When faced with days, weeks, or even months with a large workload in dental school, how will you stay motivated to learn and succeed?
Upon making the jump from your undergraduate program to dental school, you will quickly discover that your classwork will be an all-day affair on most days, and this transition can be difficult for a lot of students. Your interviewers want to hear that you have the tools and motivation to succeed in an environment where you will need to be focused on your studies for most of your waking hours.
Talk about the time management skills that you have developed throughout your educational journey to prove to your interviewers that you will be able to handle the large academic workload in dental school with ease. Highlight points in your undergraduate program when you were juggling multiple projects and assignments, and explain how you used specific time management techniques to ensure your overall success. Then ensure your interviewers know that you will remain positive and motivated no matter how heavy your workload will get during your years in dental school.
"Having talked with several newer dentists who have successfully navigated the rigors of a busy dental school program, I am confident in my abilities to manage everything that will be thrown my way over the next four years. During my undergrad program, I developed some great time management strategies that will be beneficial to my success here. Effective studying begins in class with great note-taking. I've also learned to employ some great time-saving strategies in my personal life that allow time for studying. Some examples of this include weekly meal prepping and ordering online versus shopping. In the end, you'd be getting a smart and highly motivated dental student if I were to be accepted into your program."
