DentalSchoolInterviewQuestion#1 bq bq bq bq
Prompt:
What is the one detail in your application you would like us to overlook?
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Discussion:
This dental school interview question asks you to face head-on and talk about something you’d
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probably like to avoid discussing, if possible. It might also be thought of as a limitation question (e.g.,
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“What is your greatest limitation?”), or a question about your challenges (e.g., “Tell us about a time you
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failed”), and, as such, may be something you’re understandably hesitant to address. No one likes to talk
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about their weaker spots, particularly in a high-stakes, high-stress situation like an interview!
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However, it's best to own up to the low grade, or the gap in dental school extracurriculars, or whatever
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that weak-spot might be, by re-framing it with a growth mindset. Think of this question as an
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opportunity to show how you have developed grit and determination to overcome academic
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disappointment, or to focus attention on the transferable skills you’ve developed from your
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experiences. As long as you are able to learn from the experience, no loss, misstep, or set-back is truly a
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failure.
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The responses to a question like this will be highly individualized, but let’s walk through the process
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with a few examples, which can help you work on this in the context of your own life and dental school
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application experiences.
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Strategy:Accentuate the Positive q
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Prepareaheadof timangesnipping shortcut button e bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
The best way to tackle this question is to have a response prepared ahead of time; you may not get this
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specific question, but this kind of question is extremely common. While preparing for your interview,
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look through your application materials, such as your dental school letter of recommendation or dental
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school personal statement to identify the lower-than-desired grades, or the lack of experience with
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patient interaction, or the place where you fell short of developing the skills you were expected to
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acquire. Whatever that low-point might be, ask yourself, how did this happen? What were the
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circumstances surrounding that low Calculus mark? What were you doing other than developing your
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extra-curriculars? We aren’t suggesting you make excuses – quite the opposite, you need to learn to
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own your mistakes or missteps. Instead, consider the ways such experiences helped bring you to where
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you are today. What did you learn? How have you grown? Why are you a better person now for having
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gone through such an experience?
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Establish talking points bq bq
You shouldn’t be memorizing a script, but you do want to establish some plot points, so that your
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narrative is smooth and reflective. First, you’ll want to provide the context of the
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bexperience.
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,Remember though, offer only the necessary information so the interviewers understand the bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
circumstance. For instance,
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“I really struggled with first-year Calculus. I was at the top of my high school class and assumed Icould
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continuewiththesameskillsandapproachIonceusedtothesameeffect.Sadly,thiswasn’t the case.”
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Enough said. The interviewers now understand the context of the situation. Note that you should treat
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this question as distinct; your strategy for the dental school manual dexterity question won’t suffice.
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Talkovercomebarriers q
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It’s time to move on to consider the strategies you used to overcome the difficulty you faced. You might
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say the following:
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“Once I realized that my high school skill set and time management strategies would not be sufficient
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for university Calculus (and other courses), Iused a number of strategies to get back on track. I adopted a
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time management system, attended peer tutoring sessions, and tackled the curriculum with a do-or-
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die attitude. In fact, the peer support I received was so helpful I now volunteer and help out first-years
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in a similar predicament.”
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Show how you took ownership of your issue and how the experience has influenced your behavior or
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choices now. Connecting thesetwo pointscan be difficult, so you may consider a dental school advisor to
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help you with this part.
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Emphasize what you learned bq bq bq
The most important, step is to discuss what you have learned.This should not simply be what you learned
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about the strategies to overcome your issue, but what you learned about yourself, the way you learn, the
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way you manage conflict and disappointment, and so on. So here, we might say:
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“I’m grateful I had this difficulty early in my undergraduate career, because I learned how to
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overcome academic adversity by accessing external resources and building internal resources like
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resiliency.”
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You can then add some details to your response. Critical to this approach is the lack ofrecourse to excuses.
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What has been stated so far is quite simple, but incredibly important: I entered a situation with some
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unfortunate assumptions, and these assumptions led me to make bad choices in how I structured my
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time and approach to coursework. I realized where I was slipping, made some different choices, and
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learned a lot about myself in the process. Now, I’m able to help others who go through this common
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undergrad experience.
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Get specific about dentistry
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Finally,let’s apply this learning to the dental profession. For example: bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
“After going through this experience, I now know that I’m able to dig deep and firm my own resolve,
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and I know when to reach out to more knowledgeable others for support if I need it. This
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,self-knowledge will be beneficial moving forward, as I work to keep up with the quickly changing bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
technologies and procedures central to a career in dentistry. I know that I can never simply rest on
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what I already know and assume that will be sufficient. Rather, I need to actively explore such advances
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and seek out those with specialized knowledge, so that I can always serve my patients as effectively as
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possible.”
