In the field of dentistry, you will have to develop great relationships with people from all walks of life. What are your strengths and areas for growth in this respect?

In posing a question like this, your interviewer at this MMI station will respect dental school candidates who are honest about the types of patients they are inexperienced with and where they may have the most troubles. Don't hesitate to be open about your growth opportunities as a dental student.

With a question that asks you to highlight a strength and a weakness like this one, start with a positive, then go into a negative and finish on a positive note. Discuss your strengths in dealing with patients from any background and give an example of a time you have done this. When you move on to your shortcoming, discuss your plan of action to overcome that weakness. In your closing statement, reiterate that your strengths will far outweigh any of your projected weaknesses.

"Being a kind, courteous, and respectful person, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to build trusting relationships with my patients. Growing up in a small town, values like hard work, keeping your word, and helping your neighbor were instilled in me as a young man, and I will bring those values to my career. If my experience lacks anywhere, it is working closely alongside people from different cultural backgrounds than me being from a small midwestern town where everyone looks the same. But I don't think this will be a barrier to my success in your program or wherever I land following my training. The last four years of my undergraduate program have exposed me to working alongside students from all over the globe, and I love learning from others. I will always work hard to learn the cultures and ways of life with my patients, especially their ways of handling the care of their teeth and mouths. As I mentioned, I chose dentistry because I want to improve the lives of those under my care."