University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Interview Feedback

“Students seemed to love it there.”

“Seems like a really great program. Love the way the curriculum is set up, especially as someone who is interested in OMFS (lines up well with the CBSE). I probably got a couple bad egg interviewers but it does leave a sour taste in your mouth regardless. I just hope those faculty members don’t represent the majority of faculty at UCONN. I can’t imagine they’d be great student mentors….”

“Fantastic school that will provide you with any opportunity you want to pursue within dentistry. Whether that is general dentistry, specializing, or going into research/academia, UConn has the resources to help you be successful in any path.”

“The orientation is super long but the interview FLEW by!”

“Overall, this is an amazing school with extremely nice facilities and a high rate of acceptance into residency programs. The interview is very simple with typical questions and a conversational atmosphere”

“Very friendly. They really sold me on the curriculum!”

“Great school with great people. I liked the visit in general”

“I loved this school and kept comparing every other school I interviewed at to this one. I was accepted (!!!) and can’t wait to start in August! :D”

“Great School.”

“Really really nice school!! I was very impressed with the basic sciences curriculum and the facilities are new and beautiful.”

“Really liked the school.”

“Was my #1 choice going in to the application process. The orientation and tour with students confirmed it for me.
I’m going to stray from the cliche “relax and be yourself”… obviously be honest with your answers, and don’t change them to fit what you think *they* would like to hear. Prepare for it. Make sure you are comfortable answering questions in the field and responding to adverse or negative comments. The main purpose is to see if you can remain calm, coherent, and concise with your answers under pressure. You’re only one step away from getting in, good luck! :)”

“Great school, I would love to go there”

“Great experience and great school.”

“Talk to the other students in the room – if you’re friendly with them, it makes the whole day much easier and more bearable. Also wear comfortable shoes.
Make sure you know your application COLD – I made a fool of myself by referencing something that wasn’t on my transcript but was on my application, and they corrected me.”

“Great setting for those who like peace and quiet. Still, not far away from major cities. Top-notch, caring faculty. Happy students. There’s a reason why UCONN does so well on boards. Their curriculum is extremely demanding, but effective. I knew I made the right decision by applying here. I knew I would not regret spending the next 4 or more years at UCONN.”

“i came in expecting a more rural, pretty location, and the ugly building surrounded by parking lots threw me for a loop. everyone drives to school even though they live across the street. that being said, the education is pretty great and very affordable.”

“Good cop/bad cop interview.”

“If you want the challenge of an extra demanding curriculum, Love human physiology and want to on the edge of 21-century dentistry,That IS a TOP choice school!”

“i want to go here sooooo bad”

“This was my second interview after being waitlisted, where the admission committee gave CT residence a second opportunity for an interview. The first interview led to a mis-communication about my past activities in relation to dentistry; mainly because I didn’t know they knew so much about me. However, the second interview I prepared well in advance with mock interviews with my dentist (who I had been shadowing), and I was able to explain everything about my application well. Unlike my first interview, I was not at all nervous; mainly because I prepared well for the second time.”

“I think I summarized my interview previously. I had two people interviewing me, one was just sitting there while the other one asked me questions. It seemed that one of them was attempting to make me flip out by asking me two illegal questions. Right now I am trying to decide whether to go after this person for these questions. I feel as if I wasted one thousand dollars by going out there for the interview.
Im sure that UCONN staff reads these reviews. Learn to respect students, the money they spend to travel to your school, and the efforts they have made to attain high scores. Show them respect during your interview.
”

“I think it was alright. The interviewers were very stone-faced and won’t give you any inkling as to whether they like your answers or not. The only advice I can give is to go in confident and have explanations for any weaknesses on your application. Don’t second guess any of your answers. I have a feeling they were trying to get me to second guess myself at one point, but hold true. ”

“Dr. T was extremely thorough. It was by far the most informative interview I attended. I was very impressed with what I learned about the curriculem: integrative approach to classes, classes with med students, great board scores, high specialty match, very small classrooms, a 6 to 1 faculty-student ratio”

“Amazing!”

