McGill University Faculty of Dentistry
Montreal, QC
Dental Schools | Public Non-Profit
Going on an interview at McGill? Add your feedback to help others!
⭐ 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 include inquiries about the candidate's motivation for pursuing dentistry, their volunteer experiences, coping mechanisms for stress, reasons for choosing a specific school like McGill, and scenarios testing ethical judgment. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format and the need to adhere to a nondisclosure agreement during the interview process due to the sensitive nature of the questions asked.
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"Your dentist mentioned in your essay has the same name as you? I thought this was a mistake (laughing). How has he inspired you?"
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Tell me about yourself (the staple interview question).
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Why dentistry and why now (graduated in 07)?
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Do you know any French?
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Is your wife willing to come with you to Montreal?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting question asked at McGill University Faculty of Dentistry discussed a range of topics from personal interests like music preference to ethical scenarios like addressing poor dental work by a previous dentist. Some respondents also mentioned more unique questions about sports allegiances and motivations behind volunteering, indicating a diverse set of inquiries asked during interviews.
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Are you a Leafs or Canadians fan? (after we talking a little about the NHL All-Stars game that took place the night before).
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Your CV mentions that you volunteered at a correctional institution. Why would you want to help social derilicts and not the elderly?
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Tell me about yourself (since this is such an open ended question, this is your best chance to tell them everything you want them to come away with)
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What's your favourite type of music?
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suppose you are a dentist and a pacient comes to you and you realise that the previous dentist has done a bad job. what would you do?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at McGill University Faculty of Dentistry discussed the reasons for applying to dentistry over medicine or research, sibling-related inquiries, and a surprise "Tell me about yourself" query. While most questions were straightforward, some respondents found the personal nature of the inquiries challenging.
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Why not medicine or research?
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Did you apply to medicine as well? Why would you also be applying to dentistry if you applied to medicine?
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Tell me about yourself (this was the first question and hence, threw me off) Do you have any siblings? What would your brother say was your greatest weakness?
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all the questions were very straightforward...they didn't throw any weird ones at me
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probably the one above cuz they kept comenting on my answers
🤝 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 an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
No responses
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 Admissions staff personnel
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 7+ hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by train or subway 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 Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
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Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
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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University Bed & Breakfast Apartment Suites
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Travelodge
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Hilton Garden 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?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by researching potential questions, utilizing online resources like Studentdoctor, Premed101, and the school's website, participating in mock interviews, seeking advice from friends or professionals in the field, and attending interview workshops. It was common for candidates to practice answering questions, seek input from current students or professionals, and review relevant information to feel more confident and prepared for the interview.
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I read over possible questions from the net, used SDN and Premed101 and had a couple of mock interviews.
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Researched their website Studentdoctor interview feedback Asked a friend
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Went to Canadian Dental Association website, got tips for interviews, spoke to my dentist. Chatted with friends, took a pilates class the night before.
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Read over this website and McGill's website. Practiced answering questions. (I wasn't as prepared as I would have like, however, I found out about the interview last minute)
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interview workshops, mock interviews
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were positively impressed by the friendliness of interviewees and interviewers, the modern facilities, the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, and the emphasis on understanding the body holistically. Suggestions for improvement were not prominently mentioned.
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The other interviewees. They were all very friendly and good looking (lol). Dentistry and Medicine students spend years 1 and 2 together (I think it's important for dentists to also understand the body as a whole). We talked a lot about my research during my interview and they seemed really interested.
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The interviewers were pretty friendly.
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The age of the building. The McGill feel
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I was impressed with the clinic's facilities (they weren't as old as I'd been led to believe). Also, everyone I met was extremely friendly and positive. They really make a huge effort for the process to be as un-stressful as possible
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Montreal is a great city, but extremely cold. Students were freindly and joined us for lunch.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions related to the cold weather in Toronto and Montreal, small school facilities, discomfort during the interview process, dissatisfaction with spending time in medical school as a dental student, outdated facilities, lack of official tours, and delays in the process. Suggestions included improving facilities, providing clearer communication and schedules, and offering more tailored educational experiences for dental students.
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Toronto is cold but Montreal is colder.
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The school building is pretty small
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One of the interviewers - a 4th year medical student - had trouble looking me in the eyes. Thought that was little rude/insecure on his part. I thought I was supposed to be nervous.
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I agree with many of the dental students I talked to: spending your first year and a half in med school is a little much. Yes, it's important to understand the whole body as a dentist, but surely they could offer classes that cover medicine but from a dental perspective.
