Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 28% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about qualities sought in a sim lab partner, definitions of professionalism, handling stress, goals beyond dentistry, experiences with diversity and inclusion, ethical scenarios, personal accomplishments, and reasons for choosing dentistry over other healthcare professions. Some respondents mentioned being asked questions in the MMI format, which may have involved signing a nondisclosure agreement.
If the state school will call you for interview will you go there? did your state school invite you for interview? how many more schools invited you for interview ..what are they (not exact phrasing)
We receive 3,000 applications per year. What makes you stand out over the other applicants, and what would you contribute to the Midwestern student body?
Students said most interesting question asked at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona discussed various scenarios like handling lateness of a cake decorator, perceptions about oneself, conflict resolution, and personal growth experiences. While the specific MMI questions were not disclosed due to nondisclosure agreements, common themes included assessing personal qualities, problem-solving abilities, ethical dilemmas, and future aspirations in a dental career.
If you were a bakery owner, and your top cake decorator was 15-20 minutes late, how would you assess the situation? What if this persisted, what actions would you take?
What if your best friend told you he was going to lose his house and his family over gambling debt if you didn't loan him some money, would you loan him the money? (IL)
Students said the most difficult question asked at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona discussed a wide range of topics, including ethics scenarios, challenges with diversity, handling criticism, defining success, and scenarios involving patient care dilemmas. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format with ethical scenarios that required clarification and potential nondisclosure agreements, while others faced more traditional questions like strengths/weaknesses and career choices if dentistry did not exist.
Name a time when you received criticism and how you handled it.
You have a patient that comes in, who is in excruciating pain but they aren't your patient, he is your associates patient who happens to not be working that day. You find that the pain was caused by the other associate. What do you do?
As a consumer of education, how would you provide feedback for the school? After some confusion, it was expanded to become, how would you communicate to a professor if you did not like the teaching style? What if they said you are the only one to bring this up? -- interviewers said there was a lot of confusion with this question and they may throw it out
Not so much the questions as the interviewer (Dr. Pashayan). We didn't exactly click. I would recommend short, pointed answers and confidence in them with this guy. No beating around the bush or small talk. He's down to business. (1 in 3 chance of having him)
Rank your reasons.
I felt this was somewhat unfair as I don't really see these as separate entities, but a part of one whole. For instance: what good is patient care if you do not do competent work, and vice versa.
They pushed me to rank them anyway.
We receive 3,000 applications per year. What makes you stand out over the other applicants, and what would you contribute to the Midwestern student body?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
The most common feedback and suggestions shared by applicants on how they prepared for their interviews included engaging in mock interviews, practicing questions out loud, researching the school through websites like SDN, and familiarizing themselves with common interview questions. Additionally, applicants emphasized the importance of reviewing their application materials, being familiar with the school's mission statement, and staying relaxed during the interview process.
SDN. I made a list of all the questions on here and practiced them over and over. Most all of the questions asked will be a derived from the ones listed.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the state-of-the-art facilities, top-notch technology, friendly faculty/staff, engaging activities, and supportive, welcoming environment at the school. They appreciated the personalized interactions with the dean, the humanistic approach to education, and the emphasis on clinical training, as well as the innovative curriculum and student-centered philosophy. The school's commitment to student success, the new facilities, and the advanced technology were key highlights that left a positive impression on most applicants.
I really enjoyed the tours of the facilities and the ability to interact with the technology
The clinics, labs, and technology are awesome. There was a lot of really nice faculty. Teachers seem to genuinely enjoy teaching, and all the students seem really happy. There's some cool research projects as well. The cafeteria food was good.
They started the interview with: "We have no access to your file; no grades, no scores. You've already passed that part, otherwise you wouldn't be here. We want to get to know you and if your personality matches with our school."
The clinical approach to the program, the support that is given to students in every way possible, the faculty student ratio, the current students that were eager to meet interviewees and answer questions.
They seemed to be very honest about their program. They addressed the issue of high tuition, but described where the money goes. The clinic wash facilities were very impressive. I was impressed by the structure of the program.
