Master 30 Oral Surgery Residency interview questions covering clinical skills, research experience, and program fit.
Question 21 of 30
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Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
One skill that is vital to the success of any oral surgeon that is very hard for your interviewers to measure during the interview process is manual dexterity. Surgery in a patient's mouth involves precise movements and coordination in a small workspace. Since your interviewers can't assess this during the interview process, they may ask a question like this to hear you talk about your dexterity skills and that you understand they are necessary for a future oral surgeon.

Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
During your Dental Admission Test, your manual dexterity was likely tested. Your interviewers want to hear how you have fine-tuned your motor skills during your dental school training in preparation for residency. You can talk about drawing, painting, carving, knitting, or learning a musical instrument that requires hand-eye coordination. The list of things you can talk about is endless, so talk about the importance of keeping these skills throughout your career as an oral surgeon as your answer.

Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
"I feel blessed to have been born with great manual dexterity skills. The faculty of my dental school will attest to my excellent skills with patients. Over the last four years, I've emphasized honing my skills in this area by taking up sketching and knitting. Knowing that oral surgery was my passion and future, I knew that developing and keeping these skills sharp would be very important to my success."
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Written by Ryan Brunner
30 Questions & Answers • Oral Surgery Residency

By Ryan

By Ryan