Tough interview questions

[dentaly]

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Hey everyone,

I was just trying to go over a few main interview questions and there are some that im struggling with.. and maybe other people are too so i thought i would post them so we could discuss them a bit!

What are your weaknesses?
(ones that don't make you look really bad!)

What are you doing this year and what will you do if you don't get into dental school?


thanks in advance for any help! 🙂

 

[Maygyver]

Just pick a weakness you have worked on and show how you have improved. Soul search.

 

[PP2010]

Hello Dentaly!

I was interviewed yesterday and I was asked 'what is your plan B if you do not get accepted this cycle? (similar to your Q#2)

I answered ''I will find out the reason(s) why I was rejected. Then I will work hard to make me a better candidate for next cycle but rest assured I would never give up my ultimate goal. I believe, I will be happier in a profession that suits me more than in one that is molded onto me by society. For me, it is about getting up one more time than you fall down."

Hope this helps. Good Luck!!!

 

[dentalWorks]

If you think these are tough questions.... I wonder how you'll feel when they start asking you about how you feel about social dentistry? what do you think are improvement that can be made to dentistry in the USA that might help resolve the undeserved population? What do you think are the biggest problems facing dental care today? Whats is your opinion on how HMOs are run and how they split the cost of the insurance between all policyholders (or however way they are going to word it).....If you become a dentist, what will you contribute to this field? What are your thoughts on the amalgam debate and where do you stand (be careful what you say here, ADA HIGHLY approves amalgam usage, and all schools spent a lot of time teaching students to use amalgam)........ How do you feel about hygienist practitioners (mid-level providers), do you think they have a place in the oral health community (justify your answer).......

I mean these are REAL TOUGH questions to answer lol

 

[Mudfever]

AND whatever you do, be honest! If you have no clue what they are asking about, then say you don't know. I wouldn't give the cliche answer, "I'm not clear on that, but I will be sure to look it up." It's not bad if you can't come up with anything better, but try.

At the end of the day, they will be able to tel if you are being honest or are BSing and coasting.

 

[bipster10]

If you think these are tough questions.... I wonder how you'll feel when they start asking you about how you feel about social dentistry? what do you think are improvement that can be made to dentistry in the USA that might help resolve the undeserved population? What do you think are the biggest problems facing dental care today? Whats is your opinion on how HMOs are run and how they split the cost of the insurance between all policyholders (or however way they are going to word it).....If you become a dentist, what will you contribute to this field? What are your thoughts on the amalgam debate and where do you stand (be careful what you say here, ADA HIGHLY approves amalgam usage, and all schools spent a lot of time teaching students to use amalgam)........ How do you feel about hygienist practitioners (mid-level providers), do you think they have a place in the oral health community (justify your answer).......

I mean these are REAL TOUGH questions to answer lol

Hmm..the only thing that scares me about this question is answering it without bringing in any "political views" you may already have. Can these political views get you into any trouble ( Like can they hold it against you if you're all for socialized dentistry and they are hardcore conservatives )?

 

[redchesus]

Hmm..the only thing that scares me about this question is answering it without bringing in any "political views" you may already have. Can these political views get you into any trouble ( Like can they hold it against you if you're all for socialized dentistry and they are hardcore conservatives )?

I would actually be careful with that. It's hard to decipher the politics of the dentists I followed around for weeks, let alone one that you've just met.

From what I gather (anecdotal evidence here, of course), the ones that are doing super well are more open to the idea, whereas the ones working for the big corps aren't so much.

Personally, while I have leanings, I honestly feel like I can't have an opinion until I've been working in the field for a while.

