Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 25% of interviews, indicating it is highly 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 revolve around behavioral scenarios, such as describing a time when they displayed empathy, handled failure, worked in a team, or solved a problem creatively. While some respondents mentioned MMI format or nondisclosure agreements, the predominant focus was on situational questions probing candidates' experiences and responses to various challenges and interactions.
Situational questions, have all of your major experiences in your mind (internships, research, activities) use those experiences to answer their questions.
why dentistry,why this school, tell something about your home country, the places and some events historical, hobbies, how you like us so far. any problems you faced in us
All of the questions were: tell me about a time when you ...... Tell about how you dealt with it, and what were the results. Completely closed file. Seems like it's the first year with this format. Think of a lot of different experiences you have had.
Do you think that the school you are presently attending is a good school? If so, what makes it a good school and would you recommend others to apply there?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Minnesota School of Dentistry discussed various behavioral scenarios, including serving underserved communities, problem-solving techniques, conflict resolution, teamwork experiences, and future goals. The interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) with a focus on behavioral-based inquiries, personal attributes, and ethical considerations, possibly involving a nondisclosure agreement as indicated by some responses.
Can't recall. However, the majority of the questions were behavioral. Just make sure you have a few answers that can be adapted and intertwined to make an interesting life story to the interviewers.
The entire interview was like story time. My only advice would be to think of past experiences you have had and be able to think on your feet when applying those experiences to some off the wall questions they ask.
I was asked why I did not want to become a medical doctor, because of one of the stories I relayed in my AADSAS essay. Basicall a rephrase of the general question, "Why do you want to be a dentist?"
If you had a patient come in with abnormalities in their mouth telling you they knew there was something wrong with them, and you took a look and concurred with what they had said, only realizing that these signs were similar to AIDS symptoms, would you treat them? If so, how would you go about it?
Hypothetically, what if I said you would be accepted to our program right now, but you would have to serve 1 year extra in addition to the 4 years of Dental school working with the Indian Health Service would you accept? And why?
Not a question, but the interviewer made a comment about when he lived in Oregon and how Portland was the capital...and I kept thinking, "No it's not, Salem is" but decided not to correct him...unless it was a test, oh well.
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Minnesota School of Dentistry discussed a variety of behavioral-based questions, including scenarios involving conflicts, mistakes, exceeding expectations, and providing customer experiences. Many responses indicated a format resembling MMI (Multiple Mini Interview), with a focus on situational inquiries, while some noted challenges due to the behavioral nature of the questions and the 2-on-1 interview structure.
Situation where there was conflict due to someone's background
I can't remember exactly how it was asked but something along the lines of "a time I gave someone a good customer experience" but it didn't have to be in a retail setting.
Same answer as before. Can't recall a difficult question. Maybe something like "tell us about a time when you let someone down and how you remedied that." However, I am not sure if that was the exact question.
All of them were difficult for me since it was all behavioral based, also very intimidating since it was a 2 one 1 interview and they just took turns switching off asking questions and then there would be pauses where they are just writing things down on their interview sheet.
A girl is crying because she did bad on a test, what would you do? - it may not seem difficult but it caught me off guard, i would naturally try to comfort her, but sometimes it is better to leave those situations alone so i seemed a little unsure
Describe a situation in which you demonstrated empathy. Explain in terms of helping a struggling friend study for a test the next day and you also have a very difficult test the next day.
When have you shown empathy? -- I hate these types of questions. I hate sharing things I have done for others because I did not do those things so I could regurgitate the experience to get into dental school!
If you were looking over a patient's file and his/her history seemed to indicate that he/she may be HIV positive, how would you react personally and would you treat that patient differently?
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 utilizing resources such as Student Doctor Network (SDN), practicing with mock interviews, reviewing their applications, and researching the specific dental school's website. Many also emphasized the importance of practicing answers to common questions, reading through previous interview feedback, and ensuring a relaxed mindset before the interview.
Looking up this same exact interview feedback. Also, as previously said, think about some good examples of situations that make you stand out and really exemplify your potential for dental school and as a well-rounded individual in general (or something like that). Just practice even if you think you are good at interviews and answering questions on the fly.
