Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine
Charleston, SC
Dental Schools | Public Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 12% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview mixed with a low stress level, and felt they did well.
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
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 revolve around the applicant's motivations for pursuing dentistry, their manual dexterity skills, extracurricular activities, leadership experiences, and their plans if not accepted. Other questions focus on the applicant's uniqueness, interest in the field, community service involvement, views on healthcare improvement, and long-term goals in dentistry. Overall, the questions aim to assess the applicant's suitability for dentistry, their problem-solving abilities, and their dedication to the profession.
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How have you worked on your manual dexterity skills?
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Tell me about your extracurriculars, service, leadership (all 3 at once)
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Why dentistry ?
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What makes you unique?
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Why do you want to be a dentist?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine discussed a range of topics including family background, motivations, future challenges in dentistry, favorite achievements, and hypothetical scenarios like dinner party guest lists. The interviews may have been in the MMI format as some responses mentioned nondisclosure agreements, while common questions involved personal attributes, achievements, and reasons for pursuing dentistry.
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Tell me about you family
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The questions were pretty standard they really just wanted to get to know you and figure out what brought you there
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They were all pretty standard.
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Was really specific to my application: "What was your favorite part of studying abroad?"
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What motivates you to do the best you can every day?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine discussed a variety of topics, such as handling stress in manual dexterity, challenges in dental school, motivation for dentistry, and personal achievements. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format, implying potential nondisclosure agreements due to specific question details.
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Tell me about your extracurriculars, service, leadership (all 3 at once) just because it was all three at once
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How are you going to handle the stress of not doing well with the manual dexterity part of dentistry when you begin waxing? (aka you're great in school can you handle not being good at something)
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What do you think would be the most challenging part of dental school?
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What would you do if you were to not get in this cycle?
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What is the biggest issue in dentistry?
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 people.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 0-1 hour traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Charleston International Airport (CHS)
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n.a
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CHS
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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La Quinta
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Days Inn on W. Montague Ave
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Comfort Inn- Bee St.
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Comfort Inn on Bee St
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Best western Charleston Inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
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?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by conducting research on the school, reviewing potential interview questions, participating in mock interviews, seeking advice from current students or professionals, and utilizing resources such as Student Doctor Network (SDN) and various pre-dental websites. Many emphasized the importance of being natural, getting a good night's rest, and practicing with friends to enhance their interview performance.
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SDN
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Google and SDN. Mentally preparing myself for possible questions that they might ask.
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Mock interviews, connected with current students, and visited the school prior to the interview
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SDN, people I know who go there.
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Review questions and body language techniques
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and welcoming nature of the admissions committee, faculty, and students at the institution. Additionally, the positive atmosphere, state-of-the-art facilities, and efforts to ensure applicant comfort were commonly highlighted as positive aspects.
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The friendliness of all the admissions committee, faculty, and students. Southern hospitality!
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The facility were great, the building and technology were top notch and the students really love being there.
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The faculty, staff and students are the nicest people. Also, the clinic is relatively new and very spacious.
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Wet lab is open all night for you to practice/ work on your assignments and everything really
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Clinic
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about interview consistency, lack of personal interest from interviewers, outdated facilities, limited opportunities such as externships abroad, and the delay in the construction of new facilities. Suggestions included improving interview experiences, updating facilities, and enhancing opportunities for students.
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My interviewers asking me almost all the same questions
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nothing! It is expensive but I think it is worth it.
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Honestly nothing.
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After a warm introduction by Dr. Javed, it felt as though my Interviewers weren't all that interested in getting to know me. I'm sure they're busy people, but my interviews didn't seem like a priority to them. Students that I know at MUSC all told me the interviews there are more like conversations, but I did not have that experience. Others in my group had a lot of great things to say about their interviews, so luck of the draw, I guess.
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Parking
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known how laid back the interview process would be, which would have helped alleviate anxiety leading up to the interview. Some specific suggestions included being aware of the repeated questions asked by interviewers, navigating the location and parking, and being prepared for downtime during the interview day.
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That the interviewers would ask the same questions and how to approach that
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How laid back it all would be!
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I wish I knew how laid back it was going to be. I wouldn't have been as anxious during the days leading up to the interview.
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I prepared as well as I could have, so there is not much that I wish I would have known ahead of time.
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N/A
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience at MUSC to be very positive, with a laid-back and friendly atmosphere. They appreciated the faculty's efforts to make them feel comfortable and valued during the process.
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I fell in love with MUSC during the interview! Great city, school, technology, and people
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This is great program!
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This is the most laid back dental school interview you will ever experience.
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This school is very expensive, however is well worth the cost. Faculty and students are extremely down-to-earth.
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Comparing the costs to other schools I've applied to, there are schools that are cheaper to attend out of state than to stay in SC.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants suggested improving communication among interviewers to avoid repetition of questions and providing more timely updates on application status. Overall, they appreciated the admissions office's hospitality and professionalism.
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Communication within interviewers to not ask the same questions. This made it easier on my end, but I think they would learn more about canidates if they asked different questions.
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None!
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None.
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More timely response regarding standing. However, I understand why they hold out until more interviews have taken place.
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Keep up the good work! Your hospitality is impressive.
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