35 Questions for a Dental School Interview (With Sample Answers)

35 Questions for a Dental School Interview (With Sample Answers)

It can be fun and good for your bank account to work as a dentist. Future dentists often have to go through an interview as part of the process to get into dental school. Learning about some of the most common interview questions that dental school admissions counsellors ask can help you prepare for your interview and feel more confident. This article will help you prepare for your interview for dental school by giving you 35 questions and some examples of how to answer them.

General dental school interview questions

Here are some general interview questions that an admissions counsellor might ask to find out about your personal interests, skills, and values:

1. What are your top three strengths?
2. What was the most important thing you did outside of class while you were in college?
3. What have you read recently that has changed or made you think differently about the world?
4. What are your three worst qualities?
5. What would make you happy 10 years from now?
6. What kind of dental programme are you interested in?
7. Tell us about something that made a big difference in your life.
8. When you’re not practising dentistry, what do you like to do?
9. What do you do to manage stress?
10. When you told your friends and family you wanted to be a dentist, how did they react?

Questions about work and history from the past

Here are some questions about your background and experience, including questions about your education and work history:

1. Tell us about a time you had to take charge of something to get it done.
2. Why did you pick your major in college?
3. What do you do to prepare for tests and study?
4. What are you most proud of that you have done?
5. Tell me about a mistake you made and what you did to fix it.
6. How can you explain this gap in your academic record or this weakness?
7. Tell us about a disagreement you had with someone close to you and how you solved it.
8. What was the hardest class you took in college, and how did you change to handle it?
9. What do you know about dentistry because of your experience, and what have you learned about the field from that experience?
10. A dentist needs to be able to move their hands and eyes together. Do you have any experience that could help with dexterity?

Questions for an interview that go in-depth

Here are some detailed questions that an admissions counsellor might ask to find out your professional philosophy, why you want to become a dentist, and how you would handle different ethical and professional situations:

1. What are some problems that older people often have with their teeth?
2. How would you help your clients deal with the cost of your services as a practitioner?
3. Someone who hasn’t been to the dentist in more than ten years comes to see you with a lot of problems. How do you begin?
4. What kinds of technological changes would you like to see in dentistry?
5. How would you feel if you found out that a coworker overcharges patients and puts wrong information on their bills?
6. How would you describe the person you think would be best for our programme?
7. What would you do if a low-income patient who hasn’t been able to pay for services in the past made an appointment with you?
8. What kind of people do you want to work with as a dentist?
9. When you think about your future, can you think of any other jobs where you could reach the same goals and be just as happy?
10. In the last 25 years, what do you think has changed in the field of dentistry?

Sample interview questions and how to answer them

Here are examples of how to answer the five most common questions asked at dental school interviews:

1. Why do you think you would make a good dentist?

This is a question that an admissions counsellor might ask to find out what your personal strengths are and how well you can match them to the needs of the job. Explain in your answer what dentists need to be good at their jobs. What do your skills and experiences have to do with what a dentist does? Sharing specific examples of your qualities and explaining how they relate to your future as a dentist can help the interviewer understand your values, perspectives, and goals.

Example: “I think I have what it takes to be a great dentist because I want to help people, I want to learn, and I want to be a professional. After I volunteered at a community dental office, I really wanted to help people in my community by giving them dental care. People who work in this field should keep learning, in my opinion. I hope to give my patients the best care possible by getting more education and getting better at my job.”

2. How do the things you’ve done fit with the goals of our school?

Admissions counsellors use the interview to figure out if you are a good fit for their school and programme. They might ask this to find out about your schooling and work history so they can see if your values are similar to those of their school. You can show the interviewer that you know a lot about their school and what it stands for by how you answer this question. Show that you know the school’s mission and values in your answer. Give some examples of how you live up to the mission.

Example: “I think I live up to your school’s values of doing well in school, treating everyone with respect, and including everyone. As an undergraduate, I took classes at the graduate level. I also worked as a tutor in chemistry, biology, and research methods. This showed that I was really trying to do well in school. As someone who wants to become a dentist, I think it’s important that my office is open to people with different physical and behavioural needs. I want to start a medical office that helps people who have special needs. Since your programme is about diversity, acceptance, and respect, I think our goals are the same.”

Why did you decide to become a dentist instead of something else in health care?

This is a question that an admissions counsellor might ask you to find out why you want to become a dentist. There are many jobs in health care, so telling the interviewer why you want to be a dentist can help them understand your personal goals. By showing how much you care about your career and education by how much you love dentistry. The interviewer may think you’re a good candidate if you’re motivated, excited, and know how dentistry can help you reach your personal and professional goals. Because dental school is hard, students need to be motivated to do well.

Example: “I have always wanted to work in health care because I feel called to help people by taking care of their medical needs. Dentistry is a hard job that gives me the chance to change people’s lives every day. Patients’ oral health has a big effect on their overall health, and taking care of their cosmetic concerns makes them feel better about themselves and improves their emotional health. I’m happy about the changes in the dental field, and I think I’ve had a bigger impact on the growth of this field than any other.”

4. In the next 10 years, what do you think will be the biggest problems in the dental field?

An interviewer might ask you this question to find out how well you know the industry and what problems are happening or could happen. By answering this question, you can show how well you know the dental industry, how well you’ve thought about challenges in the field, and how carefully you’ve thought about factors that affect dental care. To answer this question, give some examples of problems you think the industry will face. Explain why they are a problem and why people in the field should be aware of them. You can say more about how you think these issues might affect your practise and what you might do to lessen their effects.

Example: “I think that finding enough qualified people to meet the needs of patients will be one of the biggest problems in the industry over the next 10 years. As the U.S. population ages, there will probably be a greater need for dentists who understand the special needs of older patients. Since going to dental school is a big deal that takes time and money, some people worry that there won’t be enough graduates to fill dentist jobs. After 10 years of running my own business, I want to change this by becoming a teacher.”

5. What would you tell a patient who came to you with mild tooth pain but wouldn’t let you take an X-ray because they think X-rays are dangerous?

This is a question about how you act that an interviewer might ask to see how you would handle a certain situation. Your answer to this question shows that you can look at a situation from different points of view, come up with a good reason for your answer, and use your knowledge of best practises in a specific situation. To answer this question, you need to think about a patient’s right to refuse services and your duty as a practitioner to provide the best care possible. Respect the patient’s position and tell them what you can teach them about X-rays and other ways to get checked out.

Example: “In this situation, I would talk to the patient without judging her and tell her that she has the right to say no to a service if she doesn’t think it’s in her best interests. I’d also talk to her alone and ask her what worries her about the X-rays. I would listen to her to understand her point of view, and then I would tell her what the research says about how safe X-rays are. I’d tell her that my evaluation might be wrong if I don’t take X-rays. This means that her pain could be caused by something wrong with her teeth, which I can’t fully figure out without X-rays. I would put a lot of emphasis on talking, learning, and respect.”