“It is a real nice school with a really strong track record. The curriculum is a bit more tough than other schools but it makes the boards seem like a joke. The interview was pretty relaxed. I had a sort of good cop/ bad cop pair of interviewers (I think everyone does). Just remain calm and be prepared to be able to backup everything you say. They know your file well so make sure you do too.”

“A very relaxing and informative experience. They acknowledge your hard work. ”

“Overall, it was a very positive experience. From what I had read here on SDN, I expected a very difficult and confrontational interview. Thankfully, my interviewers seemed pretty upbeat in their questioning. I can actually say that I enjoyed my UConn interview. ”

“I am from cali, so school totally lacked in cultural and social aspects. IF you are from cali, forget about finding diversity. However, that does not mean the school sucks. If you want to go into specialty, this school will get you there.”

“The two interviewers seemed kind of soft spoken… I felt like I was talking over them. They asked pretty specific questions from the application, but I felt like I was being very vague in return. But they were very nice, kind and respectful people. The students were also very nice, they seemed kind of inhibited at first. But at lunch they became more talkative. ”

“Well, was congratulated about how I managed to get an interview at UConn. They plan to interview at most 160-180 applicants for 45 seats and will send 90 offers of admission for the coming cycle. Dr. T told us that we were some of the top applicants the country has to offer and should have no problem getting into a school as it is a matter of WHERE we will attend and not IF we can get in anywhere. The interview at UConn acts to determine whether a candidate is a good fit for their program as if there were reasons to reject us, we would not be there interviewing. Oh yeah, extremely demanding curriculum and love of human biology is necessary for success at UConn. The interview itself was pretty laid back and we got over the issues with my app immediately. Although at times the interviewers bickered with each other following my responses. So no matter what, one of the interviewers would support my statements which I found reassuring. Was told I might’ve gotten into the medical program when my GPA was mentioned.”

“In the interview, it was as if they were trying very, very hard to make sure that they appeared the opposite of themselves. Although every one tries to put his best foot forward when making a first impression, this school’s shoe is dolled up. When trying to hard to appear great, you can generally tell that someone is trying to hide something.
At lunch, I over heard some dental students mention meeting at the nearby club (Scarlet’s). In the evening, I went there for a few drinks and spoke to a lot of students. They told me that if they knew what this school was like before they came here, they would have chosen a different school, no matter the cost. Several of them kept looking over their shoulders while telling me this–as if they were afraid they would get caught. I mentioned that to them and they said that they always had to be on the look out. I also met two dentists who were residents. Those guys had gone there for dentistry and now wer going for residency there. Even they were hesitant to speak out. They told me that it wasn’t just that they had to study till the wee hours. They mention how the professors treat students. They said that was worse than the studying.”

“Great experience”

“this is my first interview.”

“great place. don’t go here if you’re not willing to get your butt kicked for 2 years. it seems like you’ll bennefit grately from it if you can, however. my general impression is that the clinical years here are not as difficult as the academic, but i doubt they are defficient clinically. the actual walls are just old.”

“Very relaxed, pleasant. Basically just wanted to review what was on my application, measure my motivation to go into dentistry and suceed at UConn.”

“The interview itself was REALLY fun and relaxed, mostly because one of my interviewers was a cheerful, happy woman. (Usually UConn has neutral, stone-faced interviewers, but don’t let that intimidate you!). They surprisingly asked about specific activities I’d done, like my music, my comic, being an EMT, etc., and didn’t barrage me with academic or dentistry questions. So in that sense, it was more summarizing what I did. They asked me general questions about dentistry, but I didn’t feel interrogated or anything. The room was HOT though, and it’s different to have to talk to TWO people. But it’s pretty short and relatively painless. Don’t be afraid if they don’t accept an answer – sometimes they keep asking until they like what they hear!
About the school: it might be a little depressing-looking and feel like a hotel (it shared a building with a hospital), but they prepare GREAT dentists. It’s a stressful and rigorous ride, but the students seem to be some of the best-prepared in the nation. They have a good balance of clinical and academia. I just don’t know if I personally like the environment.”