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The school is old! The facilities are run down and the first two years are with med students. Also, I didn't get an official tour, I just happened to run into a friend and he showed me around.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the potential for delays in starting, the competitive nature of the interview process, the possibility of hypothetical questions, and the challenging physical environment of the dental school location. They also highlighted the importance of managing expectations and being prepared for unexpected elements during the interview day.
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I was under the impression it was going to be a 3-on-1 interview. It didn't really matter though. Can't think of anything else I didn't know ahead of time.
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That things rarely start on time. I did have to wait a bit, and the guy next to me was so arrogant, telling some story of how we went skiing for the weekend with his girlfriend to prepare mentally for the interview. Loser.
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A comment on this website led me to believe that the odds of getting in were greater than they actually were. It was a shock when I got there to find out that out of 150 out-of-province/international students, 50 are interviewed, and only 10 are accepted. As well, I'd been led to believe that there would be no hypothetical questions (they kept going on about how they didn't do CDA format like Toronto and Western) and yet I ended up getting 3 hypothetical questions.
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Montreal is damn cold and the dental school is up on a stupid hill that has ice on it. I fell twice before my interview and nearly broke my neck.
What are your general comments?
Applicants commonly shared feedback that the interview process was straightforward and lacking situational/behavioral questions, with offers of admission being received within a month. There were mixed opinions about the facilities at the dental school, with some appreciating the personal attention due to the small class size while others found the facilities lacking and opted to attend elsewhere based on their impressions.
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Quick and painless interview with surprisingly no situational/behavioral questions. I received an offer of admission by phone about 1 month later!
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Walked in, brought to a large table. From there, brought to another room. Waited for interviewetrs,. They went for a bathroom break. The DMD who was interviewing me looked like he was 16. He wasn,t though. He was really nice. Kind of cute actually.
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Montreal is as cold as they say it is. The night before the interview, the Dental Student society holds a dinner for all applicants. This was a great way to ask questions of dental students from all years. Remember, you're there for 2-3 hours, so have lots of questions. Also, keep in mind that some of the students there will be carrying out the interviews - I ended up meeting and talking with the two students that interviewed me. The day of the interview, they offer tours of the clinic in the morning and afternoon. The clinic at the hospital is a fair ways away from the school, but they explain that they schedule so that you're not constantly going between the two. The clinic itself is pretty small - there aren't enough chairs for all the students. Again, it was pointed out that at any given time there are students doing paperwork etc, so there's always room at the clinic. The pre-clinic is in the main school - there's flat screen t.v.'s at every row so that every student can get a close up live video of what the instructor is doing. After the tour, I had lunch with all the other applicants. There's again students and professors to chat with. When you are called for your interview, a student will go with you and wait outside the door with you to help you relax and keep you company. The interview itself is very layed back. I was interviewed by a professor and two students (always at least one professor, and usually a student or a dental professional). I sat on a couch with the prof, and the two students on another couch across from me. It was more of a conversation than anything. The prof did most of the asking, although each student asked two or three questions at the end. Everyone was extremely positive and if this wasn't my very first interview, I would have been much more relaxed. They tell you that you should hear back from them in about a month's time. I was called by the Dean himself, 3 1/2 weeks after my interview. Although I didn't feel my interview went the greatest, I held my own, and I was accepted. I was told that the mark you recieve for the interview is just thrown into a calculation along with your marks and DAT scores, so, if you have the marks, then the interview isn't as important. Also, I was told that in a typical year, 2 to 3 people are accepted from the wait-list for out-of-province applicants.
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The dental school really didn't impress me. Yeah, the class size is small and therefore, you get a lot of attention, but the facilities are VERY lacking. The interview was laid back, so that wasn't what negatively impressed me. Rather, it was the condition of the school that I was disappointed in and the program they offered. Plus I don't want to be paying money for dental school to sit in med school classes. I understand the need to learn about physiology, anatomy, etc. but there are dental schools elsewhere that incorporate med school material in a dental school context as well as offer exposure to real dental clinical settings. I guess McGill is good for some people, but it wasn't ranked high on my list after I went and saw the school for myself. Needless to say, I am attending dental school elsewhere.
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When you go there just remember that only 40 people get called for the interview so unless you really say something incedibly stupid you have great chances of getting in. Relax the importance of the interview is often exagerated, if you have good grades you will get in. Don't try to impress them, you will just look stupid. The questions are preety basic, if you read some coments on this website you will have no problem answering them. Don't look like you have memorized all the answers though, it is better to hesitate a bit. Prepare some questions for the interviewers- it really helps. Usually 2 of the 3 interviewers are students, so they know a phony when they see one- don't exagerate your desire to get into dentistry- be natural.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants generally provided positive feedback about their experience with the admissions office, indicating that they had a great overall experience and did not have specific suggestions for improvement.
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Great overall experience
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