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The
Interview:
WHO IS INVITED AND HOW
DOES IT WORK?
 Although on average fewer than one-fourth of all
applicants are invited for a personal interview, most dental schools
will not accept a candidate without one. This suggests how
important the interview is in the selection process. Interviews
usually take place at the dental school, and usually the candidate is
interviewed by two or more members of the admissions committee.
Later the whole committee meets to discuss all the applicants and make
decisions.
YOUR GOAL DURING THE INTERVIEW
For most students, the dental school interview is the
most nerve-wracking part of the entire admissions process. The
most important advice we can give you is to remind you that the
interview is your opportunity to present yourself in the best possible
light. It is your chance to explain yourself, to demonstrate your
poise and maturity, and to show that you are an interesting and
attractive candidate.
WHAT ARE THE INTERVIEWERS LOOKING
FOR?
Remember, your interviewers are very busy
people. They are trying to find out what you are like in a short
amount of time. They will use a variety of techniques to achieve
this. Some may question you quite aggressively in an attempt to
see how you handle pressure. The majority, however, are likely to
take a more low-key approach. Whatever the method used, your
specific response is less important than your composure during the
interview. If you don't know the answer to a specific question, be
honest about it. A negative aspect of your academic transcript can
usually be turned around into something more positive. If your
interviewer questions you about a poor performance on organic chemistry,
admit it; but, if possible go on to point out that you have done well in
other courses, or have subsequently improved, or that you feel you have
developed better study habits. In other words "find the
positive point" to leave with the interviewers.
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE
If you are asked in a general way to tell something
about yourself, seize your opportunity. You want to go to dental
school and believe you are well prepared. If you have had several
experiences that have been important to you or that make you an unusual
candidate, tell the interviewer about them. Be prepared to take
the initiative and start a discussion about your motives and preparation
for dental school if you are given the chance. Don't freeze up
because you expect your interviewer to do all the work. Show your
enthusiasm and your passion for dentistry.
HOW TO PRESENT YOURSELF
Above all, don't be defensive. What matters in
the interview is the poise with which you handle yourself. You are
entering a field in which you could be responsible for the lives of
others. You will have to make vital ethical decisions in areas
where there are no hard and fast rules or answers. How are you
going to conduct yourself? Do you have the flexibility and
maturity to meet those challenges? Your behavior during the
interview, the thoughtfulness and truthfulness with which you respond to
any line of discussion, will help determine your success.
MOCK INTERVIEWS
Typically your school may hold workshops for mock
interviews. Take them. The idea is to be prepared, but not
to sound rehearsed. If your school does not offer mock  interviews,
it is necessary to find someone who can run through an interview with
you. Find another student who is in the same situation, and be
sure to pay attention when it is you asking the questions. What
does an interviewer want to see? hear? Obviously not a sweating,
shaking, hesitant answering candidate.
WHAT TOPICS ARE LIKELY TO BE
DISCUSSED?
1. Your academic record.
You may be asked about any discrepancies in your academic record, weak
grades, distribution of courses, etc. If you have one poor grade,
put it, if you can, in the perspective of subsequent improved
performance. If you have participated in research, be prepared to
show you fully understand the nature of your research project.
2. Extracurricular
Activities. Take the opportunity, if it presents itself, to
talk about any interests you may have of a non-academic kind.
3. Motives for pursuing a
dental career. Give some thought before your interview
about your reasons for pursuing a dental career. Remember that you
are far from unique in believing that you are humane, compassionate,
altruistic, and concerned about the welfare of others. Can you
demonstrate these attributes in a concrete way? Specific
experiences are your best evidence. Have you relevant skills?
4. Current issues in
health care. You may be asked to discuss controversies or
issues in the area of health care, including ethical issues. What
is important here is less your specific responses, than your ability to
think logically and your sensitivity to cultural and social
differences. Be aware of what is going on in the world around
you. Don't be the kind of student who never reads the newspapers
or anything else outside his or her narrow set of interests and is
therefore uninformed about recent debates in the health field or in the
world at large (for more see cultural
literacy). In preparing for your dental school interview, we
suggest you consult the catalogs of the different dental schools to
acquaint yourself with the details of their programs. You may be
asked why you are interested in a particular school, and your answer
should indicate that you have given some thought to your selection and
that it is not just based on convenience. Prepare a few
questions that are pertinent to each school. It shows you are well
prepared.
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School of Dental Medicine
Last modified: August 01, 1999
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