Have you ever had to communicate difficult or bad news to someone? How did you handle this situation?

Talk about a time you had to deliver difficult or bad news to someone, and be sure to focus on your ability to stay level-headed and respectful in that communication. As you answer, talk about the importance of tone, body language, and the words that you used in this situation to deliver the communication effectively. No matter how you answer, ensure that your interviewers walk away from your time together knowing that you are a great verbal communicator that they'd be bringing aboard their dental school program.

"In the job I had during my undergraduate years, I was promoted to shift manager and held that title for a year and a half. This manager experience helped me develop my communication skills, and I had to have difficult conversations a few times. I always think back to the time I had to put a team member on a performance improvement plan. What made this a difficult conversation was that the person was my friend. The first important thing I did was not put off or avoid the conversation and scheduled it right away. I came into our meeting prepared with data about why performance needed to be improved, laid out the plan of action, and then reinforced that I was confident in their ability to pick things up on the job. Looking back, I think that preparation was key to having this conversation."