Interview, TIPS

Interview tips:

Dental schools do interview because your past experience and attitude are a reflection of your future in dentistry. The dental schools look for a candidate whom they will be proud of. As most of us, you aim to be a successful dentist so you should already have the characteristic and the potential to be such a dentist. The interview time is an opportunity for you to show this ability, you may never get that chance again.

Hence, your plan in the interview is to show the interviewers the skills that you have (the ones that they are looking for) and what makes you different from other candidates. Sell yourself as an opportunity for the dental school.

SO:

1. Know about the dental school well, understand the school perspectives. You should present yourself in a way that meets the school’s requirements. Make sure your answers are in a way that makes you a superior candidate to fit into the program.
2. Make sure that you referees know you well. Plus, inform them about the name of the dental school which may get in contact with them and provide them with a brief idea of what is going on.
3. Contact the school and give them a confirmation of attendance a few days before the interview date.
4. Dress well, but do not overdress. If you have some concerns then contact the program itself.
5. First impression is important. Pay attention to your body language, handshake and eye contact. Do not underestimate assistances, receptionists, program directories and others.
6. Communication skills count a lot so socialize with people. Develop the linguistic skills as soon as possible; don’t wait until you get an invitation for an interview. Plus, you need to practice, rehearse and do a mimic interview the weeks/days before the interview date.
7. Always send a thank you letter within 24 hours of the interview, if you don’t know the names of the interviewers then send it to the program. E-mail will be faster.


Questions:

*First, expect the idea behind every question. You are not chatting with a new person to be friends. You are talking to interviewers who are looking for some answers. These answers will assist them in choosing numbers of candidates to enrol in their program. See the examples below.

*Some questions will be traditional one like tell me about you. Behavioural question is like tell me about a time when you had..................

*Interview questions vary from dental school to another. For example, University of Toronto concentrates on behavioural questions while McGill University on traditional ones. Though, you can be asked a behavioural question in McGill interview .You should be prepared for all kind of questions. You want to enrol into the program thus you have to do whatever it takes to be well prepared.

* You need to have a clue and answer about some potential questions; here are some:
Strength, weaknesses, leadership, teamwork, determination, creativity, adaptability, motivation, conflict and disagreement, decision making, challenge, initiative, maturity, judgement, helping others, emotional stability, moral integrity, analytical and intellectual wellbeing to accept and discharge responsibility.

There is a certain way to answer these questions; the point is to give the interview the FULL answer. If you just speak to offer an answer, then you will probably ruin it. They ask a question because they are looking for something so why don’t you do it. Go into it. Don’t be rush, take your time to think thoroughly. That is the KEY.

Your answer has to be divided into three MAIN PARTS:
A. Stating the problem/the change that happened in the past.
B. Your reaction and response to this matter.
C. The end result.

Each of these points above has to be followed by DETAILS AND EXPLANIATION. Your total answer at the end has to be comprehensive and cover most aspects of the issue. It has to give the exact answer to the question.

Let say, for example, tell me about a time when you were adaptable to the changes that took place in your past, the idea behind this question is to know how you would deal with such challenges that may occur in your future life and consequently on your performance when you are a student in the program.
Example from my own experience:
A. When I was in high school, I had infectious mononucleosis. (This is the main part)
this disease put me away from school, I didn’t go to school for 3 weeks. I was behind in my courses and exams were coming up.(explanation: the effects of the problem)
B. I decided to catch up with my friends. (The main part)
I managed to study in the morning when I was at the hospital because I had energy to do so better than any other time during the day. In the recovery period at home, I did a study plan. I studied Mon-Thurs and I used to do some quizzes for myself on Fridays. Saturdays were a general revision of what I studied that week. Sundays were free. I depended on my textbooks to study, plus, I took my friends’ notes. When I went back to school, I used to go to my teachers and ask many questions to make sure I understood the material.
C. After all, I was able to catch up with my friends in our courses; I got high scores in my exams, and obtained a scholarship from one of the most prestigious school in my country for the next year. (You should talk here about accomplishments and achievements).

From the above answer, the interviewers will recognize your ability regarding adaptability, time management, determination, organization, hard work...ect. Such answer will give them the chance to be familiar with your strength and skills. Bingo!!