Ohio State Dentistry Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

The Ohio State University College of Dentistry is a highly regarded, state-supported dental program known for its comprehensive training and community-focused mission. Applicants invited to interview can expect a friendly yet substantive process, typically featuring open-file, conversational interviews that explore both academic and personal experiences. The school’s mission emphasizes serving Ohio’s oral health needs through innovative education, research, and outreach, reflecting in its program structure and values dentistry.osu.edu dentistry.osu.edu. The DDS curriculum offers extensive clinical exposure – including rotations in community clinics – and numerous opportunities in research and specialty areas, which not only shape the student experience but also provide great talking points for candidates during interviews dent.osu.edu gpadmissions.osu.edu. In preparing for an interview at Ohio State, it’s important to understand the format and timeline of the process, be familiar with the college’s values and unique programs, stay informed on relevant dental policy issues, and reflect on one’s own experiences (leadership, service, research, etc.) that align with the school’s holistic selection criteria.

Ohio State’s College of Dentistry conducts a traditional interview process, generally open-file (interviewers have access to the applicant’s full file) and conducted in a conversational one-on-one style studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. Typically, candidates will speak with two interviewers (often one faculty member and one student, or two faculty) either sequentially or together, and the interviews are relatively extensive – most lasting around an hour in total studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. The atmosphere is often described as low-stress and friendly, allowing applicants to discuss their experiences in depth. During the COVID-19 pandemic many interviews were held virtually, but the program has since largely returned to in-person interviews on campus (invited candidates receive detailed instructions including the location or online platform, schedule, and any pre-interview programming) blackstonetutors.com dent.osu.edu. Roughly 250 applicants are interviewed each cycle dent.osu.edu, and with an incoming DDS class of about 110–115 students dent.osu.edu, a significant proportion of those interviewed ultimately receive offers of admission – indicating that once you reach the interview stage, the odds of acceptance are much more favorable.

The mission of OSU’s College of Dentistry is “dedicated to addressing the evolving oral health care needs of communities in Ohio, the nation, and the world.” dentistry.osu.edu In practical terms, this means the school emphasizes community service, broad access to care, and advancing oral health on multiple levels. They pursue this mission by providing comprehensive oral health care in an interprofessional health-sciences environment, educating dental professionals in a collaborative and diverse setting, conducting research and innovation, and preparing socially responsible citizens while promoting a culture of excellence dentistry.osu.edu. The college’s vision statement, ‘Making oral health matter through learning, discovery, and innovative patient care and service’, further highlights its commitment to impactful education and patient-centered care dentistry.osu.edu. The College of Dentistry also embraces Ohio State University’s shared values, captured by the acronym 'BOLD' which stands for “Being Open to Learning and Discussions” dentistry.osu.edu. This focus on open-minded learning, ethical behavior, inclusivity, and excellence is woven into the school’s culture. For an interviewee, understanding these mission elements and values is important – the questions and conversation may subtly probe how your own values and goals align with the school’s overarching purpose and community-oriented ethos.

Ohio State’s DDS program is one of the largest and most comprehensive dental programs in the country. In fact, it is the fourth-largest public dental school in the United States, with around 440–460 DDS students enrolled across all four years gpadmissions.osu.edu. As the only state-supported dental college in Ohio, it plays a central role in training the state’s dental professionals and benefits from being part of a major health sciences campus dent.osu.edu. Class sizes are on the order of ~115 students per year, and students learn in a dynamic environment with access to considerable resources and faculty expertise. The college hosts advanced education programs in 7 of the 9 ADA-recognized dental specialties, including some relatively rare programs – for example, Ohio State has one of only seven Dental Anesthesiology programs in the U.S., as well as an Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology residency that is one of just a dozen nationwide gpadmissions.osu.edu. This means DDS students are exposed to a wide range of dental disciplines and specialists on-site. The curriculum spans 11 semesters of instruction, with the first two years focused on basic sciences and preclinical training, and the later years devoted to extensive clinical experience dentistry.osu.edu dentistry.osu.edu. Notably, Ohio State also offers a dual DDS/PhD in Oral Biology for students interested in an academic or research career, leveraging an interdisciplinary faculty from Dentistry, Medicine, and even Veterinary Medicine to train dentist-scientists gpadmissions.osu.edu.

