Situational Dental School Mock Interview
Master 30 situational dental school interview questions covering clinical scenarios, ethical dilemmas, and patient care.
Question 22 of 30
How would you handle someone asking you for dental care advice or diagnosis validation outside the workplace?
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Dianne Barnard is a Registered Nurse and former nursing instructor. She is also board certified in Psychiatric Nursing and Holistic Nursing Critical Care.
This can be a difficult challenge for a dental student who will gain a lot of knowledge throughout dental school and will begin applying that knowledge for the first time. While it's easy and ego-boosting to become the 'expert' with family and friends, it can backfire. Ideally, your interviewers will want to hear that you would always recommend your friends or acquaintances to see their dentist for any urgent matters and a thorough examination and testing.
Dianne Barnard is a Registered Nurse and former nursing instructor. She is also board certified in Psychiatric Nursing and Holistic Nursing Critical Care.
"First and foremost, I would do my best to gauge if it was a serious condition, and if it was, I would recommend they be seen at urgent care or the ER as soon as possible. If the question was not serious, I might give them a quick opinion and recommend that they see their PCP for further diagnosis."
Ryan Brunner has over ten years of experience recruiting, interviewing, and hiring candidates in the healthcare, public service, and private manufacturing/distribution industries.
Let your interviewers know that, while you may give a quick opinion on oral care and hygiene to a family member or friend, you would always recommend them to see their dentist for any matters that may be serious. Reiterate that you know that we live in a very litigious society and that you aren't willing to jeopardize your license (or reputation) by giving quick dental advice for something that could be serious.
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