DCG Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

The Dental College of Georgia’s interview process involves one-on-one, closed-file interviews about 30 minutes in length blackstonetutors.com. The format is conversational and reportedly low-stress studentdoctor.net, which gives applicants an opportunity to showcase their motivation and fit in a relaxed setting. DCG’s mission emphasizes leadership and excellence in oral health education, research, clinical care, and service web2.augusta.edu, and the school’s core values (collegiality, compassion, excellence, inclusivity, integrity, leadership, and service) shape its culture web1.augusta.edu. As Georgia’s only dental school, DCG offers unique training opportunities and plays a critical role in serving the state’s oral health needs studentdoctor.net.

Admissions decisions at DCG consider much more than academics – the committee looks at extensive non-academic criteria such as leadership, community service, communication skills, and related experiences augusta.edu. Not surprisingly, interview questions often explore these areas: common themes include personal motivations for dentistry (e.g. why the applicant wants to be a dentist), examples of resilience or challenges overcome, ethical decision-making scenarios, and how the candidate’s values align with the school studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. Candidates are also expected to be aware of broader dental issues: for instance, Georgia faces dentist shortages in underserved areas helpachildsmile.us, and DCG’s focus on community service means interviewers might discuss an applicant’s commitment to helping others. The 2025–2026 application cycle follows a clear timeline – applications open in early summer 2025 and close by September 30 augusta.edu, interviews take place in the fall augusta.edu, and initial acceptance offers are released around mid-December augusta.edu.

DCG conducts traditional interviews rather than MMIs. Typically, each invited applicant has two individual interviews that are one-on-one with interviewers (often faculty or staff members), and in recent years these have been held virtually blackstonetutors.com. The interviews are closed-file, meaning the interviewers have not seen the applicant’s grades or DAT scores, focusing instead on getting to know the person behind the application blackstonetutors.com studentdoctor.net. Each interview lasts approximately 30 minutes and tends to be friendly and conversational – past students consistently describe the experience as low-pressure and welcoming studentdoctor.net.

Interviews at DCG are scheduled from mid-August through early December each cycle augusta.edu. The Admissions Committee considers the interview a crucial component of the selection process, as it provides insight into personal qualities beyond what’s on paper augusta.edu. With an incoming class of around 96 students augusta.edu, a significant proportion of interviewed candidates will ultimately be accepted, so performance in the interview is important. In fact, initial admission offers are extended soon after interviews conclude (the first offers go out in mid-December following the interview season) augusta.edu.

The Dental College of Georgia’s mission is to provide leadership and excellence in oral health education, research, clinical care, and service web2.augusta.edu. Its vision is to become a globally recognized leader in preventing oral disease and promoting both oral and systemic health web2.augusta.edu. DCG embraces Augusta University’s core values of collegiality, compassion, excellence, inclusivity, integrity, and leadership, and adds a strong emphasis on service and loyalty web1.augusta.edu web1.augusta.edu. These mission and values drive the school’s programs and community outreach, and they often set the tone for interviews – applicants who understand and resonate with DCG’s values (for example, by highlighting compassionate care or leadership in their past experiences) demonstrate a good fit with the school’s culture.

The Dental College of Georgia, established in 1969, is the state’s sole dental college and enrolls roughly 96 DMD students per class (over 300 dental students across all four years) studentdoctor.net augusta.edu. The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and prepares students for a broad range of practice settings – from private practice to public health and academia – with comprehensive clinical training supported by research and service learning opportunities studentdoctor.net. In addition to the four-year Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree, DCG offers a Master of Science in Oral Biology for those interested in research and an accelerated B.S./D.M.D. dual-degree pathway for qualified undergraduates studentdoctor.net. These program features reflect DCG’s commitment to producing well-rounded oral health professionals and can serve as great talking points during interviews.

Some potential questions an interviewee might ask to learn more about DCG’s program include:

• What opportunities are there for student involvement in research or dual-degree programs (such as the M.S. in Oral Biology) at DCG? studentdoctor.net
• How does being the only dental school in Georgia influence the clinical experiences or outreach opportunities available to students? studentdoctor.net helpachildsmile.us
• In what ways do students participate in community service or rotations in underserved areas during the program? web1.augusta.edu

As a public dental school dedicated to Georgia’s oral health, DCG is closely tied to state-level policy issues and needs. One major topic is the shortage of dentists in Georgia’s rural and underserved communities – the state has one of the lowest dentist-to-population ratios in the country (about 4.4 dentists per 10,000 people, ranking 49th nationally) helpachildsmile.us. With only one dental college in the state, there is significant focus on training practitioners who will serve these high-need areas. Georgia has even introduced initiatives like a dental loan repayment program to incentivize new dentists to practice in underserved regions healthcareworkforce.georgia.gov. Interviewers may probe an applicant’s awareness of or commitment to improving access to care, given DCG’s mission to address the needs of health professional shortage areas augusta.edu.

