what do you say in interviews? (1 Viewer)

aussienerd

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according to this quote your not supposed to say you like helping people so what ARE you supposed to say?

quote=lifequest;4688814]We, as practicing dentist, also learn from cadavers. However, we do not dissect them as such due to limited specimens.

Re- Importance of the title Dr. Not that great. If you go into a health science course, it should not be for the respect or title. It should be for passion. Be careful with your answer of "I like helping people". It's generic. Unfortunately, interviewers, like most people are judgmental, they will not believe you for a second.

Surgeons, with respect to title, get somewhat of a downgrade from Dr to Mr or Ms. Weird but true! However, I've had two surgeon lecturers, while one used Ms. the other kept the title of Dr.

Re-"Dr." House. He's nothing more than a concoction of studios. Watch it for pleasure, refine your physiology and antomical nomenclature and attempt diagnosis (even though most are either down right obvious, or, absurd). You should never "strive" for his personality. It is rude, careless and ignorant. Everyone, especially those in the health science field should be friendly and warm. NB: being a surgeon doesn't change this. If Nobel awardees can be funny, then surgeons should be funnier![/quote]
 

getintomedicine

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Of course you can say you want to help people - that should absolutely be your motivation for wanting to study medicine. However, there are ways to say it that make you sound like you mean it, and ways that make you sound like you're full of it.
 

Dr_Fresh

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crying during the interview helps too. it works like a charm. it makes the interviewers feel guilty for causing you grief and they then feel obliged to let u in. of course you dont have to experience any actual grief to cry, it just makes the act more realistic and adds the WOW factor. :uhhuh:
 

Paradox1345

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crying during the interview helps too. it works like a charm. it makes the interviewers feel guilty for causing you grief and they then feel obliged to let u in. of course you dont have to experience any actual grief to cry, it just makes the act more realistic and adds the WOW factor. :uhhuh:
rofl lol? u srs?
 

aussienerd

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what exactly are you supposed to say?
 

Charity F

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first stop and think for a moment.

the phrase "i wanna help people", while being fundamentally legit, is pretty much the most over-used and cliched reason you could possibly give in regards to medicine, or any health science etc. it's a common human aspiration, and without elaboration, by itself is quite superficial. i'm sure most people at some point in their life would like "to help someone"

try and think about additional reasons about why you want to study medicine - remember, you're there to convince the interviewers that you're a better choice than the other 500+ (etc) applicants. so when it comes to that part of the interview, you should try and stand out. and there's no need to make up stuff and lie, because then you'll be cheating yourself too. a well thought out, perceptive and personal response is what you're aiming for
 
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lifequest

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Oh don't get me wrong people.
I mean to elaborate on my point, however, found that it was long winded and irrelevant to the other thread it was posted in.

I do stand firm on my cautionary warning to avoid using (esp. the exact wordings of) "I want to help people".
The interviewers will definitely almost follow up with "In what ways and/or how do you want to help people?"
After your answer to this they may ask: "Why not nursing?"
Be prepared!

You must answer in a way that shows you want to help people and the only way you can help is by becoming a Doctor.

For instance:
I want to help people AND be able to see the positive impact on the person for myself. For instance, to diagnose and cure someone from a cancer or even assist treating diabetes; the smile on their face would bring me genuine joy. I acknowledge that other professions "help people" in their own way, such as commerce graduates, they can help many people- a company in fact. However, I find that I will not feel as much satisfaction from commerce as I would do in Medicine. Satisfaction from an occupation- I find- is very important. It means that you enjoy your job- and it's a well known fact that people do their best if they honestly enjoy their job. I feel that Medicine is THE occupation for me and, in that respect, is THE profession that will allow me to help others.

Now make up your own answer. Good luck :)
 

yenleesun

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what should you say if they ask you why you want to be a dentist, besides i like teeth?
 

aussienerd

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what should you say if they ask you why you want to be a dentist, besides i like teeth?
thats a tricky one, perhaps you could say i like working on teeth and fixing them or im interested in knowing all about teeth... i dunno
 

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what should you say if they ask you why you want to be a dentist, besides i like teeth?
"i'm very precise, professional, patient, gentle, have very steady hands, work really well under pressure, and I am passionate about achieving the best results for the patient".
 

lifequest

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"i'm very precise, professional, patient, gentle, have very steady hands, work really well under pressure, and I am passionate about achieving the best results for the patient".
Yes good answer.

