitimate to ask how you did on the interview or what you think your chances are of getting an acceptance?

 

[geckel]

Hi guys,

I've been reading up on this forum to learn more about my residency applications/interviews/ranking/match/nightmares and found it very helpful. So, I thought I'd return the favor and offer some advice to pre-dents who are currently undergoing their interviews.

Me - a happy 4th year dental student, chosen as a TA for 1st+2nd year classes + interviewing, recently finished my interviews for residency (so it's easy for me to remember what it's like to be on your side of the interview room)

I've only been interviewing candidates for a few months so I don't know a whole lot but I think I know enough from my personal experience (interviewed at least 10 candidates) and talking to faculty/fellow classmate interviewers to offer some good tips to rocking a strong interview.

1. Your personal statement. Make it interesting. The admissions committee are the first to screen the applications and they have stacks and stacks of essays to read. The faculty/interviewers usually only spend a few minutes reading over your entire application so long-winded, wordy essays are usually skimmed over quickly and your hard work spent volunteering/work/research may not receive its proper attention. In my opinion, essays that include a lot of personal anecdotes are most interesting. It's always nice to hear about the person behind the essay.

2. Motivation towards dentistry. This is huge. Previous exposure to dentistry is very important (almost standard) but I would say your opinions on your shadowing is even more important. I would stay away from expressing interest in particular procedures (ie. implants, surgeries etc) because you haven't performed them and unless you're in that position - it's hard to guess if you'd enjoy it and if you'd be good at it! However, it's interesting to hear that you would enjoy the NATURE of the work. I like to hear if people are interested in doing the refined, detailed prostho work or the faster paced operative restorations. This shows that you have gained a sense of the daily routine of a dental professional. And lastly, I think almost every interviewer is looking to see if you are motivated towards helping people. Compassion and patience is essential to treating patients. Even as a dental student, I can see happy patients with my dental friends who are pleasant and grumpy patients with my dental friends who are jerks. This sounds obvious but all of my experiences grading poor candidates were reflections of their motivation.

3. Be humble. People who are in the position to interview are usually motivated and their reputation has given the admissions faculty enough trust to interview the candidates. I've interviewed along side endodontic chairs and surgery chairs and watched the candidate brag his application/resume right into the garbage bin. It's painful to watch but it's very easy to dislike someone who isn't humble and respectful. On the other hand, it's very easy to like someone who is humble and respectful. I've interviewed someone with an incredible resume and GPA/DAT scores but his ego ruined all his chances towards an acceptance. I can remember another candidate with a less impressive resume but he seemed to ooze niceness so he scored almost a perfect interview with me.

4. Be critical of the school. 4 years of dental school is a big deal. Make sure you find the school that fits your needs. Hopefully you will have more than 1-2 acceptances and if you do - you will need to base your decision on a few generic websites and published descriptions. Ask tons of questions! Try to picture yourself in their classes, clinic and city! Try to talk to students who aren't associated with the interview process. Watch the interactions of students in their lounges/classes/hallways.

Lastly - have fun with your interviews! When I was interviewing - I enjoyed taking time off school and taking mini-vacations flying all over the place.

Good luck to everyone and if anyone has any questions - feel free to ask!

Fantastic post. Thank you

 

[geckel]

Just thought of a question. During the interview, after I answer their prepared questions and feel that the timing is right, is it ok to address certain points about my application? Specifically, I would like to tell them why I only applied to only one school for the two prior cycles. I have a good reason....do they want to hear this stuff. Will they write it down somewhere and take it into consideration or will they just use whatever I say in my interview as a way to gage my personality, therfore are not interested in a story that applies to my application. I definitely won't come off like I'm making excuses.

 

[D06-Interviewer]

This is a very good question.

In my opinion (and of course this opinion isn't a refection of all interviewers) I would discuss this at the end of your interview (when you are given an opportunity to ask questions). I would wait until the end of the interview because bringing up a "less appealing" trait during the middle of your interview may cause the interviewer to focus on this factor. The reason why I label this as "less appealing" is because most interviewers are looking to hear that the applicants' motivation towards their dental school pursuits is so high, that they're willing to apply to several schools all over the country to ensure their chances at an acceptance. People who only apply to the 1 local school in their state might appear as though they are only willing to go to dental school as long as they don't have to move apartments.... So if you do have a justified reason (family, finances, etc) I would recommend that you somehow explain this during the interview and then discuss how this is not a reflection on your lack of desire to become a dentist.

At our school - the interviewer writes down the important points discovered during the interview and this info is relayed to the admissions committee to assess the candidate's application. If there is any info that isn't described in your essay/application - your interview is a good way to include any work/experience/scores/explanations that may boost your application.

FYI - during many dental school interviews - the interviewer may hold an "open" or "closed" interview. An open interview means that the interviewer has read your entired application and will probably use your application/essay to mold the interview. Some places have a closed interview and the interviewer has never seen your application/scores and each applicant is given an unbiased opportunity to let their personality shine!
(We conduct open interviews at our school)

Just thought of a question. During the interview, after I answer their prepared questions and feel that the timing is right, is it ok to address certain points about my application? Specifically, I would like to tell them why I only applied to only one school for the two prior cycles. I have a good reason....do they want to hear this stuff. Will they write it down somewhere and take it into consideration or will they just use whatever I say in my interview as a way to gage my personality, therfore are not interested in a story that applies to my application. I definitely won't come off like I'm making excuses.

 

[D06-Interviewer]

Do you think after the interview it is legitimate to ask how you did on the interview or what you think your chances are of getting an acceptance?