The amazing facilities and warm welcome from the staff, students, and faculty. I was also surprised regarding the dean's interactions w/ the interviewees -- he was the one to actually give us a tour of the clinic and knew all of us by name by the end of the day.
The dean was involved in almost the entire interview day. He was very friendly and interacted with all the applicants. The clinics are brand new and all the students there are extremely friendly. And, of course, its Glendale, AZ.
The Dean's talk was inspirational and informative. The school really does take a humanistic approach to education and they really do call all the students "Doctor".
The facilities are amazing; brand new dental clinic with state-of-the-art technology and over 200 chairs! All of the students I talked to love it there. They also have basketball courts, volleyball courts, etc. all over campus.
suburban-type campus, the buildings are all new, state of the art equipment, humanistic approach to dentistry, open door policy, the fact that it has more chairs available than the number of 3rd and 4th years combined, very caring and friendly environment.
The philosophy of the school; the dean taking so much time to personally show us the school and tell us about his ideas; the state-of-the-art facilities; the fact that all professors have been practicing dentists for many years; the fact that not a single D2 that I met said life was hell in dental school.
The efficiency of how they run every detail in the school, from pre-clinicals and clinicals all the way down to sterilizing and distribution of instruments in the clinic.
The sim-lab is beautiful with top notch technology. The curriculum is innovative and teaches by systems instead of by subject. The 3rd and 4th year students will not have requirements, rather they will treat the patients they have in all areas of need
Sim lab was awesome, new campus, there will be a huge clinic with tons of seats, area is surrounded by retirement communities to fill those seats, got a free lunch.
I was really impressed with the school and the program when I left, a lot more than I thought I would be. They focus a lot on ethics and have great technology, and enough of it to go around.
The campus and area is pretty much amazing, although its really hot in the summer but you get used to it relatively quickly. The dean seemed to be really down to earth and made you feel welcome on the campus and never once talked down to us or made us feel unwelcome. Sim lab rocked! Brand new everything and everything is huge, the sim lab holds like 125 students at a time.
The sim lab was amazing. The new clinic which will be open soon will be awesome with the number of seats they have. The fact that they concentrate on a specific body part or system at a time. They emphasize the clinical aspect much more than the research aspect. The staff was also very laid back and friendly.
Everything. The dean is great, and really wants to get to know all the students and actually sits down with them at lunch meeting every so often to get feedback on how everything is going. The rest of the faculty and staff are really nice as well and so are the students.
1) The technology. Everything in Midwestern is new, and that can be a big plus since Dentistry is a constantly evolving profession when it comes to that.
2) The friendliness of the dean and everyone else! Fantastic.
The Dean spent most of his time with us. The students were all friendly and had positive energy about the school. The faculty and admissions were cool too. Everything is brand new.
Lots: The school is very new and employs cutting edge technology. Toured the brand new sim lab, which has HD video cameras for the instructor to use to monitor the progress of the students at their stations (in addition to the 25 instructors that will be circulating through the lab). They also plan on using CEREC or similar technology as an option for labwork, and all charting and x-rays are digital. They also plan on having i-cat scanning for oral surgury cases. They employ a systems-based approach to learning coursework. For example, when you study the cardiovascular system, you will learn the histology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, and perform a case study, all of which helps integrate what you learn more effectively (theoretically at least). The faculty are very friendly, well-qualified, and genuinely concerned with providing the best education possible.
It looks like the school is really gonna get some good technology in there and try to take care of their students. They are really chill faculty and they just sat and talked to us.
Where they are heading with technology. They'll have brand new clinics. The community service opportunities. The campus is really nice and should be expanding over the coming years. The weather is awesome. And the fact that the faculty was pretty straight forward about their current progress.
Applicants commonly expressed negative feedback about long waiting times, unfriendly or unengaging interviewers, lack of student interaction or panel, and the high cost of tuition. Suggestions included more efficient scheduling to reduce wait times, ensuring interviewers are personable and engaging, incorporating student panels for a diverse perspective, and addressing the high cost of tuition to make the experience more positive for applicants.
