University of New England - College of Dental Medicine
Portland, ME
Dental Schools | Private 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 moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
⭐ 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 high 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 why the candidate chose the institution, how they handle disagreements, traits essential for dentists, ethical dilemmas, self-description, conflict resolution, role models, past challenges, and future aspirations. Some respondents mentioned an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) format with ethical and personal-based questions, potentially under a nondisclosure agreement.
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Asked about how you would work through a disagreement
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Asked about traits dentists should have
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Asked why UNE
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Ethical dilemma
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Words to describe yourself
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting question asked at University of New England - College of Dental Medicine discussed situation-based scenarios like working with a classmate, managing a 3-day weekend, and handling criticism during interviews.
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Situation question about working with a classmate.
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What would you do if you had a 3 day weekend?
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Related to criticism
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of New England - College of Dental Medicine discussed personal challenges, interpretation of mission statement, stereotypes/biases, and the challenging nature of time-limited MMI-style interviews with follow-up questions. Some respondents hinted at a nondisclosure agreement due to the format of the interview.
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About a personal challenge outside of academics. And what a specific part of their mission statement means to me.
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The questions weren't "difficult" but the time limit and the interviewer's ability to only ask follow-up questions made it more difficult.
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Related to stereotypes/biases
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of more than 50 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
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 7+ hours 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 between $201 and $300.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Portland International Jetport (PWM)
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Portland Jetport
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PWM - Portland Jetport
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PWM
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Boston
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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The Inn at St. John's
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Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Maine
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Airbnb
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 practicing with MMI-style questions, utilizing resources such as Kira, SDN forums, and Youtube videos. They also focused on developing their opinions on ethical situations and maintaining composure during the interview.
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Did the practice Kira questions - very similar.
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Did the practice questions on KIRA
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Practice questions, recording and watching myself to improve
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I looked up common MMI questions and established my opinions on common ethical situations.
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As many have already mentioned, there's no way to know what they will ask since some were so "out-there" and weird. Just review some typical MMI questions and practice the way you respond to questions (i.e. pay attention to your composure, thought process, etc).
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were positively impressed by the cost-free nature of Kira, the strong clinical experience, friendly and thorough interviewers, small class sizes, updated facilities, external rotations, and the warm and friendly faculty. Additionally, they appreciated the new Oral Health Center, enthusiastic students, and charming campus atmosphere.
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Kira didn't cost money.
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The facility and clinical experience.
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Everyone was very nice. The students who gave the interview were very thorough and willing to answer any questions. All of the interviewers helped to make it a good experience and tried to make us as comfortable as possible. The professors were all willing to stop and give us a minute of their time . They also provided a goodie bag with helpful information, a water bottle, and other things with the school logo. They also gave us paper and a clipboard to write responses down during out prep time.
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Small class size, students seem to graduate with strong clinical experience, external rotations
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how updated everything was
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants were negatively impressed by the inability to have meaningful conversations with interviewers, encountering confusion and delays during the interview process, and experiencing instances of perceived unfairness or unprofessional behavior from interviewers. Suggestions include improving communication and clarity during interviews, ensuring all candidates are treated equally and respectfully, and providing a more welcoming and transparent environment for questions and responses.
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Nothing really - Kira was low stress compared to traditional virtual interviews.
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Not being able to have a conversation with an interviewer
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There were slightly too many people interviewing at one time so it got a bit confusing. I got left in one interview room for longer than 10 minutes because they thought they knocked on my door.
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During the last MMI station, the interviewer (faculty member) asked their question but before I was even allowed to give an answer they told me "Do not say ______ as your answer because I have already heard it so many times today." That did not sit well with me because: 1) I actually wanted to use that answer because it actually holds significance to me 2) it's highly unfair if others before me were able to use that answer, and I was singled out because I was the last station (and the interviewer was burnt out.) That obviously put me at a disadvantage because I had to think of an entirely different answer on the spot and I felt like I was not able to represent myself as strongly. With MMI, interviewers are supposed to stay neutral throughout the entire session. Also during Q&A with the dean, someone asked a question along the lines of "I heard from a current student that some can graduate completing a lot more restorations than their peers - does UNE make an effort to somehow make it uniform so students can have more or less the same clinical experience?" Based on body language/response, it seemed like the dean was a bit offended/bothered since he said something along the lines of "patients should not be seen as a number/checkbox - if a patient needs XYZ doesn't mean s/he will get reassigned to another D3/4 solely because they need the experience" I don't believe the candidate meant any harm in the question (who actually thinks of patients as 'numbers'?) - I thought it was a very valid question and I was curious about the answer, too. His response could have definitely been delivered without the judgment/attitude.
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the cost of living in portland
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known to physically write down ideas and brainstorm during preparation, incorporate the school's values and mission into responses, have more information available about the school, and receive details about the format of the MMI ahead of time to better prepare.
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Not to worry! The questions were tough but use your prep time to physically write down ideas and brain storm.
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More information on the school's values and mission to incorporate into responses.
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I wish the school had a better website and more information available.
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UNE was one of the few schools that emailed an itinerary outlining the day, which I appreciated. But I wish they emailed the format of the MMI beforehand (6 stations, 2 min to read prompt, ~6 min to respond to prompt. You will have an empty sheet of paper, pen, and clipboard to jot down notes).
What are your general comments?
Applicants commonly expressed challenges with showcasing personality and engaging in a conversation-like format during the pre-recorded Kira interviews, mentioning the limitations of the 90-second response time. Suggestions included researching the school's values and preparing for the MMI-style interview to ensure alignment with the institution's expectations.
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It was hard to just blankly answer questions and not gauge what the interviewer thinks or be able to elaborate on points they may want to learn more about. Plus it isn't easy to show your personality through KIRA as it would through a conversation with an interviewer.
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The interviews were done through Kira this year due to COVID, and it was really uncomfortable, as the questions were pre-recorded and you only have 90 seconds to record your response.
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It was my first interview and it immediately set the bar high for other schools. I left feeling very confident that all my questions were answered.
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You don't really get the chance to mingle with current students (the only chance is if your tour guide is a current student)
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The interview is MMI style, I tried to prepare for this interview but really nothing can prepare you for this style of interview. Look up the values of the school, and make sure you touch on them in you answers.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggest reintroducing interviews, providing more updates for waitlisted students, improving the website, ensuring neutrality in the interview process, offering detailed information on financial aid, and providing printouts of presented information during interviews.
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I think going back to having an interviewer would be helpful. Also maybe reaching out with more updates for waitlisted students.
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Better website
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Sari in Admission is the sweetest person and is very helpful/responsive to your inquiries. Regarding the actual interview process, I suggest reminding interviewers to stay neutral and not have previous interviewees affect the current interviewee.
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I would have really liked a more detailed overview of the Financial Aid section of the interview
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It would have been great to have a print out of the information that Dr. Ryder presented with all the statistics he showed about the school and program.
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