Mock interview, read through the SDN interview feedback, researched the school online (check the current students section, NOT the prospective students section.
read the feedback, but they must have changed their interview process within the past couple of years because now it is all closed file and standardized to very specific questions that everyone gets asked no matter what was in your file.
Reviewed my AADSAS application; I've also done alot of research and presentations at conventions so I reviewed that as well in case they asked to hear about it.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness of the staff, faculty, and students, as well as the welcoming and relaxed atmosphere during their visit. They also highlighted the state-of-the-art facilities, research opportunities, and the organization of the interview process as positive aspects of their experience.
Students, faculty, facilities, and building. Very impressed by everyone's kindness, so welcoming
I thought the whole day was great, there are opportunities to interact with students, faculty and administration in a very friendly and relaxed manner. Though most of us didn't want to eat, a light breakfast was provided and lunch was provided as well (with current dental students and your fellow interviewees!). The interviewees also impressed me positively, I had great respect for all of my peers when we were applying and they were all worthwhile and fantastic candidates.
They've got an impressive collection of state of the art technology for us to learn with! The building was nice, campus is amazing, and Minneapolis is awesome.
3M Advanced simulation clinic, the number of scholarships available, the emphasis on community dentistry, opportunities for diverse clinical experiences and interprofessional development, very organized interview day, nice dental building and resources
Not much, I guess we got free food. The tour guide was really good, and did give us some advice for interviewing in general, which is good, because I want to get into other schools that are not this one.
All faculty and students I met were exceptionally friendly and helpful--pretty much the stereotypical Minnesotans. All students seemed very happy to be at the U of MN. New sim clinic, beautiful campus, application and interview processes are very well organized.
Tour guide was really knowledgable and really liked the school. Facilities seem good, renovations in progress. Faculty seem very nice and supportive. I enjoyed assisting the 4th yr student.
city is VERY nice and affordable. lots to do. clinics getting redone. You go through some Y1 classes with med students. Rotations through most specialties a requirement. Students were generally happy and easy-going, NOT beaten down and sullen.
The amount of clinical experience the students seem to get, their research clout, research opportunity (they make it very easy to get involved), Minneapolis is a cooler city than I thought prior to visiting, and optional study-abroad program during clinical years.
The new facilities seem like they will be amazing, the "best in the big 10). The clinic supervisors (dentists) were very friendly and helpful and the 4th year student I worked with had nothing but good things to say about the new dean and the school. She readily answered any questions I had. The lunch was great.
The city is very nice, the school is all in one building, faculty was nice, and they mentioned the possibility of state residency after one year. (I am a non-resident)
The students were all happy with their education and their school, that Minnesota has every specialty so there is the potential to see experts in every subfield, the city is very fun
The people and the schedule of events they had set up for us. Everyone there, including the faculty and administrators, were SO nice! The morning was actually really fun, my nerves were definitely calmer then, but I especially enjoyed watching the 4th year dental student, I think I got a rush when they sat us down in the clinics!
the clinics were remodeled in the past few years, students were friendly as well as the dentists "monitoring" the clinical floor, food at lunch was supah dupah.
The intimate setting and low stress level. Also, the fact that only 8 or so other students were there interviewing.
Each student was assigned to a senior dental student that we observed and talked to while they performed clinical work. This was AWESOME!
Everyone was really friendly-staff, secretaries, admissions counselor. Talked with professors and students over lunch, along with hearing the "reality" from students when we observed them working in the clinic. Also, talking with the oral surgeons was a bonus.
Applicants were commonly unimpressed by outdated facilities, lack of technology, high tuition costs, impersonal and disorganized interviews, limited clinical experience, unenthusiastic interviewers, and a lack of diversity. Suggestions included updating facilities, incorporating more technology, improving interview processes for a more personalized experience, providing more clinical opportunities, and fostering a more inclusive environment.
Tuition, some students expressed they wished they got more experience in a certain thing
The interviewers were only allowed to ask their preselected questions, meaning you're not invited to elaborate on something they may not have understood.
Patient transfer between students does not seem formal. From what I was told at the interview, it is a "hey we're friends, have my good patients" type thing.