Waiting almost two hours for all of the interviews to be complete in the morning.
2 of my 3 interviewers were extremely unfriendly, to say the least. This was not my first dental school interview, so I felt thrown off by how cold my interviewers were; the student interviewer was friendly but the two faculty were the least personable interviewers I have ever encountered. Every time I answered a question, I would be interrupted or pressed to elaborate even more, and I felt as though my interviewers wanted me to feel uncomfortable due to how they would just stare at me the entire time. They did not even let out a single smile the entire interview.
Overall, don't take my experience as representative of everyone else's, but if you decide to interview here then be sure to prepare to come up with elaborate answers on the spot and don't expect them to be as friendly as interviewers from other schools.
There was little engagement from the panel of interviewers. It was like talking to a wall. They would ask their questions and listen but did not interact. There was an intense pressure to just fill the silence. Additionally many of the questions felt repetitive or testing. The entire day was nice until the actual interview process.
I felt very interrogated in my interview. I did not like the vibe to be honest. I don’t feel like they even asked me good questions and I was a little shell shocked when I left. I hope no one else has this experience.
One of the interviewees seemed to be really grilling me on every answer I gave. Near the end he kept looking at this watch and sighing while I was answering. When I asked one question at the end of the interview, he asked if I was done asking questions. For a day that lasted from 7 am until 4 pm, I felt really rushed out of the actual interview portion.
The is my worst interview experience for several reasons. Firstly, they really try to sell you on the school, to the point where they lie to you. For example, they say they are the only school that allows students to place implants - not true at all. Secondly, I found them to be very ingenuine towards people and I didn't like that. For example, they almost made one of the interviewees cry. The poor guy came out like he saw a ghost and didn't even want to tour the school and wanted to go home. At first I thought maybe he just wasn't prepared but when I interviewed they were very grilling. Definitely not professional interviewers. They didn't make me feel comfortable at all and seemed to question everything I said in a negative way. I had 11 interview offers so far and attended 9 so I am speaking with experience and comparison to quite a few other schools. Overall, I think they have a good program but the faculty I met and saw that day were not great. Hopefully someone from administration reads this and improves it for the next cycle.
Just my two cents--
Faculty kept talking about the amount of money their graduated dentists earn.
Based on what they have emphasized in presentations, the school focuses on training their students to be competent dentists, but de-prioritizes improving oral health via service and research (coincidentally the second half of their mission statement). They sometimes mention research, but students don't get involved much, especially once clinical training begins. This is a good school for students looking for a solid foundation in dentistry (plus other procedural certificates) and a high-paying salary. Not for students interested in making a big impact in oral health through research or dental public health.
The clinic, although it was brand new and pristine, was hardly being used. That's partially because there were no 4th years yet, but it still seemed odd.
The interview lasted way too long! Got there at 7:45 a.m., didn't get done until 2:45 p.m. Also, it's hard to compare the school since there's no history or other data. VERY expensive school - over $96,000 per year for the total cost.
It was hard to get a lot of information across in 8 minutes and everyone in my group agreed it was almost impossible to tell how some interviewers were responding/interpreting our answers (IL)
the fact that it's on the expensive side for a dental school, and that it's new so no history on NBDE 2 (but they did great on NBDE 1), no alumni, no known specialization rate as of now.
The dental student that I was interviewing with was SO unresponsive. I kept looking at him during the interview when I was talking and he was always just blank and didn't even smile! I'm not sure what his deal was, but I feel like the way he was might have impacted my interview negatively. From what I heard from everyone else's interviews, he was the only one that acted this way.
They haven't bought land yet to build the clinic, and the dental school wont be finished until next summer. They are a little behind on construction because the workers were on strike for a few weeks ... hopefully they wont strike again ... ? (IL)
Lack of knowledge about my application and who I was; lack of diversity among student population; defensiveness when you ask about problems the school has had being so new; behind schedule on completing the clinic; lack of interest by the D2 student present at the interview. The interview seemed like amateur hour.
