October 15th I arrived at the University of Minnesota dental school for my first interview. Generally, you only have a couple of weeks to a month notice before an interview to find the time and transportation to get there. I hadn't told my employers I was applying to dental school before receiving the invitation. My reasoning was there was no point getting anyone distressed if I never got an interview and it would be less embarassing than saying I hadn't heard anything yet. Since I've told them, both doctors have been very supportive and have started mentoring me. I've been more involved with diagnosis, surgeries and restorative information since then.
I drove up Saturday in order to be fresh and awake for Monday as well as to take the opportunity to see my some of my friends. I stayed with our good friends the Smiths and visited people from church, and the dental school Saturday and Sunday. My interview began at 8:30, so I arrived 15 minutes before hand. I chatted with the other candidates in the room until my interviewer arrived. I had half an hour to answer the questions that the faculty member had for me. The school compiles a list of questions each interviewee is asked to allow for comparison in responses. I had originally thought I would be able to ask questions during this time, but it was strictly time to allow them to pick my brain.
Many of the questions I was asked dealt with access to care issues as well as ethics. Clearly, two critical concerns to the field. I was asked what my solution to access to care was and whether it was the profession's or government's responsibility to address. (I said it was definitely the profession and the government shouldn't have to be involved.) I also remember three ethical scenarios I was given and then asked to respond to. These included: 1)what to do when students are badmouthing a patient with other patients in the elevator 2) how to respond to a classmate who is cheating and 3) what do you do if a close friend of yours is stealing hand pieces during your last year of school. The interviewer also asked me how I balance my life responsibilities, how I study and how I think I would do with a course load above and beyond any students have been exposed to before.
Following the interview I once again chatted with the other 8:30 interviewees until the 9 o'clocks were done. Considering we were all on our best behavior most of the interviewees were really nice except for a couple of overpowering girls. Imagine 12 guys and 5 girls in suits and you have our group. We then observed in clinic for an hour followed by a tour of the school. I had seen most of what was on the tour while I worked there - but they have the ferrari of simulation pre-clinical labs now. It hadn't even been opened to the students yet. We are talking monitors at each station which have dummies with cheeks and computer sensitive teeth which give objective feedback on the dental work prepared by each students. It was really quite impressive. Following our tour we all had lunch together which covered financing your dental education seminar as well as a question and answer with two current students and a faculty member. (I promptly lost my appetite after viewing the cost of tuition for one year.)
I enjoyed myself for the most part. My interviewer said I did well and I feel like I presented myself as a strong applicant. There isn't anything I did that day I would change, now all I have to do is wait for the next step. If I get accepted as an out of state resident (there are less of these spots) I would know at the earliest by December. I'm happy to have gotten this far in the application process and think I will be satisfied with myself regardless of whether or not I get in. So one interview down, one more to go so far as I know.
In case you are wondering how Biochemistry is going - it stinks. Independent learning is a great option but it's not my style. I do best in a learning environment where I can work with other students, and directly contact instructors with questions as they come up. Having other students to compete against for a grade also doesn't hurt, it tends to be a great motivator for me. I know - I just have to compete against myself now. Biochemistry is an immersion science though, it's nearly impossible to do well without involving it in conversation with classmates as well as personal study.
In other news, Jason and I were able to attend a performance this week. The general dentist I work with is friends with a local storyteller and comedian named John McGivern. We were invited as his special guests brought backstage and all. He presented a show called The Wonder Bread Years - a nostalgic and humorous reflection on growing up in the sixties. While some of the content went over our young heads much of it had us laughing and enjoying ourselves. We even got twinkies to bring us back to our youth at the end. I wonder when the last time you ate one of those was.