It's not totally negative, I had the early interview slot which was very nice, but I did feel a little bit bad for the interviewees that had to wait an hour for their interview time. A nervous hour is a very lonnnng hour.
I am not much of a city dweller, so I am not excited at the prospect of commuting by bus, or paying huge sums of money for apartments close to the school.
The interview was not as conversational as i would have liked it to be but i tried to make it conversational. You can break off the tense question/answer interview by showing enthusiasm and talking about your life story.
Not a very personal interview..... it was a closed file interview where I was explaining myself the entire time without them getting to know me, and vice versa.
The interview, I thought, was very impersonal and allowed no room for casual conversation. The questions, for me at least, got me talking about all of the uncomfortable and painful situations in my life that were perhaps a little to personal to share with two people who just sat there and scored my answers.
It was quite stressful... It was a closed-file interview and they asked me ~8-10 questions during the 45 minutes of the interview. I tried to tell them everything about my app in such a short period of time.
The interview was strictly question/answer snd basically lacked any real conversation. I would have liked questions to be unique to what was on my application. Not sure if my interviewer had even read my essay. I guess it made me feel just like a number.
Nothing. I almost have a hard time believing the negative posts below mine. I know several people who have interviewed at and attended the U of MN SOD and have never heard anything but positives!
The 4th year dental clinic's equipment looked old and run down; the treatment of the patients by 4th year students was less than professional. Also the time it took for the attending professors in the clinic to inspect the students work before they could go on with the procedure.
interviewer had not read a line of my file. Every student I talked to was an in-stater so it was difficult to gauge the happiness of out-of-staters. Gale Shea left the admissions team and now works for the school of nursing. Seems like the admissions office was pretty slammed (IE not completely ready for Gales departure.) Not a single window in Y3/Y4 clinics.
The 4th year I observed - he was brutally honest with all my questions, which I appreciated, but he didn't seem to have any interest in being a dentist anymore. Watching him do his work and extracting personality from him were as awful as having teeth pulled. Also, it seems like almost all of the students were from Minnesota or midwest and were all married by 4th year. There was no diversity anywhere. It didn't seem like U of M is the school to go to if you want to specialize - apparently, only 2 of the most recent graduating class made it into an Ortho program. Facilities are SO clinical it hurts - bad fluorescent lighting, only a couple really modern chairs with all the digital tech (though the rest of the chairs are new, just not as impressive as this one section they have that is too hard to schedule any time in)...
I shadowed a dental student who said the school was okay. He had a patient so I could tell he couldn't tell me all the negatives about the school. He wanted to though, to the point where he was almost squirming. :)
It wasn't a huge deal, but they couldn't open the door to the room where the virtual mouth was. I had seen it before, but it would have been neat to see it again.
I did not feel welcomed at school. When I asked director of admission about in state tuition, since I'm out of state ...she replied that I probably will not get it anyway. Compare to other schools that at least it was said that you can apply for in state tuition and if you are rejected you can replay and appeal for in state tuition and probably you will get it. I do not think she was a good director of admission at all....They have mention that there is so little minority students enrolled at their program, but at the same time they have asked me to take TOEFL, when I have already done so and will be getting B.S. this December. It is like I am getting less efficient in my English. Even if I get accepted there I would not go there, other school that I have interview at made me feel welcome ....was like a day and night compare to UMN....Plus tuition is ridiculously expensive...let me ask for what???....no stimulation lab, facility is old.....If you look at good school apply to Marquette University, and Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.
Faculty was uninviting, particularly the interviewer. She said she "had a long day" and "was rather tired". She hardly looked at me during the interview because she was so busy writing my responses.
Also, thought the simlab was poor.
No simulation lab. I get the impression that I would recieve quality instruction in pre-clinic, but In other interviews I have seen some impressive pre-clinical simulation labs.
Minneapolis is a huge town, parking is a nighmare and the dental school is in a high-rise. Ok if your from the city, but a culture shock if you're not used to an urban area. They've also had double digit percentage tuition increases that lase two years in a row.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the interview format (such as closed file or group settings), the relaxed nature of the interview, the amount of walking involved on the interview day, and the specific interview questions. Suggestions included being prepared for construction around campus, wearing comfortable shoes, and considering applying to more private schools for better value as an out-of-state student.
