Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry
Portland, OR
Dental Schools | Public Non-Profit
Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 23% 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 low 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 scenarios on ethics and teamwork, inquiries about research and volunteer experiences, discussions on challenges faced and time management skills, as well as motivations for pursuing dentistry or a specific school like OHSU. Many respondents also mentioned questions related to manual dexterity skills, future goals in dentistry, and personal attributes essential for being a good dentist.
Given the references to 'MMI' or 'Multiple Mini Interview' format and mentions of 'nondisclosure' or 'non-disclosure' agreements in some responses, it appears that the interviews may have been conducted in an MMI format with potential adherence to nondisclosure agreements by the respondents.
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Mostly scenario based ethics questions, i.e. how would you handle a classmate cheating?
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Tell us about when you had to work in a team
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First interview was more of "why dentistry/ why OHSU" type questions. Second interview was more about seeing if you've been through some academic adversity/how are you going to handle it.
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Why dentistry?
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Talk about your research
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry discussed a wide range of topics, including personal growth through experiences, ethical dilemmas like handling cheating, defining professionalism, and financing education. The interview format may have been MMI, with some respondents alluding to nondisclosure agreements, while others highlighted questions on personal values, patient care scenarios, and future trends in dentistry.
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What a specific quote in my personal statement meant to me
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How did you go about doing your research (specific questions probing it)
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What does English Composition mean? (She honestly didn't know)
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What is professionalism?
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What are your hobbies?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry discussed a range of topics including addressing low GPA concerns, explaining disparities in DAT performance, ethical obligations in dentistry, challenges in the field, and future aspirations in dentistry. Some responses hinted at an MMI format or nondisclosure agreements, suggesting a structured interview process with specific question types and confidentiality requirements may have been in place.
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Your undergrad GPA is slightly lower than the average we accept here.. What do you think about that and how will you succeed here if accepted?
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Why don't you just stick to IT work? There's good money in it.
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What academic challenge have you faced?
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What do you dis-like about dentistry?
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What can you tell me about why you did very well on certain sections of the DAT and not so well on others?
🤝 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 2 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.
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 4-6 hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by airplane 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 Portland International (PDX)
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Portland International
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PDX
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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Travelodge on SW 4th
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Travelodge
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Travel Lodge
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The Inn at Marquam Hill
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Residence 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?
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Great location, breakfast and cocktail hour were not impressive for the price
✅ 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?
Many applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as the school's website, SDN, mock interviews, and talking to current students or alumni. They emphasized the importance of researching the program and formulating questions for the interviewer to demonstrate their interest and preparedness.
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sdn
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Google, your average interview prep. Having thoughtful answers to your basic questions (especially regarding your own application) will carry you through this interview. They are not trying to grill you.
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This site, answering a few basic questions on my own, studying why the profession is perfect for me in the first place.
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Reviewed my application, read SDN interview feedback questions
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Talked to current OHSU students, studentdoctor.net interview feedback, OHSU website
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of the students, faculty, and staff, as well as the quality of the facilities, particularly the new simulation labs and clinics. They also appreciated the emphasis on hands-on clinical experience, the personalized nature of the interviews, and the overall positive and low-stress interview experience.
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Friendly students/faculty and gorgeous facilities
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Extremely thoughtful questions that were the most personalized of any interview I had. Interviewers were genuine and very interested in what you had to say.
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The facility and the friendly atmosphere
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Fantastic facilities, Great clinic, Great clinical preparedness from the looks of things.
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It was just a conversation. There were 2 professors who were both very nice. Low stress interview.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the older facilities, disorganization in the interview process, lack of communication or professionalism from staff, outdated curriculum, and disrespectful behavior of some students. Suggestions included improving communication with applicants, updating facilities, addressing issues with the curriculum, and promoting a more professional and respectful environment among students.
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Was not the biggest fan of the online platform. Zoom probably would have been better
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Nothing, best interview.
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Cost of attendance, A bit of disorganization was spoken about by multiple students/staff due to constant changes in the policies.
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How late the in the application process the interview was (I interviewed at many others schools prior to December 3rd)
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No formal tour. Morning introduction was a little informal (not bad but not as impressive as other schools). Schedule had time to sit in on a class but they had scheduled my interview for that time so I didn't get to see the class. Time observing in clinic seemed kind of a waste (isn't that why they required shadowing hours?).
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the relaxed and conversational interview style, the need to review their application, and the morning writing sample. They also mentioned the importance of not stressing out, the friendly nature of the admissions staff, and the location logistics of the school campus.
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You spend a while (probably 45 min or more) "shadowing" a student one on one while they work. Can be a good time to chill out and ask the student questions but also a little boring as they are busy and unable to talk that much.
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I was very prepared, I dont feel as though I wish I'd known anything extra before going in.
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Make sure to look over your application before you go on. They will ask about stuff on your app.
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How easy the interview was going to be.
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There's a morning writing sample. Nothing stressful but writing samples are kind of annoying.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally praised OHSU for its friendly environment, supportive faculty, and clinical strength, while some mentioned concerns about outdated facilities and organizational issues. Suggestions included improving interview scheduling, updating facilities, and enhancing the overall program to stay competitive.
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Wonderful school with great student/faculty dynamic. Interview was online and then traveled there for optional Preview Day to tour school
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Awesome school with beautiful new facilities.
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Place is great, The building is fantastic, but the surrounding buildings and architechture arent really aesthetically pleasing. The facilities are a bit strange to navigate to. The school is in a very pricy area so finding affordable housing in a nice neighborhood under $1200 is difficult, let alone within short distance, expect 20-30+ minute commutes for that. The staff were very nice and the professors doing the interviews were genuinely interested in me. I over-prepared and could have gone in dry and felt fantastic in the interview.
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OHSU is a great school! Clinically strong, enthusiastic, and supportive!
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Good school, good people, good city. Interview day could've been scheduled better but not a major issue. Facilities are a little old but not too bad. Clinic seems a little cramped though. They are thinking about building a new dental school (and raising tuition to compensate) but it wouldn't be completed until ~2014 at the earliest.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest improving the interview process, including having lunch with multiple students, starting interviews earlier, and providing more timely communication about application status updates and interviews.
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Good interview process. I have no immediate suggestions.
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Have lunch with multiple students, not just one.
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Start interviewing earlier!!
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More communication earlier in the cycle regarding application status updates and interviews
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