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With interview invitations already starting to go out, it is best to become accustomed to the nature of the interview. The interview itself at many schools very much involves you interviewing adcoms and students alike in order to get a good feel about how the school will be if accepted. Remember, the impression you get from a school on interview day may very well be one of the few instances of interacting with the school directly prior to making a decision on where you would like to go if you are lucky enough to receive multiple acceptances.
In my personal experience applying last year, every interview I went to involved me asking the adcoms questions during my interview. One interview in particular involved the interviewer greeting me, then asking me to ask her any questions I had for. That was the entire interview! The 100% wrong thing to do is to say that you have no questions to ask. I have compiled a brief list of things which you could consider asking your interviewers or dental students when the time comes on interview day.
1. Ask interviewers about policies on big things. Getting really sick and having to repeat a year, for example.
2. Any ways to cut down costs? Possible to rent equipment instead of having to buy it? Can you buy your equipment elsewhere?
3. How approachable are professors and staff? Are they easy to get a hold of or are many of them involved with research? Are mentors/tutors available in case someone has difficulty with a subject? What research opportunities are available?
4. Can you speak to the camaraderie of the student body?
5. Do dental hygiene and dental lab students collaborate on patients with the dental students?
6. Any possibility to sit-in on a couple classes and talk with some students? (One school in particular let applicants do this on interview day.)
7. What happens if someone flunks one class?
8. Describe the lab facilities if you didn't get a chance to see them yet during interview day. CAD/CAM and CNC?
9. When will you see your first live patient? (After all, that is why you are going to dental school in the first place.)
10. What kind of help will you get to prepare for board exams?
11. What help will you get post graduation?
12. How will the school prepare you for finding employment upon graduation?
13. What post grad opportunities does the school offer? What tracks do they have?
14. Obtaining letters of rec for future endeavors.
15. How to get involved with a certain area of dentistry (say education, for example.)
16. What are some graduation stats and biggest reason for flunking out?
17. Any notable difference between tenured faculty vs. part-time faculty?
18. What services are available, if any, to help find a roommate?
19. Are there any note taking services available? Are lectures recorded by video and audio? (My school does and I hear its really helpful.)
Again, these are just some things you could possibly ask during interview day. Remember, your paramount goal during interview day along with getting an acceptance is to get a good feel of the school.
I wish nothing but the best of luck to all of those applying this year.
In my personal experience applying last year, every interview I went to involved me asking the adcoms questions during my interview. One interview in particular involved the interviewer greeting me, then asking me to ask her any questions I had for. That was the entire interview! The 100% wrong thing to do is to say that you have no questions to ask. I have compiled a brief list of things which you could consider asking your interviewers or dental students when the time comes on interview day.
1. Ask interviewers about policies on big things. Getting really sick and having to repeat a year, for example.
2. Any ways to cut down costs? Possible to rent equipment instead of having to buy it? Can you buy your equipment elsewhere?
3. How approachable are professors and staff? Are they easy to get a hold of or are many of them involved with research? Are mentors/tutors available in case someone has difficulty with a subject? What research opportunities are available?
4. Can you speak to the camaraderie of the student body?
5. Do dental hygiene and dental lab students collaborate on patients with the dental students?
6. Any possibility to sit-in on a couple classes and talk with some students? (One school in particular let applicants do this on interview day.)
7. What happens if someone flunks one class?
8. Describe the lab facilities if you didn't get a chance to see them yet during interview day. CAD/CAM and CNC?
9. When will you see your first live patient? (After all, that is why you are going to dental school in the first place.)
10. What kind of help will you get to prepare for board exams?
11. What help will you get post graduation?
12. How will the school prepare you for finding employment upon graduation?
13. What post grad opportunities does the school offer? What tracks do they have?
14. Obtaining letters of rec for future endeavors.
15. How to get involved with a certain area of dentistry (say education, for example.)
16. What are some graduation stats and biggest reason for flunking out?
17. Any notable difference between tenured faculty vs. part-time faculty?
18. What services are available, if any, to help find a roommate?
19. Are there any note taking services available? Are lectures recorded by video and audio? (My school does and I hear its really helpful.)
Again, these are just some things you could possibly ask during interview day. Remember, your paramount goal during interview day along with getting an acceptance is to get a good feel of the school.
I wish nothing but the best of luck to all of those applying this year.
