Dentistry Interview Questions Dr R.2 Flashcards
Tell me about your shadowing experiences.
a. I had a few shadowing experiences at two separate clinics and technician’s lab, which allowed me to compare the two and gain different perspectives. One was an NHS clinic and the other was with a private aesthetic dentist.
b. The NHS clinic saw many local patients in a high-needs area, the clinic was very busy, and fast-paced and there was a tight schedule. My roles were (inviting patients to the room) reassuring patients, helping with admin and overseeing the dentist, hygienist, nurses’ roles. I saw many amalgam fillings, composites, a few root canals, extractions etc… One interesting case involved surgical intervention during a routine tooth extraction etc.
c. I learnt about time management, the position a dentist has as a leader to manage the nurse, patient, collaborate with the receptionist to book patients in for treatment, correct length of the appointment and ensure patients are fully informed regarding treatment risks, benefits, costs. Importance of prevention, advocating for regular hygiene appointments, and the importance of a good diet to ones’ well-being.
d. I realised teamwork extends beyond the nurse and to those at the front desk, lab technicians, specialists in other clinics. I was able to see a lab technician’s perspective as well. They’re entirely reliant on the dentist’s written instructions and sometimes a phone call to confirm the dentist’s preferences can make a huge difference. I got to see the technical work behind lab constructions, like wax build-ups which reminded me of the soldering work I do on PC motherboards and various other devices, which I done as projects in my spare time and for my friends.
e. Mention other examples of what you saw
f. Aesthetics clinic – orthodontics, composite build-ups, smile design, accuracy, measurements, thorough history taking
g. Reflect on your experience, what you learned, and how you will take this with you into university.
Tell me about your volunteering experiences.
Volunteering – explain what you did – charity shop/nursing home – speaking to individuals on a day-to-day basis.
b. Roles you had, leading individuals around the shop when looking for specific items, teamwork when there was a busy queue, and organisation of items.
c. What skills did you gain? - Customer communication (answering customer queries), interpersonal skills (working well with other volunteers), organisational and planning skills (getting to the charity shop on time), maintaining shop appearance (making sure the shop is tidy).
c. How did you show initiative? – found an individual that was struggling at the front desk as she was speaking a foreign language. I realised that it was a language I could speak, so I took initiative by going over to provide assistance to the lady.
d. Why was it fulfilling? – It was fulfilling talking to individuals on a day-to-day basis and responding to the various needs/queries each individuals had.
e. How is it relevant to dentistry? – Need to be able to speak to a variety of individuals, spanning from their age to their different backgrounds, whilst catering to the various needs the patients may require, whether that may be biological, psychological or social needs.
f. How has this helped with your ability to manage people of different ages, ethnicities, backgrounds.
What have you done that shows initiative? What did you gain from that experience?
a. They want to know about a time when you have gone out of your way to help someone or expand your skills. Something you did not have to do but chose to do for your development.
b. I took initiative when I was shadowing at an NHS clinic. The clinic was very busy, and the receptionists shared that they were feeling overwhelmed with the workload. I was able to oversee their work and help out with printing and sending off letters to the referral clinics. This wasn’t asked of me, but I wanted to get involved and be proactive. Many patients were frustrated from waiting in the queue and I also tried to make some open conversations with some of the patients to take their mind off the wait, to help ease off the pressure the receptionists were feeling.
c. From this, I learned… (Make a point about what you learned, evidence and reflection.
d. “I learned that it is crucial to offer help in a team, this will improve the overall service and patient satisfaction. By helping with admin, I could see this reduced their stress and improved the efficiency of the whole team. Without each member, the team can’t function as a unit. I also learned how stressful it can be at the desk which the dentist may not realise when in their surgery. In the future, I hope to recognise when the team is overwhelmed to contribute to improving the clinic’s service. Team meetings are important to identifying areas for quality improvement and ensuring we are abiding by the GDC standards that patients are treating well and within their best interests.”
e. Give another example if time is still remaining – Helping a patient convey a message to the dentist by acting as a translator and building a small rapport to help build trust and allow them to feel more comfortable in the patient chair.
Can you convince me that you can cope with the workload in dental school? And how do you study/prepare for exams?
a. I find that hard work will always cause stress. Dentistry is stressful and a high-pressured job, I have experienced the pressure…
b. I believe the stress in dental school will be even more pressurising, however, it will all be worth it in the end as the goal is to help treat patients, something I hope to do. I manage my stress by carrying out my hobbies in my free time, I always keep time aside to keep fit, go to the gym, play rugby, cook, see friends, and have learnt to manage my time.
c. I have a busy social life which I have managed to keep up with. I am very organised, so I do not struggle to wake up early, when overwhelmed I create a list of tasks for the day and prioritise the most urgent tasks first. This is the method I have used in the past and will continue to use to prepare me for exams. If I notice myself struggling, I don’t hesitate to reach out for help and work with classmates to help each other.
d. Talk about burnout in dentistry and what you know about it.
- “I am aware of the signs of burnout, lacking empathy, fatigue, lacking energy and motivation, if I notice myself or classmates struggling, I hope to intervene to prevent it getting worse. I believe classmates will be able to help each other and manage the stresses as a team. From additional reading and the news, I have learned the increasing pressures of NHS dentistry with backlog, limited accessibility, patient frustrations, increasing cost of materials and can see how that would take a toll on dentists.”
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
a. In ten years’ time, I hope to be fully qualified as a dentist working in (hospital, NHS/private clinic). I hope to be working in a clinic with a supportive team who all share a goal of providing ethical care to patients. My education has never stopped, and I hope it never does.
b. So, in ten years’ time, I wish to have undertaken further courses in restorative and aesthetic dentistry. I wish to be able to provide simple orthodontics alongside aesthetic work. In addition to this, I want to spend some of my time undertaking community work. Volunteering or mentoring students has been a big part of my journey and I recognise there is a huge need for increased community service within dentistry. Especially now more than ever due to the covid backlog, the cost of living crisis and people struggling to finance their dental treatment.
Why did you choose to go to this university?
a. Firstly, I love the city here, as I have lived here/ visited here. From spending some time in the area, I found that people are very friendly, and I know this university will allow me to have a community-feel.
b. The university boasts of (mention positive points that appeal to you).
c. From speaking to current students, I’ve learned that the supervisors and lecturers are very supportive, and they have a close-knit group of students in their class. A supportive environment like this will help me to grow and enjoy the university life.
d. Mention societies that interest you, and how you wish to get involved in the student union, either create one or join the society committee. Talk about your current hobbies and how you can continue with these at university.
e. To add to this, your course structure really interests me because you really value (example), something I really feel is important in this field and essential for students to expand on.
Why do you think you are a good candidate for dental school?
I’d like to think my experiences through sixth form and my gap year have built my skill set. From leadership, teamwork, communication to empathy. I’ve also spent many weeks in a variety of clinics, this has given me an insight into the positive and negative aspects of dentistry. Having this comprehensive view has helped me to confirm that this is the right path for me and gear myself in this direction.
b. Talk about a specific experience in each paragraphs, talk about the skill gained and reflect on how this will prepare you for patient care.
c. Talk about being on the receiving end of care, being an anxious patient with a broken tooth and worrying about the future of the tooth and aesthetics. - dentists use of interpersonal skills.
d. Impact of your voluntary work, any tutoring, mentorship, charity work. - skills of communication and how to communicate to a variety of ages.
e. Ability to adapt, be resilient and manage stress.
