Dental Interview Reflection

Interview Report and Self-Assessment Up to the point that the interview actually started, I was very nervous. Not only was I going to have to make a good impression of myself to a professional in the dental field, but I was also going to learn some harsh truths about the challenges and struggles in the field itself. However, once the interview began, I felt very comfortable and the process felt natural. After it ended almost 2 hours later, I was very upset because it was an enjoyable and insightful experience. So as for my strengths as an interviewer, I felt that I was did an excellent job of transitioning between topics and keeping the interview flowing. At one point I had to change the nature of the conversation from talking about cleaning peoples teeth to me entering into the real world. I ended up saying

Right now I have just taken a big step from high school to what some call the real world. What advice do you have for me in order to increase my chances of getting into dental school?” I think I did a good job at not making the interview seem forced and made it feel like an actual conversation. Another strength was that I made the interviewee feel comfortable and made the interview room feel like a safe space. I was constantly nodding and saying things like “wow that must’ve been tough” and “that’s awesome.” Now my biggest weakness was my introduction. I walked into the room very awkwardly and introduced myself in a way that I think made the interviewee uncomfortable. He smiled through my entire introduction even though I know that he was uncomfortable on the inside. But once we started the first question, I saw that his body language felt more welcoming and he relaxed a bit, as did I. Overall, I think the beginning of the interview was weak, but it was smooth sailing from then on. So as for what I learned, I learned a whole lot. I learned about the upsides of being a dentist, along with the scary downsides. He told me