The interview was really relaxed and went very well. The office staff was very friendly, and the interviewers didn't put any pressure on us at all. They just wanted to get to know us. They didn't have any off the wall questions like last year's France question, and there was no essay. They just wanted to know the standard things, like why you want to go into dentistry, and why they should choose you. The Dean gave a presentation on the pros and cons of Midwestern to start the day, which impressed me because he was very up front with what he thought we might not like about the school. I felt like they were very transparent with the whole process. They answered our questions honestly and openly. The Dean and faculty are pretty much the coolest bunch of successful old dentists that I've ever met!
The curriculum is a systems based approach, meaning that your learn the anatomy, physiology, pathology, biochemistry, and pharmacology of one body system at a time (nervous, cardiac, respiratory, etc.), rather than taking each topic as a separate course. They said that they are taking this approach to avoid having us memorize and regurgitate information and then forget it. This approach allows us to see how each topic relates to the others, and will make it easier for us to apply it in the clinic. It is NOT PBL. The professors and faculty are in residence and full time, unlike ASDOH, where they fly in for three weeks and then leave. They teach at both the medical and dental schools. One cool thing about Midwestern is that they emphasize cross disciplinary education. Every semester you are required to take a class with the Medical, Podiatry, and Optometry (coming soon) students so that each discipline can learn about the others. They do this to emphasize cooperation and collaboration between the various health professions in the future.
The Simulation lab is HUGE! It has 120 chairs, each with a computer monitor, maniquine, and full drill/suction/air/water hook ups. They only use new electric handpieces, which are soooo much nicer than air driven handpieces. The school has technology out the ears. All of the students seemed really happy. It's amazing. It's also pretty expensive, but I think it's worth it. You will be on the cutting edge of dental technology.