“I really had a great time. It was my first interview, but I really enjoyed the facilities and the personal attention. It was obvious that the students worked very hard despite the fact that classes are P/F, and the technology, services, and attention were phenomenal. All students do well on their boards, lots of research is availabe for specialities, and I liked the PBL learning style.”

“Unlike previous comments, we were taken to the clinics in the morning and they were packed – no lack of patients at all. Also, Dr. T was very welcoming although clear about the type of student UCONN is looking for. The students there seemed happy, but all warned that first year is very difficult. But its P/F so it takes out a lot of competition. Once a week they have a 4 hour PBL (problem based learning) session, which works for some and not others. The interviewers were not the friendliest people in the world, but they were very nice. Overall I was impressed and it moved from low on my list to high.”

“It was a good experience overall. They will not sugar coat things at all, but you don’t really want to be tricked into going somewhere, I suppose. So you learn everything you need to know about the school. I like UConn. I think they are looking for a very specific kind of student, and those kinds of students really love it and thrive there. You just have to be what they’re looking for. You have to interview there to find out what I’m talking about. A lot of the rumors I had heard from crybabies on this website were put to rest when I went there. They were very well prepared, and had read through my application thoroughly, but they were not interrogatory or beligerant. They just want to make sure you are not a slacker and take it seriously. If you’re prepared it won’t be stressfull.”

“Friendly, conversational, and brief. ”

“Long story short: UConn is a great school, if you’re from connecticut or rhode island. Huge hospital in the middle of nowhere, absolutely nothing to do around there, dental school facilities are not much to look at, clinics were dead when I saw them. I met quite a few students, none of which really impressed me. In particular, I felt like there was this kind of “I’m from Connecticut” thing going on with the students & some of the interviewees, and I felt extremely excluded. Also, a lot of the male students seemed very unfriendly, and not the sort of people i’d want to hang-out with. They reminded me of high school students. Board scores might be good, but don’t think it translated into stellar overall class specialty match percentages. One thing that impressed me was the interview. It was very serious, and they were one of a handful of schools that actually asked me about my research. Also asked intelligent questions like “how come you didn’t ask for a letter of rec. from this prof. you worked for?” Impressed me a bit. I like the small class size, but overall UConn is a thumbsdown for me. It’s in the middle of nowhere, the hospital is very impersonal and the dental school isn’t well defined, students are unimpressive, and I never saw one person in their clinic. If I went there, i think i would probably kill myself. I would rather not be a dentist at all than go there. ”

“The day started out well with a 3 hour presentation by Dr. Thibodeau–who is extremely nice about the school, the financial aid, the usual. Lunch was 5 min in the extremely crowded cafeteria at its peak time, students are nice, but tired looking. Claimed that the Pass/Fail system was initially stressful, but they finally adapted so that they can sleep. Willing to answer direct questions. Interviewers were both awful, Dr.Russelmonde (guy) playing good cop & Dr. Hagj playing evil cop. Became evident that both had not gone over my application previously, because were asking stupid questions regarding the order I took my classes (I had taken some social science and A&P classes at a local community school after graduation), were extremely poor listeners (I had to repeat it 5-6 times that I was taking Orgo Lab, not the lecture after they looked extremely confused), and were arrogant. The only time I noticed that they were listening was when they asked what schools I had interviews to–& they were furiously scribbling this down. Was chewed out when I asked if there was an honor code & ethics enforcement in this school. I did not see it listed anywhere & I like to see it in all of the schools I apply to. They assumed that I had cheated my way through school & was intending to do that there. Wanted to know what motivated me to go into dentistry instead of other heath fields & would not accept any answer I gave them. Insisted I had no skills listed in my personal statement from my extensive work experience (GRRRR!!). Would not recommend this school unless you are an extreme masochist. I can’t believe that these interviewers are also your professors. They must have been such extremely poor dentists to seek employment elsewhere–no wonder, poor people skills. Good
Luck!”

