You have eight minute to take the pieces of wire at the table and make a model of a dog.

There are many ways to test physical manual dexterity in this interview format. They can come in the form of puzzles or assembly of small items. It can help if you take an hour or two before your interview to practice your skills in this space.

While you won't be required to verbally answer any question at this MMI station, you might want to talk about the steps you are taking. This is similar to how you will explain simple procedures to your patients to put them at ease. Another great thing to chat about while making the model is how you have developed your manual dexterity skills over the years. This can include a variety of hobbies like painting or playing an instrument.

"As you enter the room, get right to work on laying out the pieces of wire that you will use.

'This is a fun exercise! I'm going to try to recreate the dog my family had growing up, Hank. He was a black lab. I'm not a great artist, but I am going to try my best here.'

Starting with the head and neck, build the dog as best as you can.

'I'm so glad I get to show you my hand skills at this station. Over the last six years, I've been a very avid knitter; I learned the skill from my grandmother. Having skilled hands is important as a dentist, and I've focused on these skills.'

Make sure that you are focusing on as many details as you can throughout the short time you have in building the dog made of wire. Make the tail stand out by bending the wire carefully. Try to carefully bend the feet, toes, nose, and ears of the dog to show your ability to work with your hands.

'Well, here's Hank! Overall, I'm very pleased with how the body laid out, but I would have loved more time to define his head shape and ears.'"