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DentalSchoolInterviewQuestion#2 bq bq bq bq
Prompt:
You are a dentist with a patient who has come to see you because of moderate dental pain. After
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examinationyoucannotdeterminethecauseofthepainandsuggestanX-ray.Thepatientbelieves X-rays
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are harmful and refuses. In fact, you have no X-rays in the patient’s file to consult as she has never
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consented to X-rays in the several years you have been caring for her.What do you do?
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Discussion:
The issue here is that the patient is expressing her right to make an autonomous decision about her oral
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health care. However, you, as her dentist, cannot make a clear diagnosis without more information
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about the underlying cause of the pain. There may be some contention between you. The patient
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believes X-rays are harmful, but you know they are necessary to make an accurate diagnosis and
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develop a treatment plan.
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Expert Answer bq
It is important to remain non-judgmental and empathetic to the patient’s concerns. A private
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conversation is necessary, so I will ask the dental technician to give us a few minutes alone. Sitting so we
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can see each other; I will ask the patient what her concerns about X-rays are. I will ask if she has a
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condition, I’m unaware of that contraindicates the use of radiation, or if she is pregnant or nursing. I
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will ask when her last X-ray was outside of dental care. I will ask if she feels the dental pain, she is
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experiencing justifies further exploration by means other than an oral examination.
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I will follow up these questions with a discussion of the risks and benefits of dental x-rays, as well as
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inform my patient of the guidelines provided by the American and Canadian Dental Associations.
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Both of these associations do suggest limiting exposure to X-rays to every 24 to 36 months, and since
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my patient has not had dental X-rays within that timeframe, frequency is not a concern, based on the
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best research and evidence we currently have. In addition, I may discuss the ALARA protocol (As Low
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As Reasonably Achievable), which is the principle of radiation safety where the least amount of
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radiation necessary is used. Imust advise my patient that there is a very small potential risk of cancer with
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exposure to radiation, though we will take care to cover all exposed areas of her body with a lead apron.
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The benefit of the X-ray is the ability to develop a treatment plan without resorting to invasive
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measures to diagnose the area of concern. Depending on her responses to what I’ve said so far, I may also
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letmypatientknowthatasingleX-rayexposes us to a mere fraction of the total environmental radiation
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we are exposed to in a year.
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, When I am sure my patient is aware of the potential risks and benefits, I will ask her what course of
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action she would like to take. In other words, I will ask for her informed consent and demonstrate my
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willingness to respect her own bodily autonomy.
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If my patient agrees to the X-ray, I will be certain to ask her again whether she is pregnant or nursing,
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cover her with a lead apron, and inform her of exactly how many X-rays are necessary and why.
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If my patient tells me she will live with the pain, that any exposure to radiation is too much exposure,
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then I must honourherautonomy. However, I will provideher guidelines forthe care of theareaofconcern
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as well as a list of symptoms to watch for. In addition, I will ask her to schedule a follow-up appointment
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within afew days. If the symptoms disappear,then thereis noneed fora follow-up unless the patient feels
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it is necessary. I will advise my patient that if the symptoms continue or worsen, then she must keep the
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follow-up appointment, and I will perform a clinical examination. We will re-evaluate the potential
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risks and benefits of an X-ray in order to develop a treatment plan. I will provide her any written
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literature I may have on X-ray safety, ensuring she has access to the best scientific evidence and
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consensus,incaseshe wouldliketoreconsiderinthe future.
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In summary, my patient was apprehensive about her exposure to dental X-rays as a method to diagnose
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and develop a treatment plan for the dental pain she was experiencing. In order to honor patient
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autonomy, we discussed the potential risks and benefits of the X-rays, leaving the decision to her
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informed consent. As the pain she was experiencing was not debilitating, nor did I see any great cause
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for concern upon examination, I did not make any further recommendations with respect to the X-
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rays. Rather, I provided the patient with suggestions for follow-up.
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Concluding Reflections bq
On top of how the situation is handled (respecting the patient’s autonomy), there are a few other things
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of notein this response. First, appropriateterminologyisutilizedthroughout,demonstrating knowledge
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of key concepts in the field – informed consent, evidence-based practice, patient autonomy, and the
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like.
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As well, note that there are some statements that indicate not just what is said, but how the conversation
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took place. Little details like ensuring a private, one-on-one conversation, or sitting in such a way that
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doctor and patient are at eye-level to one another, help the interviewer “see” the interviewee in that role.
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Suchdetailsdemonstratethatyouknowthatthisislikelyasensitiveissue, and that you must be conscious
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of your own behavior when working with patients. If you don’t offer such descriptive elements, the
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interviewer canfill in those gaps with just about anything, and that’snot what you want. Maintaincontrol
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of your narrative by using careful description to “show” the interviewer how you will act in such a
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scenario.