I did my research for this interview so I was very prepared but as always, I wish I had known the questions that would be asked ahead of time :) Surprisingly I was NOT asked "Why dental school/why UofM", those questions I really prepared for and expected to be asked at the beginning of the interview.
To apply to more private schools. Public schools don't offer the biggest bang for my buck as an out-of-state student. This was clear to me when they said that about 65% of faculty time was devoted to research, with only 45% devoted to teaching me how to practice general dentistry because they need the grant money.
My interviewer wasn't part of the admissions committee. I feel I could have done the interview over the phone. He just wrote down answers to my questions.
Applicants generally expressed positive sentiments about the school, its faculty, and facilities. Some noted areas for improvement, such as high cost of attendance and interview format, but overall found the experience to be informative and enjoyable.
I love this school and everyone is so friendly! Beautiful city also and a lot to do around here. I also have friend as dental students and they are all so nice and helpful. I get a very good vibe every time I interact with someone there.
Overall I have to say that the University of Minnesota is a great school. The faculty and administration really care about their students. The school has fantastic facilities, incredible technology, and a good focus on research.
UMN is a very good school and your impression of the school will only get better once you visit the school yourself in person. Other than the horrible weather in winter, UMN is the way to go.
I am not much of a city dweller, so I am not excited at the prospect of commuting by bus, or paying huge sums of money for apartments close to the school.
Go prepared. I met many students who were reapplying for the same school. Expose yourself to many situational questions. Show enthusiasm and be true to yourself and you should be fine.
Do not get me wrong. This is an excellent school. I am just slightly frustrated with the admissions planning and execution of the interview day. Still my number one choice.
Definitely surpassed my expectations. Didn't think i'd like it as much as I did. I would now rank this school above Harvard and Columbia as my top choices (in terms of cost/facilities)
Not impressed. Their interview made me feel uncomfortable, not welcome. Their financial situation makes me feel uneasy. I about large tuition increases and faculty salary cuts when I would be handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars. When I am paying that much, I really should only have to worry about my next exam.
great school, clinical exposure and only 10 students in your class , which makes more emphasis on the students.
by the way i got acceptance from this school too.
Be prepared to have at least 10+ life experiences to draw from to answer the questions in the interview. They ask almost all situational questions. Its two on one as well as closed file so they (the interviewers) don't know anything about you. They are looking for people who are mature, have life experiences and lots of experience working in a team and with people.
They are also letting applicants test out the sim clinic on interview day. For our group, the study coordinator was absent to we get to schedule a later day to do this.
Arrived at the school. Went to a room for interviewees. Sat there waiting to be called by my interviewer. My interviewer came and we went to her office to interview. Came back to room, went to lunch, went on tour, dismissed for the day.
my interviewer sat at his desk with his back/side to me. i was put in a chair in the ''corner''. the questions were highly redundant it was obvious that my file had never been read (although most other interviewers at the U of MN pre-read the students' files). at one point, my interviewer made (not took) a personal call - which took 10 minutes of our time. by the end of the interview, i didn't know if the U of MN was the place for me and i couldn't think of any convincing reasons why i wanted to go there
The interview itself was quite straightforward and had a very relaxed feel to it. The tour guides were very helpful and the school did a very good job at selling itself. Definitely my #1 choice, should I be accepted.
The day was well planned by the admissions staff. Although they asked some pretty difficult questions, the overall experience was very laid back. I got the feeling students are genuinely happy here and the profs really want students to succeed.
Overall it was positive. I really liked the school and met some really cool people (mostly other interviewees.) The sim-clinic is brand new and looks awesome. No one said anything negative about the school, they all said it was great. There was ample chairs for everyone. Great school.
The visted lasted an entire day. After the interview, I went to lunch with the other students and faculty, asked many questions, and then went on a tour of the Dental School.
My interview was a bit different than other people, it did not seem like a conversation no matter how hard I tried, the interviewer was set on the question and answer system. She read off a list and whenever I answered the question she moved on.
