Perspectives on virtual interviews for dental school admissions

Introduction

Admissions interviews are an integral part of the dental school application process. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews had to adapt and become a part of the virtual realm. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the perspectives of interviewees and interviewers in this process.

Methods

Admission data for all prospective students were compiled for the classes of 2016 through 2025 to compare in-person to virtual interview scores. Additionally, surveys were sent to members of the admissions committee as well as interviewees asking questions regarding the virtual interview experience. A Likert scale was used for the majority of questions and free responses were also an option.

Results

The comparison data showed that the virtual candidates may have had higher overall undergraduate and application scores, in addition to better interview scores compared to in-person candidates. Interviewees and interviewers both agreed in their top three rankings of what was enjoyable about the virtual interviews, specifically the lower cost for applicants, the convenience, and the safety during the pandemic. There was also agreement with their top three aspects that were least desirable in the interview process, specifically the absence of visual cues/lack of body language, lack of personal contact, and connectivity issues. Around 74% of committee members would recommend virtual interviews in the future whereas only 49% of interviewees would recommend virtual interviews in the future.

Conclusion

The pandemic brought about many changes, including the way admissions interviews were conducted. While this was a change made of necessity, it was valuable to explore the appropriateness of implementing virtual interviews in the future as a part of dental school admissions processes.