Maryland Dental Interview

How did you work up to a goal

Why Maryland specifically and what are you looking mostly in schools that’s your deciding factor

-Diverse patient population

-Opportunities for community outreach

-Predoctoral clinical utilizes a group practice model to mimic private practice environments → I learn well in clinical setting (ie. dental assisting)

-Looking for overall collaborative student environment, plenty of opportunities for the advancement of my clinical skills, and a school involved in community outreach

What are notable traits that dentists have? What is a memorable shadowing experience?

How do you manage stress?

How would you overcome a language barrier with a patient?

-Use a translator or interpreter to make sure the patient was clearly communicated with - patients need to understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and what they are agreeing to

-Make the patient feel more comfortable by communicating with non-verbal cues such as smiling

-Use visual aids or demonstrations where appropriate

-Never want language to become a barrier to informed care

How did you overcome an academic struggle?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

What are your strengths?

-Organized

-Collaborative - experience working as a part of a team

-Adaptability - changed career paths (putting myself into unfamiliar situations and figure things out as I went

What are your weaknesses?

-Overthink (may spend too much time analyzing a situation and all of its possible outcomes; learning how to trust myself rather than over analyzing a decision)

-Self-critical (setting high standards for myself can sometimes be counter-productive when it diminishes self confidence)

If you got into your top 5 dental schools, how would you pick which one to go to?

What do you look for in a dental school?

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make an ethical decision? How did you respond?

-Noticed a cuspidor was loose during a busy office day - pressure to keep things moving

-Knew it would slow down workflow and be inconvenient, but I knew patient safety had to come before efficiency

-Brought the issue to the attention of the office manager who helped me block off the room right away to prevent anyone from unknowingly seating a patient there

-Doing the right thing isn’t always the most convenient option, but patient safety has to take priority, even when making the safer choice creates additional work for the team

What do you see as some of the rewards and challenges you’ll face in dentistry?

How are your time management skills?

What would your friends say is the worst thing about you?

They'd probably say I sometimes overthink things. I like to think through all the possible outcomes before making a decision, which can be helpful, but sometimes I spend more time analyzing something than the situation really requires. I've been working on recognizing when I have enough information to make a decision and trusting myself to move forward

Who is your role model?

What is your biggest failure?

What is your most life defining moment?

List 3 positives and 3 negatives about dentistry

Positives:

-Able to establish long-term relationships with patients

-Able to work in a hands-on and creative manner while continuously developing your skills

-Often able to create an immediate tangible impact whether that be aesthetics or pain management

Negatives:

-Can be physically demanding - important to maintain good ergonomics

-Patients can have dental anxiety or be fearful of the dentist - Building trust can take time

-Can be insurance issues, staffing, or other administrative responsibilities - Can be challenging because as a dentist, you want your primary focus to be patient care, while also having to manage the realities of working in a practice

Tell me about a highlight of your shadowing

Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone with diverse backgrounds.

-Peru

-One of the dentists we worked with spoke very little English; I wasn't fluent in Spanish, but I had taken Spanish in high school and could understand and communicate at a basic level. I noticed that communication between her and some of the other members of our team was difficult, so I started speaking with her in Spanish when I could and helping communicate with the rest of the group when necessary.

-Effective communication isn't always about finding the perfect words. Sometimes it's about being willing to adapt. Even though my Spanish wasn't perfect, making that effort helped her feel more comfortable, and it allowed us to work together more effectively.

-Made me more aware of how important it is in healthcare to consider someone's background and communication needs rather than expecting every patient or colleague to adapt to you

Tell me about how you are involved with your community.

Tell me why you applied to Maryland.

-diversity of the patient population

-Maryland's commitment to community engagement

-Maryland is part of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and that dental students are surrounded by other health professions

Tell me what your criteria was for which dental schools to apply to

-clinical education and opportunities to work with patients

-opportunities for community outreach

-collaborative student environment

Why is communication important for dentists?

Give me an example of the impact dentists make.

Name a goal you contributed to. What did it teach you?

-Helping a busy dental office run smoothly

-Anticipating the needs of others (taking x-rays for hygienists)

-Taught me that contributing to a team doesn’t always require having a formal leadership role. Sometimes it means paying attention to what the team needs, taking initiative, and being willing to step in where you are most useful.

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What do you do in your free time?