 

[baseballjunkie]

Here are a few weird ones that I got when interviewing:

Define professionalism and what it means to be a professional. (@ UW)

What do you remember from the Henderson-Hesselback equation? (@ Pitt)

A patient has a heart attack in the chair. What do you do? (@ Pitt)

Why would you want to live in ___________ city? (asked at many interviews)

 

[dentalWorks]

Hmm..the only thing that scares me about this question is answering it without bringing in any "political views" you may already have. Can these political views get you into any trouble ( Like can they hold it against you if you're all for socialized dentistry and they are hardcore conservatives )?

well, in the dental interview, you are selling yourself as a compassionate human being whos looking to make a living while helping others.... If I have to weight the two concepts, I would say majority of emphasis should be on the compassionate part more than the profit part irrespective of how you "really" feel about the subject.

Obviously, I am not suggesting for you to be dishonest (cause trust me, they'll smell dishonestly a mile away from your tone) but, maybe hiding some of your feelings isn't such a bad idea lol. If you have strong feelings against social dentistry, perhaps its best for you to keep that to yourself lol

 

[Dent001]

is it bad to say that one of your weaknesses is procrastination?

that was a real problem for me in high school, but i somehow coasted through and did well enough to get into a good school.

but in college i still procrastinated but was just really good at it. i knew how much time i needed to master a subject so i set that time aside at a particular time. i partied my ass off but still studied when i NEEDED to. i pretty much had a system, but it was a good system that i learned through time management.


do you think they would look down on this?

 

[dentalWorks]

is it bad to say that one of your weaknesses is procrastination?

that was a real problem for me in high school, but i somehow coasted through and did well enough to get into a good school.

but in college i still procrastinated but was just really good at it. i knew how much time i needed to master a subject so i set that time aside at a particular time. i partied my ass off but still studied when i NEEDED to. i pretty much had a system, but it was a good system that i learned through time management.


do you think they would look down on this?

I personally don't think procrastination is a bad answer.... its honest and it shows its a real weakness you have and if your coming into an interview with high GPA and good DAT numbers, it shows that it hasn't effected your performance a whole lot.

Always stick to a weakness that is.... real... and is easily over come if you work hard at it. Don't go in there with silly answers like "I am too much of a perfectionist" thats such a cliche answer, and it doesn't showcase how you can overcome anything

 

[Dent001]

If you think these are tough questions.... I wonder how you'll feel when they start asking you about how you feel about social dentistry? what do you think are improvement that can be made to dentistry in the USA that might help resolve the undeserved population? What do you think are the biggest problems facing dental care today? Whats is your opinion on how HMOs are run and how they split the cost of the insurance between all policyholders (or however way they are going to word it).....If you become a dentist, what will you contribute to this field? What are your thoughts on the amalgam debate and where do you stand (be careful what you say here, ADA HIGHLY approves amalgam usage, and all schools spent a lot of time teaching students to use amalgam)........ How do you feel about hygienist practitioners (mid-level providers), do you think they have a place in the oral health community (justify your answer).......

I mean these are REAL TOUGH questions to answer lol

Hey dentalworks, do you know where we can find information on: how HMO's and insurance tie with dentistry, especially with the new healthcare reform?

it seems like there are a lot of smoke and mirrors about insurance online and its hard to find a reliable source.

 

[dentalWorks]

Hey dentalworks, do you know where we can find information on: how HMO's and insurance tie with dentistry, especially with the new healthcare reform?

it seems like there are a lot of smoke and mirrors about insurance online and its hard to find a reliable source.

Actually, here on SDN is a great place to learn this stuff.
Get out of the dentistry forums and scroll down to "Interdisciplinary Forums" and go into "topics in healthcare"..... ALOT of this stuff is explained there.

As far as the obama thing goes, lol, the reason your seeing smoke and mirrors is because thats what it is, no one has an exact answer of "how" they are going to achieve most of "that".... The only thing thats sorta clear thus far is that they are going to put more restrictions to existing insurance compaines to make it harder for them to get ride of a policyholder whos bascially.... no longer profitable for the company....