Overall the experience was positive, I was just a bit rattled that the interviewer hadn't read my application. Had I clarified that early in the interview, I probably would have answered questions differently. I felt they could have gotten MUCH more out of the interview and a much better comprehension of me as a person had we NOT spent 15 of the 30 min interview rephrasing rote answers that my application paperwork addressed. Minn Supplemental is LONG.
My advice for interviewers: Read the kids file.
My advice for interviewees: Don't worry about the pace with which you answer questions. Some will be slow, some will be fast. What's important is to be considerate, thoughtful, and measured.
Minn/StPaul is a beautiful part of the country if you like msquitos and snowballs.
This was my first interview; so I didn't really know what to expect. I also didn't know what to expect about Minnesota in general - it wasn't one of my first choices before I visited. I stressed out about the interview way more than was necessary. The interviewer basically only asked me one question, and then we just BSed the rest of the time. The students who were involved with the tour were all ridiculously friendly, and I suspect honest - with the exception of the student I observed in the clinic who, although honest, seemed to hate his life. One thing that really pleased me was that they gave us the tour before we had to interview. Though not getting the interview over with early was stressful, it gave me the chance to really see what I liked about the school before I had to go in and talk about why I would want to go there. Also, it seemed like the students really had a sense of community - everyone knew everyone else by their final year. I didn't really meet any faculty, but the one research professor I met was amazing - I imagine she teaches too.
The interview itself was not as intimidating as I had worked it up to be in my head, but I had an afternoon interview and I was nervous for the entire morning and afternoon. The tour guide and admissions office staff were very friendly and the interviewer was friendly as well. It was a conversational style interview and slightly awkward at times so I don't know if that's bad or normal.
I felt that the interview went well. Minnesota does have more prerequisites than any other school I am applying to, which means a few classes next spring which I am not excited about (namely psychology!)
It was my first one, so it went well, but there was room for improvement. The lady after the interview said, quote, "Well, keep shopping!" Gee, thanks.
My interview experience was in between "no change" and "positive." I had been told that the interview was very conversational, but sitting in there I wouldn't say it was easy by any means! The interviewer basically just went down a list of questions, each one being a pretty in depth question. It wasn't grueling, but just not as easy as I'd heard. Just being honest...don't worry if you know yourself and prepare for the interview on this website you'll do fine!
all interviewees shadowed a 4th year as he/she worked on a patient. this was a great and informative. i had an opportunity to chat with one of the dentists who was helping students out and he seemed really, really caring, patient, and helpful. it would be great to be surrounded by faculty like him, and according to students, 90% of the faculty is fab. the interview was stressful in the sense it wasn't conversational. it was question then answer. new question then answer. new question then answer. not really my cup of tea, but i imagine some students prefer such a format.
I think that I observed a bad apple in the program during the observation part of the tour. The student did not have anything good to say about the program or the school. But he also didn't seem very intelligent. This could have lead to the negative experience. I do know that they produce very excellent dental professionals
I did the Early Admissions Program. I think they will only let you into it if you are a resident or from a neighboring state with a contract. Do EAP if you can, it will really help your chances at getting in. During the interview they just asked a list a general questions, nothing to personal.
I had a really wonderful time. The faculty and students were all very nice. We started with a comprehensive tour (with clinical observation), followed by an information session about financing dental school. We had lunch and then had the formal interview.
Overall, it was positive. The interviewer was an older professor that makes you think of one's grandfather. The interview was relatively laid back...not as formal as I'd anticipated. At times, he'd say "I see you've done alot of research..." and then he'd pause and not say something like, "So tell me about that" or "What did you do" so I just would start talking about it even though he didn't necessarily ask...I assumed that was what he wanted with the pauses???
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants generally provided positive feedback on the admissions office, praising their friendliness and organization. Some applicants suggested improvements in communication responsiveness, interview process, and making applicants feel more valued and engaged during the visit.
Make us feel like we are important. The schedule for the day looked impressive, but I felt like it was executed poorly. The fact that I never even got to talk to a professor the five hours I was there was kind of sad. I know this is a great school, and it is still my first choice, but I wish they would have cared more.
nothing they are very organized , interviewed only 4 students in one day , devoting time and judging every student very nicely and answer your all queries and also explain everything about the school ,the program, just prepare yourself to answer some questions regarding school and the location, this will impress them positively.
