Montreal, QC
Dental Schools | Public Non-Profit
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⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
SDN Interview Experience Score
7.5
Good
Generally favorable experience overall, applicants reported positive interactions with some minor issues noted.
Based on 34 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional
8–8.9 Very Good
7–7.9 Good
6–6.9 Mixed
< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (75%)
Negatively (13%)
No change (13%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (33%)
Good (50%)
Average (17%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview process to be straightforward and relaxed, with a mix of professors and students conducting the interviews. Some expressed concerns about the facilities and program offered by the dental school, while others appreciated the personal attention and positive atmosphere. Overall, they emphasized the importance of being natural, asking questions, and not overstressing about the interview.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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.
💬 Interview Process ▼
Length, number, and type of interviews
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Length:
32 Minutes Average
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Number:
3.6 Interviews Average
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Interview Type (Interaction):
75% One-on-One
25% Group Interview
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File Type:
75% Open-File
25% Closed-File
McGill-COMP interviews are an average of 32 minutes, with an average of 3.6 interviews. 75% of interviews are one-on-one, and 25% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include "Tell me about yourself," questions about volunteer experience and stress management, as well as inquiries about motivation for pursuing dentistry and reasons for choosing specific schools. Some respondents mentioned questions about back-up plans if not accepted and preferred choices among programs applied to. It's worth noting that these responses did not indicate an MMI format or any nondisclosure agreements being in place.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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Tell me about yourself (the staple interview question).
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Tell me about yourself.
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Tell me about your volunteer experience? Tell me about a time when you were stressed out? How did you cope with your stress?
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Tell me about yourself Why dentistry? Why McGill? Where else have you applied? What's your top choice? Have you applied to medicine? What's your back up plans?
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What are you going to do if you aren't accepted this year?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting question asked at McGill University Faculty of Dentistry discussed a range of topics, including personal interests like favorite music, ethical scenarios like dealing with previous dentist errors, volunteering choices, and self-description opportunities. The interview format may have been an MMI with possible nondisclosure requirements, as indicated by the varied nature of the questions and potential sensitivity to sharing specific details.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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?
How did you prepare for the interview?
Many applicants prepared for the interview by practicing common questions, seeking advice from online forums, conducting mock interviews, and researching the program or company. Some also sought guidance from friends, professionals in the field, or current students. Engaging in interview workshops and physical activities to relax before the interview was also a common strategy.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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 was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at McGill University Faculty of Dentistry discussed were about applicants' motivations for choosing dentistry over medicine or research, personal reflections on their application choices, and unexpected questions about siblings and weaknesses. It appears that the interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) based on the variety of questions asked, though some respondents noted straightforward questions and potential challenges in handling unexpected comments on their responses.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the friendliness of interviewees and interviewers, the welcoming atmosphere, the facilities, and the relaxed nature of the interview process. Suggestions for improvement were not explicitly mentioned in the feedback provided.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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 about the weather in Toronto and Montreal, the small size of the school building, the lack of eye contact from interviewers, and the integration of medical school curriculum into dental programs. They also noted concerns about outdated facilities, the lack of an official tour, and delays in scheduling and communication. Suggestions included improving facilities, providing clearer communication, and offering more tailored curriculum options for dental students.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
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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 more about the interview format, the competitiveness of the program, and the weather conditions at the school location. Suggestions include being prepared for hypothetical questions, understanding the interview process, and being aware of the climate of the area.
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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.
🤝 Campus and Facilities ▼
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How would you rate the Location and Cultural Life?
0 = Low, 10 = High
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.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants generally had a positive experience with the admissions office and did not have specific suggestions for improvement.
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Great overall experience
📍 Travel and Logistics ▼
Airports Used
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Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
100% interviewees used Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport) .
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by train or subway to the interview.
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33% Airplane
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17% Automobile
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50% Train or Subway
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0% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn (average ranking 9/10), with some staying at University Bed & Breakfast Apartment Suites (average rating 8/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Hilton Garden Inn
9/10
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University Bed & Breakfast Apartment Suites
8/10
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Travelodge
5/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by Admissions staff personnel
Admissions staff (75%)
Student (25%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
Enthusiastic (50%)
Neutral (50%)
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