UCLan (Graduate Dentistry) Dentistry Interview

Why dentistry, and why UCLan?

Reference the graduate-entry BDS, the mix of lectures and problem-based learning, the three years in community Dental Education Centres, and learning alongside dental therapy and dental technology students. Distinguish from medicine clearly.

This is an accelerated graduate-entry course. What will you bring to a cohort of graduates from different backgrounds?

Draw on your first degree and work experience — teamwork, independent study, working with diverse people. Show openness to learning from peers with different academic and professional backgrounds.

How would you communicate with a patient whose first language is not English?

Use plain language, visual aids, demonstrations. Offer interpreter services where appropriate. Don't rely on family members for clinical translation. Check understanding by asking the patient to repeat back.

(Possible station) A patient is upset that they have been waiting for 45 minutes for their appointment. Speak to them.

Acknowledge and apologise briefly. Listen to the specific concern. Offer a realistic timeframe. Don't blame colleagues or the system. Offer to reschedule if appropriate.

A patient with capacity refuses treatment that you believe is necessary. What do you do?

Autonomy is paramount once capacity is established. Provide clear information about risks of refusal. Document. Offer to revisit. Reference GDC Standards.

Should dental schools admit more international students given UK workforce shortages?

Balance workforce policy against international education benefits. Discuss visa rules, post-qualification GDC registration, the value of international perspectives, and the funding model. Take a reasoned position.

Describe a meaningful piece of dental work experience and what it taught you.

Depth over breadth. Pick one moment to go deep on. Reflect on what you learned about dental practice, not just what you observed.

UCLan uses problem-based learning extensively. Why does that appeal to you?

Reflect on how you learn best. PBL favours active learners, collaborators and self-directed thinkers. Give a concrete example of when you've thrived in a group problem-solving setting.

Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict in a team.

STAR framework. Focus on listening, finding common ground and constructive resolution. Reflect on what you learned about team dynamics.

What manual dexterity skills do you have, and how have you developed them?

Concrete examples — sewing, painting, model-making, musical instruments, surgery shadowing. Reflect on improvement through practice.

A colleague at your work-experience placement is consistently late. What do you do?

Address the impact, not the person. Speak to them privately first. Escalate to a supervisor if it continues or affects patient care. Don't gossip.

(Possible station) Here is a graph showing global oral-health inequalities. What does it show, and what are the implications?

Describe what you see. Discuss the role of dentists in advocacy, prevention and outreach. Show awareness of the communities in Lancashire and Cumbria that the Dental Education Centres serve.

What concerns you most about a career in dentistry?

Workforce crisis, physical demands, business pressures, emotional weight of anxious patients. Show informed self-awareness and coping strategies.

How would you explain to a parent why their child needs a filling?

Age-appropriate language with the child. Direct, evidence-based explanation with the parent. Discuss prevention going forward. Empathy with both child and parent.

Why prevention over treatment in modern dentistry?

Most dental disease is preventable. Cost-effectiveness, oral-cancer screening, the shift from drill-and-fill to risk-assessed care. UCLan emphasises prevention in its curriculum.