“Great school! Will be a lot of work taking both the medical school classes and dental school classes. Small class size, inexpensive compared to other schools. ”

“uconn is one of the best dental schools in the country. if you want to go into general dentistry and open up your own private practice…go to BU…
the uconn students had a HUGE complex about being second fiddle to harvard and that negativity permeated everything all the students said.
to the person who posted right before me (dec. 9th), they wouldn’t accept an answer to “why not medicine” because if you had looked at the name of the school you’d realize that dental medicine is a branch of medicine. then, you would have been able to asnwer the question fairly easily…”

“It was very negative. The student who gave the tour was continually ripping on other schools. He was a bitter little guy.”

“They were friendly enough.”

“The morning discussion by Dr. Thibodeau (assistant dean of admissions)was incredibly informative, yet relaxing. During our curriculum discussion, we went into a mock PBL (problem based learning) approach, which really opened my eyes as to how UCONN teaches their dental students. Dr. Thibodeau underlined that the school you choose should be the right fit, whether that means UCONN or not. He even offered to give help and advice to anyone having questions about the right program (again, whether UCONN or elsewhere). The student led tour was good, as the students were willing to answer all questions, and even share their experiences with us (positive and negative). It would have been nice to have been able to have eaten over a longer time period, but they are trying to pack a great deal into one day. In general, I was impressed by UCONN. I truly didn’t think I would be, as I had heard that their students were not as clinically prepared as others. But they go through all possible elective rotations, must challenge for competency for each procedure, and average 3rd on the National Boards part 2 (as well as part 1, if you’re wondering). Being a Connecticut resident, I know the area, and therefore was used to the fact that it is in a suburban location, and that a car is almost necessary (public transportation is not frequent). Up until the interview, I was quite excited about the possibility of coming to the school. However, after such an interview where I felt they were more concerned with my father (the dentist) rather than myself, I have begun to reconsider whether I would attend this school. Perhaps that is rash, as I had a good experience up until that point. Dr. Thibodeau was also nice enough to extend his services if anything went awry in the interview. After emailing him I may change my mind. I apologize as the rest of this will seem like a mild Dennis Miller rant.”

“Overall it was nice…Uconn is now one of my top choices. The small class size and “extremely demanding” curriculum will definately ensure a good dental education to anyone who is willing to go through it. The interview itself is not exactly stressful, but not a blow-off either. THe ask ALOT of questions…trust me, you’ll be talking the WHOLE time, so be prepared for anything. ”

“Be ready for an exceedingly long lecture on the “extremely demanding curriculum” at UConn. Also be prepared to hear all about the performance of their students on the national boards. These are Uconn’s two top selling points, which they will make sure you know by the time you leave. However, the overall interview experience was enjoyable. The students were generally friendly (albeit a bit competitive), and the dean, Dr. Thibodeau, gave a thorough explanation of the program.”

“Great school if you want a solid medical background or if you want to specialize. Small class is a bonus, but they are definitely more focussed on accademics than clinical training. ”

“The faculty and students I met were very nice. However, I thought the day was run very poorly in terms of the timing of everything. Also, the students who led the tour only showed us an empty clinic… perhaps b/c they don’t get enough patients? (I don’t know if this is true or not but I’m not sure why they only showed us an empty clinic!)”

“Dr. Thibadaeu’s overview of the curriculum/school was very thorough and informative. He was a good educator, too. He wanted us to make an informed decision, and he was willing to help us in choosing the right program for us, even when we decide not to go to U Conn.
He stressed that the program is “EXTREMELY DEMANDING.” Interview was not stressful. As Dr. Thibadeau says, they try to find reasons to accept us, not to reject us. Interviewers were EXTREMELY NICE. They asked a lot of questions, but not too hard ones.”