Do not expect breakfast (expect pastries and muffins in sealed plastic and juice). I wish I had clicked better with my interviewer. They said to expect to take out $388,000 in loans for the four years (Way more than anywhere else I applied). Sat around in a waiting room for about 60-70% of the time I was there (7:15-2:00)
Although my interviewer overall was pretty good, he seemed somewhat uninterested in what I was saying for responses, the dental student that was interviewing me seemed way more interested in what I was actually saying, so I dont know if that was bad for me or if he did that to everyone.
Converserly, the school is underdeveloped and does not have a clinic.
I was asked if I had any questions and mine was this:
"What are your clinical criteria/expectations?"
The response was obvious guarded body language. They seemed to attack my knowledge of the school, saying, "we don't have a clinic yet."
"I'm aware of that," I said, "but what will you expect of this current year's class?"
The answer was fuzzy at best. I did not get the feeling that they even know what they want as far as clinical experience goes.
Overall nothing major. The food wasnt great and a few of the buildings were a bit small. The average age was 27 and they dont have any undergraduate programs. These could all be positives in some way, however I guess I'm just used to a larger school.
The location of the school. Given that its only 15-20 minutes away from Phoenix (the fifth largest city in America), it's really located in a bare and desolate area. It's not a desert, but it does not seem to be full of culture or a very high traffic place. Although people will be studying intensely for the first couple of years at least, its reassuring to know that a school is in a culturally live location.
Obviously there is only one class of students and they are only in their second week so it's hard to talk about the program, everything is still developing,
the school seemed really full of themselves and the interviewers couldn't really answer the questions that I asked them. On top of that, they criticized the school that i interviewed with previously
No facilities to really tour since for obvious reasons they haven't finished building them yet. Tuition is killer, I don't know why I should pay so much!
The building is not built, so you had to use your imagination. Obviously it will be nice when it is built because it will be new, but hopefully construction does not encounter any problems and delay anything. Our tour guide was not a student and seemed pretty unknowledgable about everything, and he did seem to enjoy the smell of the cadaver lab. He just seemed kind of disinterested in everything.
Nothing really. Some people say that there is a high school feel to it, which isn't a bad thing. I had gone to a small university near Chicago, which was pretty much the same, so i felt right at home. They send you a DVD before the interview, so there aren't any surprises :)
Applicants commonly wished they had known about the unconventional interview questions, the need to be knowledgeable about the school as a whole, the amount of downtime between interviews, and the importance of being prepared for a day-long process with a lot of walking. They also noted the relaxed nature of the interview day and the hot weather, emphasizing the need to dress appropriately and be ready for a stress-free experience.
That the clinic is not next to the school and that classes are in different building on campus, there is not a dental building that you have everything all in one building
Check in at the security post as you enter the campus. They have a pass that will get you into the locked building where you interview. The campus is very secure and you have to have a card/key to get into any building.
People said there was an excruciating amount of wait time. It's not that bad! Be friendly with the students and the other interviewees. Make your presence known, but include others in the conversation. Remember: the interview lasts ALL day.
There would be sooooooo much time sitting around. Its good in the sense that you can socialize with the other applicants and dental students but I think its a little too much. You could easily condense the entire day down to 3 hours and still be fine.
I felt as well prepared as I could have been. I would have liked to know that the (marketing) tour ended at 2:30, not 12:45 as I was told. This made getting to my plane on time quite a harrowing experience.
How nothing is really set in concrete yet, that goes for the buildings and their course material. Everything just kind of still seems up in the air, and they made it sound as if the first year students will be almost like lab rats being experimented on for future students.
It is really hot there! But, they're pretty cool about taking off your blazer and loosing the tie up a bit. And if you wear a turban, then go for a lighter shade :)
Applicants commonly mentioned positive aspects such as great faculty, impressive facilities, and a welcoming atmosphere, but expressed concerns about uncomfortable interview experiences, long interview days, lack of warmth from interviewers, and high costs. Suggestions included being prepared with questions, being oneself, and researching the school thoroughly.