During a job interview, I would not ask this type of question because I would not want to appear unconfident by asking for immediate feedback. As an interviewer, I would not want to be put on the spot because the whole application process isn't based on first impressions. We have to consider the whole package (scores/research/extracurriculars/interview) and weigh that relative to the other applicants.

After all of my recent interviews, I was dying to ask this question as well! But, I convinced myself that it would be in my best interest to hope my interview went well and wait by my mailbox... I know some people have asked the application:interview:acceptance ratio. This could give you a better idea of your acceptance chances because some schools offer tons of interviews for a few spots and vice versa. (My school does not interview many applicants so an interview usually leads to an acceptance).

Best wishes to you and your tooth goals...

 

[geckel]

This is a very good question.

In my opinion (and of course this opinion isn't a refection of all interviewers) I would discuss this at the end of your interview (when you are given an opportunity to ask questions). I would wait until the end of the interview because bringing up a "less appealing" trait during the middle of your interview may cause the interviewer to focus on this factor. The reason why I label this as "less appealing" is because most interviewers are looking to hear that the applicants' motivation towards their dental school pursuits is so high, that they're willing to apply to several schools all over the country to ensure their chances at an acceptance. People who only apply to the 1 local school in their state might appear as though they are only willing to go to dental school as long as they don't have to move apartments.... So if you do have a justified reason (family, finances, etc) I would recommend that you somehow explain this during the interview and then discuss how this is not a reflection on your lack of desire to become a dentist.

At our school - the interviewer writes down the important points discovered during the interview and this info is relayed to the admissions committee to assess the candidate's application. If there is any info that isn't described in your essay/application - your interview is a good way to include any work/experience/scores/explanations that may boost your application.

FYI - during many dental school interviews - the interviewer may hold an "open" or "closed" interview. An open interview means that the interviewer has read your entired application and will probably use your application/essay to mold the interview. Some places have a closed interview and the interviewer has never seen your application/scores and each applicant is given an unbiased opportunity to let their personality shine!
(We conduct open interviews at our school)

This is what I was hoping you would say. Thank you

 

[U2Me2]

This is a very good question.

In my opinion (and of course this opinion isn't a refection of all interviewers) I would discuss this at the end of your interview (when you are given an opportunity to ask questions). I would wait until the end of the interview because bringing up a "less appealing" trait during the middle of your interview may cause the interviewer to focus on this factor. The reason why I label this as "less appealing" is because most interviewers are looking to hear that the applicants' motivation towards their dental school pursuits is so high, that they're willing to apply to several schools all over the country to ensure their chances at an acceptance. People who only apply to the 1 local school in their state might appear as though they are only willing to go to dental school as long as they don't have to move apartments.... So if you do have a justified reason (family, finances, etc) I would recommend that you somehow explain this during the interview and then discuss how this is not a reflection on your lack of desire to become a dentist.

At our school - the interviewer writes down the important points discovered during the interview and this info is relayed to the admissions committee to assess the candidate's application. If there is any info that isn't described in your essay/application - your interview is a good way to include any work/experience/scores/explanations that may boost your application.

FYI - during many dental school interviews - the interviewer may hold an "open" or "closed" interview. An open interview means that the interviewer has read your entired application and will probably use your application/essay to mold the interview. Some places have a closed interview and the interviewer has never seen your application/scores and each applicant is given an unbiased opportunity to let their personality shine!
(We conduct open interviews at our school)

Thanks for all the good insights. But I disagree with one of your views.

I think it is human nature that the last thing discussed will stick in the interviewer's mind at the end of the discussion. If the applicant brings up something negative to explain it, that becomes the walk-away thought of the interviewer.

The end of the interview is the opportunity to plant the reason(s) why you are a great candidate. Summarize, repeat your strong points.

I feel slightly less strongly about this for a closed interview. But hey, once you've got an interview, the acceptance is yours to lose. Be friendly, be yourself, but BE POSITIVE.

Good luck.

 

[SuperC]

Do you think after the interview it is legitimate to ask how you did on the interview or what you think your chances are of getting an acceptance?

I asked in my interview.... They said they could not tell me.... on Dec. 1st I got in.
-C

 

[accidental]

During a job interview, I would not ask this type of question because I would not want to appear unconfident by asking for immediate feedback. As an interviewer, I would not want to be put on the spot because the whole application process isn't based on first impressions. We have to consider the whole package (scores/research/extracurriculars/interview) and weigh that relative to the other applicants.

After all of my recent interviews, I was dying to ask this question as well! But, I convinced myself that it would be in my best interest to hope my interview went well and wait by my mailbox... I know some people have asked the application:interview:acceptance ratio. This could give you a better idea of your acceptance chances because some schools offer tons of interviews for a few spots and vice versa. (My school does not interview many applicants so an interview usually leads to an acceptance).

Best wishes to you and your tooth goals...

I completely agree with this. In the group I work in it is standard policy that anyone who asks this question does not get hired. We have found that it is safe rule because every person that has ever asked this question had an interview that was a disaster and something was slightly amiss with their personality. I'm not saying that is the case with all of you that have done that - just in my experience. Sure we all want to know how our interviews went but that's not for us to know instantly. It really puts the interviewer in an awkward position especially if they find out that you are not what they are looking for. I think if someone asks this question they should be prepared for brutal honesty - like "um well you know that story in your personal statement about your love for dentistry starting at the age of 10 when you got to call 911 when little brother knocked his front tooth out? Well, to be perfectly honest we think that was total B.S. Also when you walked in the room it started to smell a little bit like spoiled roast beef." For that reason I think its one of the most inconsiderate and inappropriate questions you could ever ask an interviewer. Just hope you did your best during the interview, be patient, and wait for a denial or acceptance.