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DentalSchoolInterviewQuestion#3 bq bq bq bq
Prompt:
Prompt:
What is the one detail in your application you would like us to overlook?
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Discussion:
This dental school interview question asks you to face head-on and talk about something you’d
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probably like to avoid discussing, if possible. It might also be thought of as a limitation question (e.g.,
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“What is your greatest limitation?”), or a question about your challenges (e.g., “Tell us about a time you
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failed”), and, as such, may be something you’re understandably hesitant to address. No one likes to talk
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about their weaker spots, particularly in a high-stakes, high-stress situation like an interview!
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However, it's best to own up to the low grade, or the gap in dental school extracurriculars, or whatever
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that weak-spot might be, by re-framing it with a growth mindset. Think of this question as an
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opportunity to show how you have developed grit and determination to overcome academic
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disappointment, or to focus attention on the transferable skills you’ve developed from your
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experiences. As long as you are able to learn from the experience, no loss, misstep, or set-back is truly a
bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
failure.
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The responses to a question like this will be highly individualized, but let’s walk through the process
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with a few examples, which can help you work on this in the context of your own life and dental school
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application experiences.
bq bq
Strategy:Accentuate the Positive q
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Prepareaheadof timangesnipping shortcut button e bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
The best way to tackle this question is to have a response prepared ahead of time; you may not get this
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specific question, but this kind of question is extremely common. While preparing for your interview,
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look through your application materials, such as your dental school letter of recommendation or dental
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school personal statement to identify the lower-than-desired grades, or the lack of experience with
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patient interaction, or the place where you fell short of developing the skills you were expected to
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acquire. Whatever that low-point might be, ask yourself, how did this happen? What were the
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circumstances surrounding that low Calculus mark? What were you doing other than developing your
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extra-curriculars? We aren’t suggesting you make excuses – quite the opposite, you need to learn to
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own your mistakes or missteps. Instead, consider the ways such experiences helped bring you to where
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you are today. What did you learn? How have you grown? Why are you a better person now for having
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gone through such an experience?
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Establish talking points bq bq
You shouldn’t be memorizing a script, but you do want to establish some plot points, so that your
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narrative is smooth and reflective. First, you’ll want to provide the context of the
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bexperience.
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,Remember though, offer only the necessary information so the interviewers understand the bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
circumstance. For instance,
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“I really struggled with first-year Calculus. I was at the top of my high school class and assumed Icould
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continuewiththesameskillsandapproachIonceusedtothesameeffect.Sadly,thiswasn’t the case.”
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Enough said. The interviewers now understand the context of the situation. Note that you should treat
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this question as distinct; your strategy for the dental school manual dexterity question won’t suffice.
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Talkovercomebarriers q
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It’s time to move on to consider the strategies you used to overcome the difficulty you faced. You might
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say the following:
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“Once I realized that my high school skill set and time management strategies would not be sufficient
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for university Calculus (and other courses), Iused a number of strategies to get back on track. I adopted a
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time management system, attended peer tutoring sessions, and tackled the curriculum with a do-or-
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die attitude. In fact, the peer support I received was so helpful I now volunteer and help out first-years
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in a similar predicament.”
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Show how you took ownership of your issue and how the experience has influenced your behavior or
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choices now. Connecting thesetwo pointscan be difficult, so you may consider a dental school advisor to
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help you with this part.
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Emphasize what you learned bq bq bq
The most important, step is to discuss what you have learned.This should not simply be what you learned
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about the strategies to overcome your issue, but what you learned about yourself, the way you learn, the
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way you manage conflict and disappointment, and so on. So here, we might say:
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“I’m grateful I had this difficulty early in my undergraduate career, because I learned how to
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overcome academic adversity by accessing external resources and building internal resources like
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resiliency.”
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You can then add some details to your response. Critical to this approach is the lack ofrecourse to excuses.
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What has been stated so far is quite simple, but incredibly important: I entered a situation with some
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unfortunate assumptions, and these assumptions led me to make bad choices in how I structured my
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time and approach to coursework. I realized where I was slipping, made some different choices, and
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learned a lot about myself in the process. Now, I’m able to help others who go through this common
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undergrad experience.
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Get specific about dentistry
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Finally,let’s apply this learning to the dental profession. For example: bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
“After going through this experience, I now know that I’m able to dig deep and firm my own resolve,
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and I know when to reach out to more knowledgeable others for support if I need it. This
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,self-knowledge will be beneficial moving forward, as I work to keep up with the quickly changing bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq bq
technologies and procedures central to a career in dentistry. I know that I can never simply rest on
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what I already know and assume that will be sufficient. Rather, I need to actively explore such advances
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and seek out those with specialized knowledge, so that I can always serve my patients as effectively as
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possible.”
