10 tough dental school interview questions
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Waiting for a dental school interview invite? You aren’t alone. The waiting game can be nerve-wracking. You’ve already re-read your application, and you’ve done the necessary research on the schools to which you applied. You know your responses to the classic questions (“Why dentistry?” “Why our school?” “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”) You’ve read our blog posts about dental school interviews (this one AND this one). Now what?
Rest assured that you have done your best — now, have confidence in yourself and your application. While you’re waiting, reflect on this list of 10 tough dental school interview questions. How might you answer these?
1. What is an unpopular opinion you have?
This question can be tricky. You want to think of an answer that is genuine, but not overly negative or divisive!
2. If you weren’t doing dentistry (or healthcare), what would you be doing? (Follow up: So why aren’t you pursuing that?)
Maybe you would have been a teacher, a marine biologist, or an interior designer. What led you to choose dentistry over every other career? Of course, also be prepared to answer the more common question — why you chose dental school over medical (or nursing/PA) school.
3. What do you think is the biggest issue currently facing the dental profession?
Is it the rising costs of dental education, leaving graduates with lofty debts? The disparities in access to care? The fact that oral health is still considered by many to be unrelated to systemic/overall health? There’s no one correct answer — reflect on what you think is the biggest issue and what might be done to address it.
4. A patient walks into your practice. They are in pain and seemingly in need of urgent care, but your schedule is packed with back-to-back appointments. You learn that the patient has no reliable mode of transportation, so it would be difficult for them to return to your office later or another day. What do you do or say?
Ethical scenarios like this can be very tricky. Again, there is no one correct answer. Sometimes, the best approach to these questions is to consider the pros and cons of various options, then come to a conclusion about what you would most likely decide.
5. If you were stranded on a deserted island but could have one item with you, what would that item be?
Questions like this, while unrelated to dentistry, give the interviewer a glimpse into who you are and how you think. Feel free to be creative!
6. What is something that most people — even your close friends — don’t know about you?
Even our closest friends don’t necessarily know all the details of our lives and our pasts — our former passions, our childhood memories, our hidden talents. This is another question that gives the interviewer a glimpse at the real you.
7. Tell us about a mistake you’ve made.
Like the question “Tell me about your weaknesses,” this question requires you to candidly reflect on the less polished aspects of your life and present them in a semi-positive way. When telling the story about the mistake you made, be sure to highlight how you grew or changed as a result to avoid repeating the mistake.
8. What do you think is the most difficult part of being a dentist?
As excited as you likely are to enter the dental profession, all professions have their pros and cons. Being able to honestly reflect on some of the cons of being a dentist shows that you have a realistic view of the profession and that your decision to apply to dental school was an informed one.
9. You are seeing a patient who needs a great deal of restorative work. The patient has no dental insurance and a tight budget. What do you do?
This is another ethical scenario — and a realistic one. As a dentist, you will need to work with patients to fit their dental needs and their budgets.
10. When is the last time you changed your position or stance on an issue?
Answering this question shows that your opinions aren’t rigid and inflexible — you’re able to alter them when presented with new, compelling information. That’s a great quality to have in general, and especially as a dentist!
Want more interview prep? CrackDAT offers interview preparation and a list of 175 dental school interview questions to help you shine during your interviews.
Reflecting on how you would answer tough interview questions is great practice, but the most important part of the interview process is being confident and conveying your authentic personality. We wish you the best of luck during interview season — you’ve got this!
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