general questions Flashcards
what is professionalism
this encompasses the way you carry yourself, your attitude, and the ways you communicate with others
it is how you respond to the GDC standards expected of you, and how you take responsibility for meeting them
what is the difference between empathy and sympathy
- Empathy is the ability to share and understand the feelings of another individual. To be in patient’s position and understanding it.
- Sympathy is the feeling of sorrow towards someone else’s misfortune. Sharing the patient’s emotions.
Are you motivated by financial rewards?
- You are motivated to do it to the skills you possess/ are looking to improve on, and the passion you have towards the career after getting a realistic understanding etc, wanting to help people etc.
- Need to appreciate the financial aspect slightly mention how it gives you a stable career but that’s it.
- You are more motivated to do it due to the passion you have towards to it not the financial incentives.
what is a failure
when i first began sixth year i was also working two jobs, which i was determined to make work because i was able to gain a dynamic range of skills from both. however, it soon began to pile on top of one another and i understood that i would have to leave my job at the deli. this was a difficult decision to make, but i knew what my limits were and was able to put more time and energy into school and the carehome.
what is a detail in your application you would like us to overlook
i did less shadowing than i would have wanted, as a result of COVID restrictions in my local practices. however, despite only having a few hours of shadowing logged, i was able to get the most out of the day as the dentist was happy to answer my questions and would explain treatments as he was doing them. i was able to get more experience from my work with the reach programme though.
talk about a challenging situation that you observed during your work experience
there was to be a patient coming in that was planned to receive a root canal. i was looking forward to this as it is quite a complex procedure. however, the patient didn’t show, which was disappointing. however, i observed that the dentist used this time to complete notes from his previous patients in the day, showing that no time is wasted. the gap in time that we had also allowed the dental nurse to direct me to their room where they sterilize the equipment, which was an opportunity i would have lost otherwise. one door closed leaves another door open.
What other skills or qualities did you note in the dentists that you observed during your work experience?
he was incredibly personable, and spoke to each patient as equals. i observed the change in attitude this brought to the patient. they knew they could trust him because of this rapport and this led to a more smooth treatment process. this is a skill important universally across the field, even if there is not a treatment, it is important that a patient can trust their dentist so they can be open about the problems they are having so that they can be fixed.
implement GDC principles here
What did you understand about the cons of a career in dentistry from your work experience?
there will always be discrepancies in appointment attendance; there are a number of reasons that people do not show up to their appointment but the ability of the dentist to take the opportunity to do something positive with the time is important.
there is also a time pressure; to get the patient to understand treatment, feel comfortable receiving it, receiving it, and the aftercare and advice afterward all in the space of 30 minutes can be incredibly difficult. and all the while there will be patients in the waiting room who are maybe scared of the dentist and the longer they sit and think about it the more likely they are to feel more scared and potentially leave.
What do you think you can bring to the university beyond your academic abilities?
i would love to branch into epidemiology, and i understand the significance that dundee university does research. i hope to be a part of that.
i heard there is a tea society.
What is Gillicks competence?
NOTE: when a scenario involves an individual under the age of 16.
First thing to assess is Gillicks competence.
Do they have the capacity to consent and take charge of their own treatment.
Capacity = intelligence + maturity to understand.
how have you shown integrity and responsibility in your school
it is important to show maturity and good morals in school. as a house captain, i am a role model for the younger years and as such must behave accordingly. this means wearing the correct uniform and showing respect to the faculty and staff.
would you rather work in the NHS or privately?
- dont pick a side
- need to say positives and negatives
- come to conclusion at the end
what issues do the elderly face in terms of oral health care
- bio psycho social model
- biologically, there can be many adversities within this community as they age, both physically and neurologically. this can impact their ability to maintain their oral health sufficiently. as people age, their health can decline naturally, such as tooth loss as the gums just become more loose over time.
- psychologically, the way that these people may have been raised to look after their oral health will be different to now, as when they were younger the field wasnt as developed. they may have dental anxieties because dentistry when they were in their childhood was quite brutal
- socially, the support they have in the community can have a very big impact. their socioeconomic status will also have a large effect on their ability to access practices. i attended an online lecture in 2021 called ageing society in which the professor ruth freeman discussed the isolation that the elderly in the population experience.
what would you do as a dentist if a patient has a toothache, however they state that they cannot afford the required treatment proposed
ultimately the patients wellbeing is the priority. it is your responsibility under the beneficence pillar to ensure that the patient is cared for. of course it is importnat to consider the financial implications, and if it was appropriate cheaper treatment options could be offered to choose from.
this is an issue i would raise with the practice owner to discuss a payment schedule that suits the current financial situation of the patient.
as a last resort, i could provide immediate pain relief and then refer them to an NHS hospital or a different affordable treatment centre.
- it is really important to remove the financial barriers that are prevalent in this field, because everyone should have the right to smile. it is possible to receive free care if someone is within a particular income bracket, so if the patient was unaware of this i could look at helping them work out if they can receive this on the government.
how would you tell someone that a tooth needs extracted
this is a really important thing to think about first of all, i think a lot of people would look at this from the outside and say its just a tooth its not a big deal, but its a part of you, its something that you have had since birth. losing a tooth can feel like a genuine loss. as such, it needs to be approached empathetically and gently so that the patient feels safe and understands this is the best course of action to take.
i realise this situation requires a lot of empathy and good listening skills. my first port of call would be to explain the current state of the tooth, and the options available to the patient. explain why it is that a tooth extraction is the best action thoroughly, and throughout the discussion ask if they understand what i am saying.
i would be patient with them and take time to hear their concerns and answer any questions they may have.
unless it is an emergency i would encourage them to think about it at home first and we can go from there. some people do not wish to make decisions on the spot which is entirely understandable
if they do not wish to proceed it is their autonomy at the end of the day and i would not forcefully take it from them.
