Talk about a time you were unable to meet a deadline. How did you react and what steps did you take to ensure this was communicated?

"During my Bachelor's program this last year, I overloaded myself with credits to finish a semester early and had been doing so for a year and a half. During my final semester, I realized that I wasn't going to be able to make a deadline for an important paper that was due. Because of my organizational skills and planning abilities, I was able to gauge my workload in the coming week and realized that I wouldn't be able to get this paper done by the deadline. I approached my professor right away and explained the situation. Because of my upfront approach and honesty, she gave me a weekend extension. From this situation, I learned that being organized helps greatly in working through deadlines. I also earned that having a difficult conversation as soon as possible can help prevent a possibly bad situation."

Perhaps you merely underestimated the depth of the project, or maybe you faced a distraction at work. Whatever the situation was, discuss the case, what you did, and the outcome. Show the interviewer that you do not have a defeatist mentality. Nobody is perfect! The interviewers know that deadlines may pass and projects may go sideways. This is especially true in your first venture into direct patient care as a dental student. They want to know how you react despite the initial failure.