 

[ItalianPrincess]

Here are a few weird ones that I got when interviewing:

Define professionalism and what it means to be a professional. (@ UW)

What do you remember from the Henderson-Hesselback equation? (@ Pitt)

A patient has a heart attack in the chair. What do you do? (@ Pitt)

Why would you want to live in ___________ city? (asked at many interviews)

what was the purpose of the Henderson-Hesselbach question? did you just say pH=pKa+log[A-]/[HA+]? (idk if thats right) or did they want something philosophical?

we should also probably know how the new health care bill is going to effect the future of dentistry

 

[pinhi]

Hmm..the only thing that scares me about this question is answering it without bringing in any "political views" you may already have. Can these political views get you into any trouble ( Like can they hold it against you if you're all for socialized dentistry and they are hardcore conservatives )?

All of these are ethical questions......u need to first understand what and why they are asking....what are they ACTUALLY trying to see.......they dont want a str8 out answer here...they are looking SPECIFICALLY for how you develop your thoughts.....how your critical thinking works.....these types of questions are the ones where you have to THINK OUT LOUD and let them know what steps u take to come up with an answer......ASK QUESTIONS.....

 

[pinhi]

what was the purpose of the Henderson-Hesselbach question? did you just say pH=pKa+log[A-]/[HA+]? (idk if thats right) or did they want something philosophical?

we should also probably know how the new health care bill is going to effect the future of dentistry

henderson hasselbach equation is used to make buffers and to determine pH.....u can find concentrations of acids, bases and even find the pka if you really want....look at the formula and manipulate it and u'll remember......
Look at the specific schools for which u are interviewing (above on interview feedback)...this will tell you what kind of questions to prepare for on interview day
Ask yourself how u DO feel about these issues......its all about thinking out loud!!....how do u develop your thoughts?......the answer should come at the end of a list of questions you ask yourself and through a discussion that you have with the interviewers.....

 

[Destiny11]

Why should we choose you and not the 3000 other applicants with similar experiences and credentials?

 

[pinhi]

Why should be choose you and not the 3000 other applicants with similar experiences and credentials?

bullet point bullet point bullet point

 

[POOPAK]

What would you do if you found out your partner is on drugs?

 

[dentalWorks]

Why should we choose you and not the 3000 other applicants with similar experiences and credentials?

This is just a re-worded question of "what are your strengths that make you unique?"

 

[SeattleRDH]

If you think these are tough questions.... I wonder how you'll feel when they start asking you about how you feel about social dentistry? what do you think are improvement that can be made to dentistry in the USA that might help resolve the undeserved population? What do you think are the biggest problems facing dental care today? Whats is your opinion on how HMOs are run and how they split the cost of the insurance between all policyholders (or however way they are going to word it).....If you become a dentist, what will you contribute to this field? What are your thoughts on the amalgam debate and where do you stand (be careful what you say here, ADA HIGHLY approves amalgam usage, and all schools spent a lot of time teaching students to use amalgam)........ How do you feel about hygienist practitioners (mid-level providers), do you think they have a place in the oral health community (justify your answer).......

I mean these are REAL TOUGH questions to answer lol

Great questions. I could talk for 5 minutes on each of these points because they are really pertinent to the future of dentistry. These are topics that dental professionals discuss when getting together at local association meetings, conventions, and such.

But I wonder, would it be fair for the adcoms to ask these questions to applicants with only a few months of shadowing? Have you (or someone you know) been asked these questions in an interview?

 

[FreeFallin]

Great questions. I could talk for 5 minutes on each of these points because they are really pertinent to the future of dentistry. These are topics that dental professionals discuss when getting together at local association meetings, conventions, and such.

But I wonder, would it be fair for the adcoms to ask these questions to applicants with only a few months of shadowing? Have you (or someone you know) been asked these questions in an interview?

Excellent point. I was wondering the same thing for applicants who only have shadowing experience. I'm like you where I could talk about the topics because I've been an RDH for several years. But, how about those who just shadowed?

 

[Sublimation]

Great questions. I could talk for 5 minutes on each of these points because they are really pertinent to the future of dentistry. These are topics that dental professionals discuss when getting together at local association meetings, conventions, and such.

