Answers to Some Questions
Hey everyone! I know that it has been a long time since I have posted anything new….I guess dental school really does consume everything.
I have been receiving lots of comments lately asking the same questions so I am going to take some time to answer them for everyone.
1.) What is the interview process like? What are the interviewers looking for?
— The interview process is very fun and relaxed. There are not any trick questions or assignments that need to be done. The interviewers are two great guys that want to get to know who you really are. They do not want superficial answers, they want to see the real you. Make jokes, have fun, and enjoy your time. The two interviewers are very funny guys and they will most certainly be having fun.
2.) What is the typical schedule like at MWU?
— I have completed one quarter and two weeks in dental school so this is coming from the little experience that I have. I am also going to give a simple overview of the schedule and not go into specific details.
Monday: This is a lab day. We start with lectures and then we head to the sim clinic where we do our dental projects.
Tuesday – Thursday: Tuesday mornings we have our basic science tests at 7 a.m. Following the tests we have lots of Basic Science lectures. We cover a lot of material extremely fast due to the fact that we take Board Part 1 after the first year. Thursday mornings we have our dental exams covering the material from the precious Monday’s lectures.
Thursday: We have Dental Prevention and Dental Ethics intertwined with basic sciences.
Friday: We either have lab rotations, sim clinic practicals, or basic science group presentations (we present a case about a specific pathology to an instructor). Every once in a while we will have a free Friday….and those are awesome.
Courses: Our basic science classes are systems based. This means that instead of having separate classes on biochemistry, histology, etc, everything is taught based on body systems. For example, we are covering the skeletal system right now and we have lectures on the biochemistry, histology, embryology, pathology, etc of the skeletal system. Our test on Tuesday covers all of the material given during lectures the previous week.
Finals: This is one of the reasons why I was sold on MWU. We do not have a ton of finals at the end of a quarter. This last quarter I believe we have four finals total. We have one basic science test that is just covering the material given the week before. We have a test covering dental prevention, dental ethics, and the dental courses of the quarter (last quarter was dental anatomy and this quarter is dental histology). That is it, those are all the finals that we have….not so bad eh?
3.) How is the patient pool at MWU?
I have had some questions and concerns about the patient pool here. If you have doubts about the patient pool, you are obviously not from Arizona. This is a haven for retirees and people trying to get away from the snow. 15 minutes from the school in any direction are innumerable retirement communities and mobile home resorts. The stream of elderly people that need dental care (usually a LOT of dental care) at a good price is endless. These elderly folks not only provide an unending patient pool, they also provide very complex cases that are not seen in other areas of the country. There are also a lot of immigrants in Arizona that need dental care and they cannot afford it anywhere else. This supplements the already large patient pool.
There is never a need to find your own patients (although you can if you have a specific operation you want to do). There is not a need to worry about a patient pool.
Well, that is it for now. I have some waxing and studying to do. If any of you have more questions, feel free to ask. I hope this has helped.
The Life of a Dental Student at Midwestern University-Glendale 
Again, Thanks for all of the helpful hints! Question: Do you know if MWU-AZ generally accept students who have applied to the school more than once? This is my first time applying out of state, and I am currently on MWU-AZ alternate list. I’ve read your blog of being persistence.. Really helped me out a lot of steps I need to take during the application cycle.
How do those in the school feel about being required to assist each other in the clinic? I could see how it would be of benefit if you’re paired with someone that is helpful, but at each school I visit they all think of it as an awful idea because you get less exposure…..your thoughts?
Thanks for your comment. Everyone that I have spoken to about this really like the system. The students actually get more exposure to patients and this is why. First, with an “assistant” the work moves along twice as fast. The “dentist” has everything ready to go when the patient arrives and they don’t have to worry about finding anything during the procedure, suction, or anything like that. With four hands instead of two, everything is done much faster and more efficiently. The students swich between doctor and assistant and they love it because they really do see more patients. Second, there are so many people to treat and no residents to steal the specialty cases so you can basically see as many patients as you can possibly get to in a day. I have not experienced it yet but that system is somwthing that really interested me about this school. I believe that learning to work well with someone else during procedures is also going to make the transition from school to practice much easier.