The Dental School Interview
Before you are selected to enter dental school, you will most
likely be interviewed. While the most important factors determining
whether you get in is your college GPA and DAT score, and to a
lesser extent, letters of recommendation, the interview for dental
school is quite important. There are definitely some do's and don'ts
for the interview. For example, you will need to dress in a
conservative, professional style. That means a suit for men, and a
dress suit for women. Make sure your personal and dental hygiene are
good.
You may be asked a wide variety of questions. Always remember to be
truthful, and upbeat. Many times it is not what you say, but how you
say it. I remember one story where an applicant put down that he
liked boating under a hobbies section of an application, which was a
lie. The interviewer by chance happened to be an avid boater, and
began asking him questions about it. When it was clear that he had
lied, he knew he had blown the interview by being dishonest.
Prepare for your interview by asking a few dentists in your area (or
your dentist) some questions about their careers, especially what
they like about dentistry. This will give you a bit of a background
that can help you on the interview. Also, by reading this article,
it will give you a great deal of perspective about what it takes to
become a dentist.
One question that you will most likely get is, "Why do you want to
become a dentist?" You need to come up with a good answer for that
one. In general, keep the answer more on the lines of giving
patients quality dental care, and not on the financial compensation
you might expect as a dentist.
Never come to an interview with a negative attitude, and always show
all people involved the utmost respect. Don't ever cast aspersions
on any other person or profession; it is in poor taste, and is
considered very unprofessional. Lastly, keep in mind that the person
who interviews you will most likely be a faculty dentist or
administrator that will have to deal with you, and vise-versa, in
some capacity, for the next four years if you are accepted. |