Overall, I was impressed by the clinical exposure at this school and the campus; however, the interview was such an uncomfortable experience that I knew I did not want to attend here. I had numerous interviews at other schools and none of them left such a negative impression as this one. Undoubtedly the most anxiety-inducing interview I have ever been part of. Dentists are healthcare professionals who should be personable in order to make their patients comfortable and establish good relations with others. If my faculty interviewers (both dentists) cannot treat a prospect to their school with even the slightest bit of warmth, then I don't know why they should represent the school. I will never tell anyone to not attend a particular doctorate program, but my experience serves as a warning that this interview may not be an easy or comfortable one.
The school seems great, if not a little pricy. They seem to know that are great and make sure you do too. The interview process however could have been loads better. The day is too long and the faculty seem bored.
Overall really awesome program, but I really did not like the vibe of the interview and thought that the day was way too long and drawn out. I wish that I felt a little more welcomed by the interviewers.
Dr. Pashayan was in the room during my interview and I did not get a negative impression of him at all. He was so nice, my experience with him was great.
I was uncomfortable and anxious throughout the entire interview. There was very little to no conversation made with the interviewers despite my efforts to do so. Interviewers were not personable. An older man who was conducting the interview was shaking his head the entire time and even sighed following one of my responses. I was rudely interrupted by this man when answering a question and was told to answer the question properly. There was another incident where I was interrupted by an outside faculty member who knocked on the door in the middle of my response and proceeded to talk to the man. Following their conversation, I was told to continue with no apologies or explanation as to why I was interrupted. Overall, I unfortunately had a poor interview experience at CDMA. This was far different from my experience at the Downers Grove campus where the environment was a healthy and prosperous one.
Overall this school is very very nice. The people are amazing, professional and funny. their facilities are top notch and produce (from what I heard from other people in the dentistry field) the best practitioners in the country.
The interviewers are trying to be very friendly and conversational, but they will cut you when they need to move to the next question on their list. Two faculty members. They say it's partial open file, they have everything you submitted besides your grades and DAT scores.
Over all it was really filled and active day, be prepared to sit through Deans presentation attentively ...a lot of information he gives out it important and will effect your decision to chose this school ...i have yet to find any negative thing about this school...some great insights about how dental school operates and why they are so expensive :)
Make sure to have a handful of questions prepared for your interviewer. Also, most interviews usually have an adcom member and a student; however, my student had to leave for an exam so I just had the adcom member.
What a great experience to tour this school. It was absolutely pristine, state of the art, and a genuinely positive learning environment geared towards producing great CLINICAL dentists.
One of my favorite schools so far, although I almost fell asleep during the touring and lectures because it was so boring. A lot of wasted time but good overall experience and really liked the school.
Very relaxed, do as much research on the school as you can beforehand and come with lots of questions - I think having LOTS of questions ready would have improved my interview (IL)
After the interview, this school definitely ranks very high on my list. The interview is low stress and you have lots of down time, so have fun and socialize with your fellow interviewees!
I think that the school has the potential to be great, but it doesn't seem to have its act to gether yet. I think its kind of shady that they are matriculating students now, I think they are just desperate for tuition money so they can keep building. I think it was kind of shady overall ... decided I wont go there even if it is the only school I get into. Not worth the risk. (IL)
Make sure to be well groomed. The Dean talked to us and mentioned that he puts a lot of emphasis on being neatly dressed and groomed. Specifically mentioned nice suit and tie and no-little facial hair for males.
Be prepared for lots of waiting, and check the weather ahead of time. Be yourself, and have questions prepared to ask them. Don't be critical of their lack of a clinic... apparently they know they don't have one yet.
OK school to me.
Very small but new.
They interview sooo many students and if you are not seriously considering the school, don't interview. I spent ~$600 for a bad taste in my mouth.
I was impressed with the school. I think they are designing a school of the 21st century that will teach the basic and clinical sciences in a new and improved way.
Many of the faculty are really, really old. It seems as maybe they moved to Phoenix to retire and teaching is something they're doing to make an extra buck.
