What qualities, above all others, should a dentist embody?
The interviewers want to see that you have some insight into a successful dentist's desired qualities and characteristics. Their website states, "For more than 40 years, CU Dental has been educating competent and compassionate dentists." You can see that competence and compassion are two qualities they readily embrace in this statement. Other key phrases they include are a "strong emphasis on clinical experience" and "values to practice dentistry as critical thinkers and lifelong learners, dedicated to fulfilling the public's trust."
Before any interview, spend ample time exploring the website and familiarizing yourself with the university's keywords, key phrases, and branding. Don't limit yourself to the Dental School either; explore all the pages of the Anschutz Medical Campus. Align your values with theirs to advertise you've put in the work and that your values are aligned.
"I believe that the most important quality for a dentist to possess is integrity. A dentist with integrity will always put their patients' needs before their financial interests. They will treat their support staff respectfully and dedicate themselves to improving their craft. Integrity is essential, so I am actively working on increasing my integrity level in various personal and professional situations. I show integrity by keeping my appointments and commitments and fulfilling my promises."
"I believe a dentist should possess empathy, above and beyond all other attributes, as this will carry any provider throughout their career with the right directives. Without understanding my patients' concerns and complaints, I would be doing them a significant disservice by simply providing 'textbook treatment.' I have already built my empathy skills by taking on volunteer experiences outside my comfort zone and carefully examining any unconscious bias I may possess."
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