Practicing or pausing?
For applicants who have submitted and are waiting for interview invites. How to use that time to prepare for interviews and bench tests.
Key takeaways
- Find out each school’s interview style (behavioral, ethical, dental knowledge or MMI) and prepare for it specifically.
- Ask current students and alumni specific questions about their interview day.
- Prepare answers as bullet points, understand why you’re saying each one, and practice on camera or in a mirror.
- For bench exams, practice every preparation as if it’s the real thing, get it critiqued, and practice time management for long exams.
Hey there! Thanks for visiting my blog at Apurva Dabak’s Dental Pathways. It’s always a pleasure to have fellow dentists from all around the world check out my write-ups.
What have you been up to? Practicing or pausing?
This blog is for all dental school applicants who are done submitting their applications and are now waiting for invites to drop into their inboxes. Perhaps you refreshed your inbox just now.
Here is my take on using this waiting time to your maximum benefit.
Interview preparation
Gather information about the interview styles the schools you applied to use. You want to know whether it is behavioral, ethical, dental-knowledge focused, or in MMI (multiple mini interview) format.
Talk to current students and alumni about their interview experiences. When you speak with them, be as specific as you can so you get the important information.
Make a list of questions you have commonly come across, either yourself or from others.
Next, prepare answers to those commonly asked questions. I like to prepare my answers in bullets and understand what I am saying and why. Then I elaborate on those points in the interview, depending on the question.
Once you are familiar with your answers, it’s time to practice them! I am more comfortable seeing myself on camera than in a mirror, so I like to practice questions using my phone camera. But talking in front of a mirror is an equally good way to practice.
And that’s it! You are ready to rock and roll on interview day. Other ways to prepare are mock interviews with a professional advisor and practice interviews with a friend or family member.
Bench test preparation
For schools that conduct bench exams, now is the perfect time to start gearing up. Most bench exam sections can be tackled successfully with continuous, dedicated, perfect practice.
Practice as if every preparation is your way to acceptance. Get your preparations critiqued by professionals so you know where you stand.
As mentioned earlier, gather information about which exercises to expect at each school and practice accordingly. Some schools conduct a lengthy bench exam with more than five exercises; for those, you also want to practice time management.
That’s it for today. I do conduct mock interviews. If you are interested, book a time or reach out on Instagram @apurvadabak.
Thanks for tuning in! Good luck!
Dr. Apurva Dabak’s Dental Pathways
Frequently asked questions
How should I prepare for a dental school interview as a foreign-trained dentist?
Learn each school's interview format, talk to current students and alumni, list commonly asked questions, prepare bullet-point answers, then practice them on camera, in a mirror, or in mock interviews.
How do I prepare for a dental bench test?
Find out which exercises each school uses, practice them consistently, get your preparations critiqued by professionals, and practice time management if the exam has many exercises.