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DentalSchoolInterviewQuestion#2 bq bq bq bq
Prompt:
You are a dentist with a patient who has come to see you because of moderate dental pain. After
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examinationyoucannotdeterminethecauseofthepainandsuggestanX-ray.Thepatientbelieves X-rays
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are harmful and refuses. In fact, you have no X-rays in the patient’s file to consult as she has never
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consented to X-rays in the several years you have been caring for her.What do you do?
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Discussion:
The issue here is that the patient is expressing her right to make an autonomous decision about her oral
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health care. However, you, as her dentist, cannot make a clear diagnosis without more information
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about the underlying cause of the pain. There may be some contention between you. The patient
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believes X-rays are harmful, but you know they are necessary to make an accurate diagnosis and
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develop a treatment plan.
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Expert Answer bq
It is important to remain non-judgmental and empathetic to the patient’s concerns. A private
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conversation is necessary, so I will ask the dental technician to give us a few minutes alone. Sitting so we
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can see each other; I will ask the patient what her concerns about X-rays are. I will ask if she has a
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condition, I’m unaware of that contraindicates the use of radiation, or if she is pregnant or nursing. I
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will ask when her last X-ray was outside of dental care. I will ask if she feels the dental pain, she is
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experiencing justifies further exploration by means other than an oral examination.
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I will follow up these questions with a discussion of the risks and benefits of dental x-rays, as well as
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inform my patient of the guidelines provided by the American and Canadian Dental Associations.
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Both of these associations do suggest limiting exposure to X-rays to every 24 to 36 months, and since
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my patient has not had dental X-rays within that timeframe, frequency is not a concern, based on the
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best research and evidence we currently have. In addition, I may discuss the ALARA protocol (As Low
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As Reasonably Achievable), which is the principle of radiation safety where the least amount of
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radiation necessary is used. Imust advise my patient that there is a very small potential risk of cancer with
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exposure to radiation, though we will take care to cover all exposed areas of her body with a lead apron.
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The benefit of the X-ray is the ability to develop a treatment plan without resorting to invasive
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measures to diagnose the area of concern. Depending on her responses to what I’ve said so far, I may also
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letmypatientknowthatasingleX-rayexposes us to a mere fraction of the total environmental radiation
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we are exposed to in a year.
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, When I am sure my patient is aware of the potential risks and benefits, I will ask her what course of
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action she would like to take. In other words, I will ask for her informed consent and demonstrate my
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willingness to respect her own bodily autonomy.
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If my patient agrees to the X-ray, I will be certain to ask her again whether she is pregnant or nursing,
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cover her with a lead apron, and inform her of exactly how many X-rays are necessary and why.
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If my patient tells me she will live with the pain, that any exposure to radiation is too much exposure,
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then I must honourherautonomy. However, I will provideher guidelines forthe care of theareaofconcern
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as well as a list of symptoms to watch for. In addition, I will ask her to schedule a follow-up appointment
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within afew days. If the symptoms disappear,then thereis noneed fora follow-up unless the patient feels
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it is necessary. I will advise my patient that if the symptoms continue or worsen, then she must keep the
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follow-up appointment, and I will perform a clinical examination. We will re-evaluate the potential
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risks and benefits of an X-ray in order to develop a treatment plan. I will provide her any written
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literature I may have on X-ray safety, ensuring she has access to the best scientific evidence and
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consensus,incaseshe wouldliketoreconsiderinthe future.
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In summary, my patient was apprehensive about her exposure to dental X-rays as a method to diagnose
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and develop a treatment plan for the dental pain she was experiencing. In order to honor patient
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autonomy, we discussed the potential risks and benefits of the X-rays, leaving the decision to her
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informed consent. As the pain she was experiencing was not debilitating, nor did I see any great cause
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for concern upon examination, I did not make any further recommendations with respect to the X-
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rays. Rather, I provided the patient with suggestions for follow-up.
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Concluding Reflections bq
On top of how the situation is handled (respecting the patient’s autonomy), there are a few other things
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of notein this response. First, appropriateterminologyisutilizedthroughout,demonstrating knowledge
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of key concepts in the field – informed consent, evidence-based practice, patient autonomy, and the
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like.
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As well, note that there are some statements that indicate not just what is said, but how the conversation
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took place. Little details like ensuring a private, one-on-one conversation, or sitting in such a way that
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doctor and patient are at eye-level to one another, help the interviewer “see” the interviewee in that role.
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Suchdetailsdemonstratethatyouknowthatthisislikelyasensitiveissue, and that you must be conscious
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of your own behavior when working with patients. If you don’t offer such descriptive elements, the
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interviewer canfill in those gaps with just about anything, and that’snot what you want. Maintaincontrol
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of your narrative by using careful description to “show” the interviewer how you will act in such a
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scenario.
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DentalSchoolInterviewQuestion#3 bq bq bq bq
Prompt:
