You spent so many years in college completing your coursework, participating in extracurriculars, and hunting down every way possible to polish your resume.
This is not it, you then spend weeks and months studying for the DAT, asking for letters of recommendation, writing your personal statement, and ticking off every box to submit your AADSAS dental school application.
Finally, after this much hard work, you finally received your reward in the form of a dental school acceptance email.
But what now? What should you expect to happen at the interview? You know nothing about the interview questions. Moreover, what will you wear?
These questions are bothering you, aren’t they? Well, we are here to help you ace your dental school interview confidently.
While every school has its own specific approach to interviews, fortunately, there are some predictable elements to all interviews. And, in this blog, we will help you understand all that you need to know about your interview.
But first, we need to know…
Some Common Pitfalls To Avoid On Your Dental School Interview
Dishonesty During The Dentistry Interview – Don’t Lie!
A huge part of being a dental student depends on being honest. This is because the students have to deal with patients throughout their degree. Thus, the interviewers seek candidates that they can trust to look after patients.
There are a lot of ways a candidate can be dishonest during their interview. For instance, you might answer everything truthfully. But you lied in your personal statement. In this way, you not only ruined a perfectly good dentistry personal statement but you also appeared dishonest in your interview.
Moreover, interviewers might ask you further questions regarding something that you have lied about in your application, thus, it is best to stay genuine and not lie anywhere. No matter how bad you appear, the interviewer will surely regard the fact that you were honest about your shortcomings and weaknesses.
Candidates That Rely On Clichés: Avoid Cliches!
If your interviewer asks you:
“So why do you want to study Dentistry?”
Do not reply with:
“I want to help people and I enjoy science”
It will look like a cliché, even if it is true. So, feel free to add some of your personal experiences to your answer. For instance, you can say that you served in a care home and it made you realise the fact that you love helping people. Keep in mind not to over-rehearse your answers. Try to keep them genuine, natural, and to the point. Your interviewers will appreciate exploring more about your personality and they will surely notice that you have actually thought in depth about your career in dentistry.
Interviewees That Come Across Overly Positive Or Arrogant: Don’t Be Arrogant!
A lot of students commit the mistake of suggesting that they are flawless or being over-enthusiastic about Dentistry as a career. Interviewers deal with such students multiple times, on a daily basis. They might see it as a lack of reflection and understanding. While it is crystal clear that you are trying your best to put your best foot across at the interview. However, we urge you not to be afraid to admit the concepts within Dentistry that you don’t like or areas that you struggle with.
For instance, if your interviewer asks you about how you cope with a stressful situation. An arrogant answer would be referring that you don’t get stressed. On the contrary, a more appropriate answer would reflect on a period when you felt stressed and how you faced the situation. Quick Tip? Always try to outweigh a negative statement with something positive. Say, for example, you might find it daunting to look at dentistry as a full-time career but you can add that you feel you have what it takes to overcome this issue.
Those Who Attend Dentistry Interviews Without Reflecting On Their Experiences: Self-Reflect!
It is highly possible that your interviewer will ask you what you have learnt through your work. If they do not ask this question directly, they will expect you to answer this question during the interview nevertheless. However, a lot of students only talk about their expectations during their work experience. We do agree that there is no harm in doing so. However, the interviewers might be looking for a bit more reflection on the experience.
This reflection can come in a lot of forms. It might revolve around looking back on your experiences to gain a clear understanding of what you have learnt and how it affected your goals about choosing dentistry as your career. A perfect way to do this is by seeking help from an expert writer for personal statement. Ask the service provider to help you reflect on your experiences, extracurricular hobbies, and skills as well.
People Who Communicate Poorly And Are Unable To Build Rapport: Build A Rapport
Interviewers are searching for individuals that they feel possess the traits that are required of a successful dentist. One of such traits is good levels of communication. As a dentist, you will have to foster relationships with your work colleagues and patients along with other experts in the field. It is quite normal for interviewees to appear nervous during an interview.
As a matter of fact, interviewers are ready to deal with nervous students and do not expect them to be perfect. But they are seeking someone who is able to get their point across clearly and is personable. Thus, try to put your point clearly, maintain eye contact, and never, we repeat NEVER fidget during your interview.
What should I not do during a dental school interview?
The thing that irritates the interviewers the most is stupid questions. There are a lot of questions that can make you appear dumb in front of your dental school interviewer.
How can I make myself stand out in a dental interview?
There are a lot of ways to make yourself shine during your dental school interview, such as:
- Look confident
- Feel free to ask for clarification
- Never second-guess yourself
- Display your passion
- Arrive on time
- Prepare your interview attire the day before and a lot more
How can I ace a dentist interview?
In order to ace your dentist interview you have to prepare for a dental school interview, you must research the school as well as the program, practice answering questions out loud, review common interview questions, dress appropriately, and get ready to discuss your qualifications and experiences with your interviewer.
What do interviewers in dental schools look for?
A lot of dental school interviewers conduct personal interviews to assess certain qualities such as the ability to overcome challenges, communication skills, self-confidence, and a lot more. They are also willing to know how much you resemble the personality you have portrayed in your application.
Summing It All Up!
And this is it! This is all you need to know about the common mistakes that you must avoid to pass your dental school interview. Make sure to incorporate the tips we mentioned above to ace your interview and get enrolled in your dream dental college without a hitch.