But I wonder, would it be fair for the adcoms to ask these questions to applicants with only a few months of shadowing? Have you (or someone you know) been asked these questions in an interview?

👍

 

[dentalWorks]

Great questions. I could talk for 5 minutes on each of these points because they are really pertinent to the future of dentistry. These are topics that dental professionals discuss when getting together at local association meetings, conventions, and such.

But I wonder, would it be fair for the adcoms to ask these questions to applicants with only a few months of shadowing? Have you (or someone you know) been asked these questions in an interview?

I am not exactly sure if they ask these questions directly outta thin air (although anything is possible) but I think the interviewer might first give you insight on the topic first, then ask a question like the ones I mentioned.

for example, he might explain to you what a mid-level provider is, then ask you what you think of this system.... ya know?

In general tho, the interview is NOT to decide how much you know about dentistry, but its more about can you hold a conversation well.... The interviewer might not agree with some of the answers you give (and in which case, that is NOT bad) however, he might challenge your views and in that situation, you better provide a good thorough answer to justify your standings, if you don't, THEN it might look bad .....because you gave an "undesirable" answer but weren't able to defend it.

 

[dentaly]

If you think these are tough questions.... I wonder how you'll feel when they start asking you about how you feel about social dentistry? what do you think are improvement that can be made to dentistry in the USA that might help resolve the undeserved population? What do you think are the biggest problems facing dental care today? Whats is your opinion on how HMOs are run and how they split the cost of the insurance between all policyholders (or however way they are going to word it).....If you become a dentist, what will you contribute to this field? What are your thoughts on the amalgam debate and where do you stand (be careful what you say here, ADA HIGHLY approves amalgam usage, and all schools spent a lot of time teaching students to use amalgam)........ How do you feel about hygienist practitioners (mid-level providers), do you think they have a place in the oral health community (justify your answer).......

I mean these are REAL TOUGH questions to answer lol

haha oh obviously these arent the hardest! i know that
but they were ones that i was really thinking about
becuase for the weakness question.. we shouldnt use a cliche like im a perfectionist.. but if you use something else they may use it against you! and think that that wouldn't make you a good fit for dental school.

as for what are you doing this year.. my friend asked me to post it with this one because he is actually taking a year off.. but maybe the school will look badly upon that too.. so what do u say? why are u taking a year off?? other than to apply for dental school

 

[dentaly]

i find that questions that require an opinion are a bit easier to answer because they're your personal opinion and if you back up your opinion then it should be fine

also.... i would hope that they would give us some backgrouund info about those types fo questions though because ive only done shadowing and im not familiar with it

im also an international student so i dont know anything about the new health care bill?? maybe i should brush up on that!

 

[dentalWorks]

also.... i would hope that they would give us some backgrouund info about those types fo questions though because ive only done shadowing and im not familiar with it

Im not being a jerk here, but thats not a good attitude. Your going to spend the next 30-40 years of your life in this field (I imagine till retirement). If I was interviewing folks for my dental schools, I would throw 1 or 2 questions (very simplified of course) about these types of areas (insurance, ethical, mid-level provider, etc etc) just to see if the student is TRUELY interested in learning about this field rather than is he/she being just interested in getting a dental degree in order to make a very comfortable living.

Obviously, I am sure not everyone shares my opinion, and there isn't anything wrong with that. Good luck on your interviews



Oh, and regarding the "why are u taking a year off??".... I would answer it "honestly".... why are you REALLY taking a year off? Are you looking to have last bit of fun before dental school? Are you looking to work for a little bit to make some money? Are you unable to apply right away cause you don't have the financial means? I mean... be honest with your answer, its not a trick question

 

[peerless218]

I think these are pretty good mock questions to ask yourself.

Why didn't you choose medicine over dentistry if you like to work with people? If there's only 1 spot left at the school, why should we take you over the other 13 people that came today? Where do you see dentistry in the next 10 years? Give me something creative you've done in a situation? Are we your # 1 choice? Would you come here if you were to be accepted? What do you think some of the negatives of our school?