Nationally, broader dental policy issues are also relevant and could be part of the conversation. Access to dental care is a concern across the U.S. – nearly 70 million Americans live in “dental deserts” without enough dental providers helpachildsmile.us. Many states are expanding adult Medicaid dental benefits, but a limited number of dentists accept Medicaid due to low reimbursement rates and other hurdles apnews.com helpachildsmile.us. There are ongoing discussions about integrating dental care into overall health policy (for example, proposals to add dental coverage under Medicare) and about expanding the dental workforce through mid-level providers in some regions. Public health measures like community water fluoridation and oral health education also remain hot topics, aligning with DCG’s preventive vision for oral health web2.augusta.edu. Demonstrating familiarity with these issues can show interviewers that the candidate is engaged with the challenges and changes in dentistry beyond the classroom.

DCG uses a holistic admissions approach, so beyond grades and test scores the committee strongly weighs personal and extracurricular factors. The interview is a key opportunity for the school to evaluate these aspects. In fact, the admissions committee explicitly looks for evidence of certain non-academic qualities and experiences in each candidate augusta.edu, many of which are likely to come up in interview discussions.

• Proficiency in English and strong communication skills augusta.edu
• Clear motivation for pursuing dentistry as a career augusta.edu
• Demonstrated leadership in activities or organizations augusta.edu
• Involvement in community service and extracurricular activities augusta.edu
• Volunteer work and a commitment to serving others augusta.edu
• Research experience or scholarly activities augusta.edu
• Experience in oral health care settings (e.g. shadowing dentists, with successful applicants averaging ~300 hours of exposure) augusta.edu augusta.edu
• Significant life or work experiences (including any unusual background or challenges overcome) augusta.edu
• Honors and awards that recognize achievements augusta.edu
• Residence in or ties to an underserved area (health professional shortage area) augusta.edu

The DCG curriculum is designed to ensure graduates meet all the competencies required of a new general dentist. These competencies, which align with national dental education standards, encompass not only clinical skills but also critical thinking, professionalism, and other key areas of practice. Understanding the program’s competency framework can help applicants appreciate what qualities and skills the school emphasizes. For example, DCG expects its graduates to be competent in the following domains:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving in the comprehensive care of patients augusta.edu
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills with a diverse patient population augusta.edu
• Ethical and legal responsibilities in dental practice, aligning with professional standards and state laws augusta.edu
• Practice management and teamwork skills, including the ability to lead the oral health care team and manage a practice augusta.edu
• Evidence-based practice – the ability to evaluate and apply scientific research to clinical decision-making augusta.edu
• Comprehensive patient care across all stages of life, including diagnosing conditions, formulating treatment plans, and knowing when to refer to a specialist augusta.edu

Reports from past DCG interviews suggest that the questions tend to focus on personal attributes, experiences, and ethical reasoning rather than technical dental knowledge. A common theme is personal motivation – nearly every interviewee is asked some form of 'Tell me about yourself' or 'Why do you want to be a dentist?' studentdoctor.net. Interviewers also frequently ask behavioral questions, such as describing a challenge or failure you have faced, or discussing a leadership or teamwork experience from your résumé studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. These allow applicants to demonstrate resilience, communication skills, and leadership, which tie back to the qualities DCG values.

Ethical scenarios and hypothetical questions are another feature of DCG interviews. Candidates might be presented with a moral dilemma (for example, what they would do if they observed a classmate cheating) to gauge their integrity and judgment studentdoctor.net. Interviewers have also been known to pose unexpected prompts – such as asking the applicant to explain a complex concept in simple terms or to describe a cultural shock they’ve experienced – as a way to assess creativity and the ability to think on one’s feet studentdoctor.net. Additionally, many interviews include questions about how others view you or what you would contribute to the incoming class (e.g. 'What would your friends say you are like?' or 'What should I tell the admissions committee about you?'), inviting the applicant to highlight their personal strengths and fit for the program studentdoctor.net.

Staying on top of the application timeline is essential for success. The following are key dates and stages for the Dental College of Georgia’s 2025–2026 admissions cycle:

1. Late May 2025 – ADEA AADSAS opens for the 2025–2026 application cycle (applicants can begin submitting their primary applications) augusta.edu.
2. September 30, 2025 – Deadline for submitting the AADSAS application to DCG (this is the last day to apply for the 2025–2026 cycle) augusta.edu.
3. Summer 2025 – Shortly after an AADSAS application is received, DCG emails a link for the supplemental application. Applicants must submit the supplemental form (and the $40 fee) promptly to complete their application file augusta.edu.
4. Mid-August to Early December 2025 – Interview season. Selected applicants are invited to interview during this period (interviews are typically conducted virtually) augusta.edu blackstonetutors.com.
5. December 15, 2025 – Initial acceptance notices are released on the first day allowed by ADEA guidelines augusta.edu. Applicants admitted in this round are usually given a deadline to respond with their decision and deposit.
6. After December 15, 2025 – Rolling admissions continue for any remaining seats. Additional offers may be made to waitlisted applicants in late December and early 2026 until the class is full.

Preparing for an interview at The Dental College of Georgia involves understanding the school’s values, its expectations of students, and the context in which it operates. By familiarizing themselves with DCG’s interview format, mission, program offerings, current dental policy issues, and the qualities the school seeks, applicants can approach their interview with confidence. This guide has provided an overview of these areas – from the structure of the interview day to the themes of past questions and the important deadlines – so that prospective students can better convey their fit for the program.