Useful Dental Interview Tips 2021

First of all, before anything else, a big CONGRATULATIONS on receiving an interview invite from a dental school during the COVID-19 pandemic; it is no small achievement. However, with great power come great responsibilities is a dialogue that comes into my mind when I think of getting an interview invite. It is a huge opportunity that should be taken seriously and with utmost sincerity to give it your very best attempt to get an acceptance. The very least you can do in such a situation is to be well prepared, and here are some useful dental interview tips that can help in the success of an interview.

Dental School Interview Tips 2021

The first piece of advice you will get along with getting the dental school interview is that you can do this on your own by practicing in front of the mirror, family and friends, etc. This is an opportunity you have waited for for a long time and maybe a dream you have thought of for long, so do not assume that the interview is a cakewalk that you will cruise through by yourself. Please know that a set of common interview questions is usually asked to gauge your personality and if you will be a good fit for the dental school. Examples of some of the common questions usually asked are such as tell me about yourself, what are your goals, what are your weaknesses/strengths, why our program, why the USA, etc. the list goes on.

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Before you start answering these general interview questions, please know that the answers you formulate are very crucial. What you answer and how you answer it matters a lot, so be sure to answer succinctly, precisely, and sensibily. To formulate apt, intelligent answers that show you in the best light possible and as a worthy candidate who should be accepted is a big task that needs to be executed well. Please appreciate the interviewer is spending his valuable time and wants to know you the real you just as you are and not the perfect you, so when they ask you questions like what are your weaknesses, do not give them vague answers like oh, I’m a perfectionist, or I am too selfless. This is why formulating good answers is such a must to ace your interview.
Next, please know that interviews can be of various types such as an open interview, closed interview, one-on-one interview, panel interview, scenario-based interview, multiple mini interviews, stress interview, etc. Familiarize yourself with the kind of interview the dental school usually conducts and then prepare accordingly. Do not start preparing a few days before the interview but well in advance since schools typically give at least 2-3 weeks notification in advance of the interview. You could seem help from the senior students enrolled in that particular school or the alumina and their interview experiences from the past. As they say, well prepared is well-armed, and definitely, confidence levels are higher when you know what to expect in the interview. One of the useful dental interview tips is to use social media as a tool, get information from the youtube channel of the school, etc., know more about the school, its faculty, their objectives, the kind of students they want, etc.
Once you have all the background information about the dental school you are going to interview, prepare for the big day itself. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. This would be a very useful dental interview tip for you, you do NOT need to memorize answers and talk like a repeated parrot on the interview day. Instead, preparing the answers in bullet form helps so that you appear as a natural on the day of the interview. Practice your formulated answers thoroughly and be confident while talking. You could practice in front of the mirror, or with friends and family, or even record yourself talking and then listen and see your recordings to see where you are going wrong. In virtual times, doing zoom interviews with friends and then watching and rewatching the recorded versions does help to see your weaknesses and strengths. Remember to be spontaneous, lively, and definitely not come across as boring. We are the best judges of ourselves and can know and correct our body language, way of talking, eye contact, etc. If you practice enough, you can ace this.

A very useful dental interview tip is to smile during the interview. Make confident eye contact and even though you are stressed and anxious, keep that smile and confidence intact during the entire interview. A trick you could use is to put a sticker with a smiley face near the camera, so you remember to look and smile at the camera. Body language matters immensely. The interviewers can sense your hidden stress levels and do not give vibes of being nervous and unprepared. Looking at you and hearing you speak, they should feel confident that you can cruise through all difficulties with your calm and composed mind. Do not assume that you do not need to take it seriously or dress up well for it because it is a virtual interview. Be dressed; your best formal, which depicts you as the thorough professional you are.
Most schools ask to see your passport or official for verification purposes before the start of the interview. Please make sure you keep your passport handy. You do not want to start your discussion by running to get your ID and wasting your precious time during the start of the interview. Most candidates make the mistake of talking too fast and rushing through the answers. Do not make this blunder. Talk with the correct voice modulation, not too loudly or too softly but just right and at the correct speed. This can be determined by recording your voice and seeing how fast or slow you’re going in the practice session. Remember, the more you practice, the better you get at your talking and interview.
For virtual interviews, make sure you have a robust and stable internet connection throughout the interview process. Many people have gotten rejected due to a lag in the internet connection during the last round of virtual dental interviews in the pandemic. Not only will a break in the relationship make you nervous, but it also breaks the continuity in the discussion. Make sure your background is clean, uncluttered so the focus can be on you alone. You should sit in a bright, well-lit area and be clearly visible from the chest up.
A lot of times, the interviewers will try to get to know you and your past experiences better. They might have your CV, application in front of them and may ask about things on your resume like gap years, low GPA, etc., out of genuine curiosity. The real test in a dental interview is to smile even in these stressful situations and answer smartly and appropriately why you had that particular GPA or gap year. Remember to formulate good answers for these weaknesses from the past to satisfy their curiosity and present yourself in the best light possible.
Lastly, make sure you are graceful and polite and say a thank you to the interviewers for their time and efforts. Even if your interview was not very great, be gracious and smile and thank them. Not inky dies; it leaves a good last impression and makes the interviewers feel worth giving you her/his attention.

Personal Dental Interview Tips

From my experience, I can also share some very useful dental interview tips and what really helped me ace my dental interviews: Interview coaching from International Dentist Central (IDC). The videos about how to answer each question and how to formulate answers by Kevin Marshall helped me tremendously. He gives his views about all the important questions that are usually asked, and his vast experience in being a mentor for many international dentists definitely helped. IDC also has an option of a 1 hour recorded pre-mock along with a secondary 2 hour mock done with professional and experienced interview coaches which prepared me to ace my interview skills. The best part is that I could see the recordings the next day itself, along with the professional interview coach’s written notes on where I was lacking and what I needed to work on. At the end of the interview, I was also rated out of 10 on my interview skills and got a basic idea about where I stand as an Interviewee. I faced my 2 hour mock like it was my real interview and was better prepared for the final day by leaps and bounds. Honestly, I felt like each penny spent on the interview coaching was worth it since I got so many useful dental interview tips, inputs and professional advice.

Virtual interviews via mediums like Zoom are the new norm, with many of us still struggling and coping with the concept of meeting and conducting interviews online. Put your best foot forward and try to ace this challenge, and come out with flying colors. As they say, the winner has the last laugh, so however tedious this challenge may appear, remember, if you succeed, there is light at the end of the tunnel.