Add in other things as well - elaborate on your "steady hands" and passion.
"Dentistry is an amalgamation of science and art. I love to draw during my free time, often, i head out to the garden, snap a photo of an insect - ladybug for instance, pop the photo onto my laptop and sit there for hours drawing the insect pictured into my sketch book. I perform very well in sciences and biology - dentistry IS the PERFECT course for me. Oh- and the lifestyle is great- being my own boss- that really attracts me!"

1. Make sure you do have a sketch book - ALWAYS BE HONEST
2. Do NOT be afraid to make selfish comments in a joking-half-hearted manner such as the last sentence. NO ONE is perfect and NO ONE except Saints are truly 100% altruistic. Showing that you are able to be honest in an interview gives BIG brownie points; because the interviewers have probably just interviewed 10 passion-driven-people-loving-selfless-bores. Show them that you want something for yourself! In the end, you are trying to shape YOUR future.
3. While you can be honest, BIG NO-NOs (even jokingly), "I love the salary" or "Dentists are said to earn the most"- If this is true, you shouldn't even have applied for the course and sit in the interview; and we all know that you should be honest in the interview, as such, those words should never. ever. come out of your mouth.
 

LordPc

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[/quote]according to this quote your not supposed to say you like helping people so what ARE you supposed to say?[/quote]

i just had a little browse through the thread and ive got a question

why do you have to prepare for this? the interview isnt about getting all the questions right, its about the panel to see what kind of person you are and whether or not you are right for the particular course of study.

the answers should be natural and reflect your true attitude. if you are having to generate responses prior to the interview, you probably arent the right person.
 

lifequest

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according to this quote your not supposed to say you like helping people so what ARE you supposed to say?[/quote]

i just had a little browse through the thread and ive got a question

why do you have to prepare for this? the interview isnt about getting all the questions right, its about the panel to see what kind of person you are and whether or not you are right for the particular course of study.

the answers should be natural and reflect your true attitude. if you are having to generate responses prior to the interview, you probably arent the right person.[/quote]

Yes darl. In the perfect world. Everyone is honest. No one panics while being interviewed about their god-foresaken future.

Unfortunately, we don't live in the perfect world. Good luck getting into Med/Dent while you stutter your unprepared answers.

BE PREPARED. By no means lie. You must ALWAYS BE HONEST. But also be prepared.
 

lala2

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BE PREPARED. By no means lie. You must ALWAYS BE HONEST. But also be prepared.
+1. By being honest, we mean be honest as much as is possible without putting you in a bad light. So don't ever mention things like money. And be prepared. Oh, and be animated about it. I don't mean gesticulating to the point you look silly or your arms are flailing all over the place, but you gotta be in it--body language, that is. Don't sound monotonous and just spit out a list of reasons, like reading straight from a book or something.

Might not work well for everyone, but for my Manly interview they asked why hospital, and one of the reasons I gave was I wanted to counsel patients in more depth, gave my Lismore examples, and I actually said these words"I had a warm fuzzy feeling at the end" and put my hands over my heart. That I think was what distinguished me from the rest.
 
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LordPc

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No one panics while being interviewed about their god-foresaken future.
well if you panic in an interview, I dont think that bodes well for your future as a dentist, you know, since dentists stick metal in peoples mouths all day
 

aussienerd

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well if you panic in an interview, I dont think that bodes well for your future as a dentist, you know, since dentists stick metal in peoples mouths all day
although some of your earlier posts have been sensible and useful, this one shows a lack of empathy and an absence of awareness of people's individual responses to stressors. One person's panic station is another persons holiday destination. If you're lucky, life will teach you that...

It certainly wouldn't be unusual to be a highly skilled and competent dentist who gets nervous in interviews, presentations or even a dentist chair.
 

Dr_Fresh

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we are high school graduates. we arent expected to be able to handle high pressure situations. the medical/dental course teaches how to deal with these situations etc. we arent all born with the knowledge/skill to be a surgen/dentist. we learn all of that throughout the course.

and who wouldnt be nervous about something thats going to determine the next 30-40 years of their life? if you actually cared about getting in to med/dent, you would be nervous/anxious. if not, you probably dont want it that much and dont deserve a place. of course, the degree of anxiety/nerves vary from person to person.
 

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Oh, and don't sound desperate. They want someone who wants med, and knows they want med. So, sound like it. Even better, be it. Nervousness is a given, but there's acceptable and then there's unacceptable. Obviously being prepared will keep those nerves down, as well as show you're keen.
 

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