Questions FOR Dental Schools during interviews...

[UtahDad]

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I have seen and heard that many schools are hope you come prepared with questions for them and are anxious to answer questions during the interview. I am just wondering what types of questions do you have and are you getting good answers to? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[tinman831]

An interview is a chance for you to get to know the school just as much as a chance for them to get to know you. You are visiting for only a couple of days and there only a limited amount that you can learn by yourself. If you have any questions about their program, the school, the city, or dentistry in general, by all means ask. But don't feel like you're required to ask them questions if you are comfortable knowing that you could attend their school or live in that city. 🙂

 

[Lemming]

Make a list of all the things you are looking for in a dental school. Research the school, and if any of those questions are even partially unanswered, clarify them in the interview. It helps you sort out in your own head exactly what you are looking for.

 

[reapply2007]

I would ask if they have any planned changes for the clinic, or if the paperless office either works as implemented or if it will be implemented soon at the clinic. You'll probably see the clinic before you interview.

 

[dddsmack]

Always ask about the cirriculum. Most schools have a new version and want to brag. Other schools may have problems with their cirriculum that need to be changed, ask when they updated their cirriculum last or of they plan to.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

These are all great ideas, though if the OP is looking for specific question ideas to jump start the directions, I think it's a good idea to ask very specific, unique questions that pertain to you individually. You'll probably hear a lot of info about curriculum, academics, facilities, etc....but what about stuff like:

--what do people do for fun when they're not studying? (Or ask how the fishing or museums are...whatever you're interested in)

--Is there a cafeteria/nearby restaurants around or do people bring their own food throughout the day?

--what are the hours for the library/gym/gross anatomy lab/preclinical dental lab? Are any of them open 24 hrs/day?

--what is the relationship between students and faculty? (Do students eat lunch with them, barely talk with them, organize study sessions, e-mail a lot when they have specific questions about classes.) Also, what about the faculty-faculty relationships? Do they only refer to each other by Dr., or are they really casual? This may be a good indication of the dynamics there, which will make a HUUUGE difference on your life.

--Are there any associations with other professional students...med, pharm, vet, law.....or a lot of interactions between different classes within the dental school?

--Of course, if you want to seem all intelligent and boring, there's always the "how many specialize/GPR/AEGD/private practice?" "Is there a class to prepare you for the boards?" "What are the clinical requirements in order to graduate?" etc. etc. 😛

Oh, and ask if you have to pay for anything your patients never pay for!!!! Some schools apparently make students cover the difference.