Try not to rent a car if possible. Taxes out of Sky Harbor for renting a car is literally 38%. A "$37/day" two day rental was over $120. Some of the hotels have a shuttle. Stay there and don't bother renting a car...
Very good experience. Had great time talking with people during interview and everyone was very nice.
This was probably one of the best interview experiences.
very nice school with new equipments. 18 people were interviewed that day by three people. the interviewers were accompanied by a student as well. the student also asks a couple of questions
Overall, I enjoyed the interview and really liked the campus, location, students and the dean. The location somewhat lacked some culture unless you really like mexican food everyday but other then that it was a great school.
This seems like a promising school, but I felt that once I probed into their clinical curriculum (or lack thereof) I felt I was conducting an interview instead of being given one.
They were quite defensive about their lack of a clinic.
Great school, but be prepared for bumps along the way since it is a new school. It is interesting that some classes are integrated with DO and Optometry students to encourage cross-discipline perspective and cooperation.
The interview is very laid back. There are about 15-20 people there and you are split into two groups. One groups interviews (individually) while the other has a financial aid seminar. The you have lunch and a tour. I stayed at the Comfort Suites which is about 5 minutes away. they had a shuttle to and from Midwestern that dropped you off at the admissions office and it was free. The shuttle left around 7:00 so you make in with plenty of time.
Midwestern expects to interview 500 people and out of that 500, there are only 114 seats, so the statistics of getting in aren't the best. If you get an interview there, try to be yourself and have a good time!
The school is very new with a very nice simulation lab. The faculty are experienced while they are also willing to adjust the curriculum for the students's success. The school is great overall.
The part I is to be taken after the first year.
The atmospere amongst the current students was outstanding. Knowing that future students have open acces to their instructors is key to success in a rigorous dental program. Not being made to feel like an outsider even though I was only there for the interview.
Don't stress out when preparing for this interview. They are more concerned with getting to know YOU, and less concerned with eliciting a stress response. Just know answers to the basic questions and you should be ok.
We were there most of the day. Started at 7:45am and went till 2pm. They really did a good job of going over information that will help us make an educated decision about what school to attend.
Friendly faculty & staff. They split us up into groups and half went on the tour while the other half were further divided and interviewed or wrote their essay. Then the two big groups switched. After everyone interviewed we went to lunch and had the financial aid presentation. They offered lots of snacks, beverages & bathroom opportunities throughout the day. Very enjoyable.
Nice presentation by Dr. Simmonsen, Wrote an essay, Interviewed with 2 very nice faculty members, toured the campus, ate lunch, financial aid presentation.
Interview was pretty normal. 2 people asking me questions. There was a few questions that I feel were to put the pressure on the student and see how the student reacts and how well rounded they are. There was also an essay question that was really easy to do.
The interview was laid back. The Dean was very personable, and he seemed personally interested in each of the twelve candidates who were there. There was a single interview for each candidate, where you were placed in a room with two faculty, who asked questions from a standardized list. There was a tour. If the dental clinic ends up as nice as their medical clinic, it'll be beautiful.
I really liked the school (definitely my first choice). There's really nothing to worry about. The interview was pretty laid back & kinda fun. Just read your secondary and AADSAS application... be genuine, confident, sincere, and at ease. A bit on the expensive side. They interview around 400 people for 100 seats (the class size should increase as time goes on). The first 60 seats are given before Dec. 1, and the remaining 40 after that.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest that the admissions office should shorten the interview day and reduce downtime by having more interview panels. They also recommend having interviews earlier in the day, making the process more efficient and engaging for prospective students.
Please do something with the applicants that are not interviewing such as tour them in the morning so it is a shorter day.
Make the day shorter. There is no need for interviews to be from 1-4 with people waiting around for 3 hours. Have the questions be more about getting to know us because we came all the way out there. Just overall be a bit more welcoming. Also have a student panel.
shorten the downtime by having more interviewers (there were only 2 people interviewing our entire group, so interviews were conducted 2 interviewees at a time while the rest waited)
