You have the grades, the connections, the DAT score, and finally a piece of paper inviting you to interview for a spot in dental school. Some interviews go smoothly and some don’t. It is best to be prepared so your interview goes smoothly. Here is a list of potential interview questions I gathered when I was applying to school. Reviewing these questions and make sure you have an honest answer to them. Don’t memorize your answer though, interviewers have most likely been interviewing for several years and can read right through a canned statement from a nervous dental student. Please feel free to add additional questions in the comments section below this article.
What would you bring to this dental school?
Do you have any hobbies?
Why dentistry? Why not medical school?
What have you done to show that you like dentistry?
How would you be a good fit for our school?
What do you have that no one else has? Does?
What was your favorite class? Least Favorite? Why?
When did you decide dentistry?
What would you do if you weren’t accepted?
Can you handle the same career for 30 years? Feelings on that?
Did you study for the DAT?
How did you study?
What do you like best about dentistry?
Have any volunteer experiance?
What is the most difficult situation/biggest challange you have faced?
What leadership experiance do you have?
What problems face a dental school?
Can you make it through school with a family?
Do you feel that you are a competitive student?
Do you want to specialize?
What is the most prevalent problem in dentistry?
What do you want the admissions committee to know about you thats not in your file?
What do you do for fun?
What have you done to show you have manual dexterity?
What other schools did you apply to and why?
Tell me about yourself.
Tell me about your family.
Tell me about your community service.
Tell me about your research experience.
Why should we accept you over another student with the same qualifications?
What is the future of dentistry?
How do your own personal values/morals fit with the dental profession?
What are your strengths? (Don’t say perfectionist!)
What are your weaknesses? (Don’t say perfectionist!)
Why not say perfectionist? If you asked that then you’re conceited! No one wants a conceited person at their dental school!
What makes you unique?
How do you think the people who wrote your letters of recommendation described you?
If you were accepted to this school and two others who would you choose?
What don’t you like about dentistry?
Where will you be in ten years?
What do you do if your best friend wanted to copy your assignment?
How will you run your practice?
What is your favorite non-science book?
Many situational questions about dentistry…ie. A patient has AIDS, what do you do?
Why didn’t you take *insert class here*…ie. Biochem, Anatomy, etc.
If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be?
Describe yourself in three words.
If you were interviewing me what would you ask? Why?
If dentistry didn’t exist, what would you do?
Who do you admire the most and why?
What is your purpose in life?
Do you like to be alone? What do you think about when you’re alone?
What do you think about affirmative action?
If you could invite 6 people to dinner who would they be and why?
What do you do if you are not accepted this year?
Name 5 countries and capitols in Europe.
This is meant to be a running list. In the comments section right below please leave other questions that you have been asked and include the school which asked you the question. Good luck with your interview!
14 responses so far ↓
1 Teresa // May 28, 2007 at 10:29 pm
I would greatly appreciate if you could post or email me a dental admission essay that I could read. It would be helpful to use as a guide.
Thank you
2 Ben // May 29, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Ahhh, faithful readers! Please use my search function on the home page. I searched under the word ‘essay’ and came up with the link you are looking for Teresa! Here you go: http://dmdstudent.com/?p=34
There are SEVERAL exmples of essays with more on the way. Please subscribe via the email and you will never be left in the dark again.
3 Mike // Sep 18, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Name the five countries surrounding France.
With all the other medical fields why did you choose dentistry and not one of the others?
4 MG // Feb 29, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I know the purpose behind the “name five countries and capitals in Europe”… but jeez, so unrelated to dentistry.
Could you tell me which school asked this one?
5 CheerioKing // Feb 29, 2008 at 10:09 pm
The new school in Arizona asked those questions if I remember Mike’s email correctly. Some other questions like this are asked at various schools though, just to see if you are creative or can put in your own reason behind something like this.
Just be outrageous enough to be remembered, but sane enough to make an impression.
For example if someone asks, “What animal would you be?” You can say “Grizzly Bear”, but don’t say, “So I can maul all my classmates and rip them to shreds and suck the blood out of them as they go limp”
I think it makes sense.
6 Hygienist Questions // May 25, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Very good questions for entering the profession of Dentistry.
Good luck to everyone who has an interview!
7 Donna // Aug 27, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Hi, I took Organic I and II but did badly in both. If I could only repeat one before I take the DAT, which one would you advise me to take? In other words, does DAT cover more Orgo I or II questions?
8 Donna // Aug 27, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Also, I did pretty bad as in Orgo I a C in class and a D in Orgo II. Do advise I repeat both. If not, which material has more weight in the DAT
Thanks so much!!!
9 Donna // Aug 29, 2009 at 11:48 am
Suggestions anyone? I stuck here, don’t know whether I should repeat both or just Orgo II.
10 Suzanne // Aug 29, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Donna, retaking Orgo II is a must as most schools require nothing less than a C for any pre-requisite. The more “A”s you achieve on pre-requisites, the better!
11 Donna // Aug 30, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Thanks for the feedback Suzanne. Do you know which orgo (I or II) the DAT has more questions on?
12 Suzanne // Aug 30, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Hi Donna, below is the link to all the topics tested on the DAT for each subject. See pages 38-40. I have yet to take the DAT so I’m not in the best position to answer the question you posed. It seems that majority of the topics listed are from Orgo I however it may not be safe to assume that majority of the questions asked will therefore be from Orgo I. Your best bet is to study all the topics listed. I hope my answer is helpful.
http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/testing/dat/dat_examinee_guide_2009.pdf
13 Suzanne // Sep 2, 2009 at 8:51 am
Orgo I seems to dominate the list of Organic Chemistry topics tested on the DAT however it would be unwise to assume that they are more heavily tested. My advice would be to have a thorough knowledge of both the Orgo I and Orgo II topics mentioned on the ADA website.
14 stacey // Nov 5, 2009 at 12:09 am
I don’t get the 5 countries and capitols in Europe question…..do they really want us to name them or is there something else behind this?
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