Why dentistry?

[PreDentJennifer]

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When the interviewer asks you, "why dentistry?". What do you answer? That must be the hardest thing to answer. I mean, you can't just say you love teeth because nobody will believe that. You can't say you love the money, because that just won't fly. So what's the answer to this unavoidable question during interview?

 

[Barry20]

A love and desire to serve the community and make a difference in the lives of other people is something that must be expressed. No one can argue with an open, honest response. I'm sure that you have to mean it when you say it. Adcoms have probably heard it all and I assume that in some cases they don't listen to the responses, rather they pay attention to the sincerity with which it is said.

Ask yourself, why DO you want to be a dentist? If you can't answer that now then you might want to figure it out before you blow all this time and money on dentistry. Many do it for the money and end up making nothing simply because they don't like to serve. Time for self-evaluation! 😉

 

[UBTom]

Sometimes I think adcoms ask that question to put you on the spot-- Just to watch you squirm and see how long it takes for you to think up an answer, and for yuks see if it's any different than the song and dance they got from the last 50 candidates they interviewed. 😀

I think an easier way to answer that dreaded question is to translate the question: "What aspect of dentistry fascinates you so much that you want to choose it as your career?"

You can then go on to expound why you found dentistry interesting. Maybe you found it to be more than the "drill and fill" stereotype through your shadowing experience, or perhaps you found the evolution of the profession from its reputation of pain infliction to modern painless treatment fascinating and want to take part in it, yadda yadda.

That ought to make you look a bit less stumped in front of the adcom heh heh..

 

[PERFECT3434]

great response Ubtom.

i completely agree with your way of tackling this question. like Jennifer, i too was struggling to answer this question.

as far as nicolas's response is concerned, i think that you didn't understand what jennifer was really asking. we all know (at least hope so) why we want to be a dentist. you would be surprised how many people in my Kaplan course said they wanted it for the $$. now, there is nothing wrong with wanting $$, but thats something you can not say.

this is a hard question to answer. however, if you really sit down and just think about what could you say that will sound sincere and true, then you will be more than OK.

good luck to all.