“Morning was all tour and talk. Lunch, then interview.”

“My interview experience was pretty good. My interviewers were very nice and made me feel relaxed. Some questions were a little difficult but nothing i couldnt handle”

“Interview was the most intense out of all other interviews I’ve had. they did ask what other schools I applied to, which I did not really see the why they needed that info. ”

“Overall, I was glad I made the trip. The interview made me go there more than before. Even though some said that they had horrible time there, it wasn’t bad at all for me. Well, they let you make talk a lot and ask many questions.”

“My UConn visit was very positive, UConn impressed me a lot. Factoring out the location, their board scores, reputation, and success in sending students off to specialize is very impressive. The faculty is also VERY nice, and they tell you straight up that the interview is supposed to be a way for them to represent you, not to judge you. Basically, they’re looking for reasons to confirm that you should be accepted, not reasons why they’re too good for you or reasons why they shouldn’t accept you. ”

“Overall the faculty and students were nice. They do take a different approach with basic sciences combined with Med on a Pass/Fail basis. I got the feeling that the students were overworked and tired. That probably during there 1st 2 years they were miserable and know in the later they are happy for experience they have learned. Community is in beautiful quiet suburbia. Students made reference to not too much excitement in the area.”

“Look if you took the top 40 students at any dental school their board scores would be just as good or better than UConns. By having a small class size you’re just eliminating the poor students that pull most dental school scores down. They have very poor clinical requirements that many dental schools are noticing. You must pass off a single procedure in each case. I would have never interviewed at this school had I known what it was like. I’ve talked with other schools since UConn’s interview and they have been dissatisfied with how clinnically capable UConns students are. I will not attend this crappy school! I would rather apply next year! ”

“Good school and most importantly great faculty. ”

“I really didnt like the program at Uconn too much. It seemed just a little more competative then i rerally wanted.”

“i thought that although the school has a great reputation and being #2 in the country, it focuses a little bit excessively on its board scores, and nothing else. the reuirements are very individual based, which some may like, and others may hate. i only had one interviewer, but that was only by accident since one of them had to step out, and most of the time the interviewer tried to get me to say that i would rather go to stony brook university, and prodded me to defend my interest in the school as specifically compared to stony brook, which i think is unfair. i have applied to other schools because i am interested in them, and the interviewers at conn can’t expect students to have only one school on their mind. ”

“The day was by far the most informative day of any other interviews i went on to. I have found the information very useful, not necessarily in regards to UConn itself. Dr. Thibodeau was very sincere and understanding, motivating. Students were nice, and i did not find the rumor of UConn bragging about their board results – rather I saw it in other schools too, and to me it was just a fact that was not stressed as others have felt. Overall, I left satisfied with everything i learned.”

“I liked the school and felt that their program really prepares you to be a great dentist since they focus on the “whole patient.” I was happy to visit the school, and felt that my experience was worth the trip. ”

“This was definitely the most intense interview I have had. I felt that the interviewers didn’t really get to know me because they seemed to be purposely trying to make me uncomfortable. The unfriendly attitude towards me made me not as friendly back, which I don’t think is a way to interview someone. They also asked a lot of questions about the other schools I was applying to, which I didn’t appreciate. They should just interview me for UConn and not make any judgement based on the other schools I’m applying to. ”

“UConn is awesome. Beautiful location, everyone is really positive, strong academic program evidenced by the test scores. Dr. Thibodeau makes you feel really good about getting to that point in the admissions process and backs it up with the numbers.”

“All in all, I do recognize that U Conn has a reputation for great boards scores but I’ve now realized that this is basically all they have going for them. The people are snooty because of this reputation and I didn’t leave the entire process with a feeling that I would enjoy voluntarily spending 4 years of my life here.”

“it was a very different experience. the interview was a little hard and they jsut asked question after question. i think that the orientation given by the assistant dean was the most valuble.”