As a dental student in our program, how would you explain a complex task to someone using verbal instructions?
Your team of interviewers wants to find future students for their program who can be world-class educators. You will be responsible for teaching patients and junior dental students. A question like this allows your interviewers to see how you handle educating someone in a complex task or procedure using only verbal instruction.
"I read once that most newspapers are written at a 5th-grade level so that most people can understand the message. I think that we are inundated with verbal and written messages, and what we choose to say should be prime real estate. Because of that, I choose not to use filler or fluff words and to instead speak in a way that the patient can understand. I fully understand that, as a dental student in your program, I will be relied upon to educate patients and fellow students down the road, and I'm very excited to do this. If I had to explain something complicated, I would take a simplistic and step-by-step approach with the person. I would stop along the way to ensure they can repeat what I'm teaching them and use language and terms that best suit their educational level."
The field of dentistry is becoming increasingly complex, so it makes sense that the instructions can be as well. This question provides a chance to showcase your ability to take a complicated idea and explain it without losing integrity, so be sure to walk your interviewers through your step-by-step approach to ensure that the complicated subject is understood by your audience.
