why do dental admissions ask for hobbies?

[dapplicant]

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My hobbies dont relate at all to dentistry. Why is it important for adcom to know them?

 

[jeffity]

So they know you're not a (text)bookworm. So they know you have something to take you away from the rigors of schooling to decompress. And it's something interesting to talk about.

 

[lmaozedong1]

The fact that you ask this question tells me a lot about you.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

so that they can get to know you better and perhaps distinguish you from other applicants.........

 

[dapplicant]

The fact that you ask this question tells me a lot about you.

No need to make assumptions....i just wanted to know if they meant for it to relate to manual dexerity or something.

 

[AlbinoPolarBear]

No need to make assumptions....i just wanted to know if they meant for it to relate to manual dexerity or something.

From what I've been hearing, manual dexterity will not break your application.

In any case, I learned the Rubik's cube, bought a Lego set, and practiced my pen tricks just so this part of my application isn't empty. 🙂

 

[CedarZ4]

No need to make assumptions....i just wanted to know if they meant for it to relate to manual dexerity or something.

Assumptions should be made because ADCOMS are people just like us, and will pretty much make assumptions about YOU depending on what you tell or do not tell them, or the kind of questions you ask.

Very important in an interview, so take home message is pretty much; be prepared, be yourself. Unless, of course... yourself means an ugly side or a big red flag then......

 

[JBHawaii]

They want to make sure you are not a robot and they want to make sure you have something to bring to their student body in general, fill out the section and move on.... worrying about this question is a waste of your time.

 

[Dent001]

They want to make sure you are not a robot and they want to make sure you have something to bring to their student body in general, fill out the section and move on.... worrying about this question is a waste of your time.

Maken them up, you can't just say drugs and alcohol

 

[persenmi]

Of course dental schools look for applicants they think will be successful at dental school. Its not for everyone. People with certain hobbies are more likely to excel at tasks that require high level manual dexterity. Anybody can learn it. But for some, it will be very painful and miserable.

 

[MrAvicii]

im the same boat, i dont quite understand whats the point of asking for hobbies. what if i like skiing, will i be a better dentist lol

 

[Bereno]

Hobbies help check for well "roundedness". Also, depending on the hobby, it can show manual dexterity. They want to make sure that you don't sit in your house all day and do nothing other than study. After all, you are going into a very social profession...

 

[full]

I think it's mostly BS, especially because anybody could (for the most part) just say anything.

I suspect that most people just fill that section up with random hobbies, preferably ones that they've at least had some connection to (even if it was just 1 hr in their entire life doing it), but also would not mind adding hobbies that they've never done just to make it look good. Most people know it shouldn't be left blank, this communicates to ADCOMS that you don't know how to b*ll****. The more I think about it the more I realize that this section merely shows ADCOMS that you know and are willing to BS, which is actually a good skill to have to make it in the world, especially in hierarchical organizations.

Also, if the whole application was just GPA and DAT, dental school admissions would be criticized and viewed as too superficial. They need to include some BS ("what are your hobbies") so that they can claim they look for well-rounded applicants.

 

[PreDent321]

Schools also want to know if you're a dork by looking at your hobbies. Some hobbies (stamp collecting, dungeons & dragons, juggling, collecting cats, etc.) fit the mold.

 

[FLOSS UR TEETH]

ohh idk maybe they don't want a book worm? perhaps maybe someone interesting instead?

 

[MowgliR]

They want to know if you like working with you hands. Also, they want to know if you can continue these hobbies if you attend their school.

For example, if you say you like surfing and you're interviewing at a school inland then that'd be a little odd.