The program places a strong emphasis on hands-on clinical training and community engagement. Students begin clinical rotations early and by the third and fourth years are treating patients under faculty supervision across various settings. The College of Dentistry boasts an extremely high patient volume – around 130,000 patient visits each year in its clinics – ensuring that students gain experience with a diverse patient population and a broad array of dental procedures dent.osu.edu. A cornerstone of the clinical education is the OHIO Project, which requires every fourth-year student to spend 50 days providing care in community clinics throughout Ohio dent.osu.edu. Through these external rotations (at over 40 extramural sites statewide), students not only hone their clinical skills but also serve underserved communities, embodying the school’s service mission. This is a distinctive aspect of Ohio State’s program that deepens students’ real-world experience. Additionally, there are numerous community outreach and volunteer programs students participate in – for example, Give Kids a Smile, “La Clinica Latina,” Smiles for Schools, and Give Vets a Smile are some of the annual initiatives where students provide free dental services or oral health education to special populations dent.osu.edu. On the academic side, Ohio State encourages student involvement in research: the college has robust research programs (in fields like dental materials, oral pathology, neuroscience, microbiology, etc.) and hosts an annual Research Day to showcase student and faculty projects dentistry.osu.edu. Students can engage in summer research projects or work with faculty in labs and clinics, adding a scholarly dimension to their dental training. The presence of many specialty residency programs and internationally recognized faculty further enriches the learning environment, giving DDS candidates mentorship opportunities and exposure to advanced cases. These program facts not only highlight what makes OSU’s College of Dentistry unique, but they also provide excellent material for conversations during an interview.

Being knowledgeable about the program’s features can help you demonstrate genuine interest. In fact, specifics about Ohio State’s program can inspire thoughtful questions for you to ask your interviewers. Consider inquiring about aspects that genuinely intrigue you, such as:

• Community Outreach: “I know that Ohio State’s DDS students spend extensive time in community clinics through the OHIO Project. Could you tell me more about how those 50 days of externship are structured and what kinds of community sites students get to work in?” dent.osu.edu
• Interprofessional Education: “Ohio State being part of such a large health sciences campus, how do dental students collaborate with students from other disciplines (like medicine, nursing, pharmacy) during their training?” dentistry.osu.edu medicine.osu.edu
• Research Opportunities: “What opportunities are there for DDS students to get involved in research? For instance, if a student is interested in oral pathology or immunology, how would they pursue that alongside the standard curriculum?” dentistry.osu.edu
• Specialty Exposure: “Since the College of Dentistry houses programs in many specialties (including areas like Dental Anesthesiology and Oral Pathology that not every school has), how do predoctoral students benefit from that? Do we interact with residents or observe specialty procedures as part of our training?” gpadmissions.osu.edu gpadmissions.osu.edu

Dental school interviews, especially at a public institution like Ohio State, may touch on broader policy issues in oral health care – both to gauge your awareness of the dental profession’s context and your interest in community health. On the state and local level, OSU’s role in Ohio’s dental workforce is significant: roughly 57% of dentists in Ohio are alumni of Ohio State dentistry.osu.edu. This means the college is deeply integrated with addressing Ohio’s oral health needs. A key regional policy focus is improving access to dental care in underserved areas. Ohio, like many states, faces dentist shortages in rural or low-income communities, and there are programs designed to mitigate this. For example, the Ohio Dentist Loan Repayment Program (ODLRP) offers loan forgiveness incentives for new dentists who commit to practicing in designated dental health shortage areas of the state dentistry.osu.edu. You might be aware that participants in ODLRP receive student loan repayment in exchange for serving in clinics or areas with limited providers – a policy aimed at distributing the workforce more evenly. Discussing such an initiative in your interview (if relevant) can show that you understand the school’s service mission and the needs of the region.

Nationally, several major dental policy topics are highly relevant and could come up in conversation. One ongoing issue is the lack of dental insurance coverage among Americans – nearly 27% of U.S. adults have no dental insurance, compared to about 9.5% who lack medical insurance time.com. This coverage gap leads to many people foregoing routine dental care, which in turn can result in worse overall health outcomes (for instance, untreated dental issues can cause severe infections or contribute to systemic health problems). You might be aware that when people can’t access preventive care, they sometimes end up in emergency rooms for dental issues, which is costly and inefficient hawaiinewsnow.com. In recent years, there’s been momentum to address this problem: a number of states have moved to expand Medicaid to include adult dental benefits for low-income populations. As of 2023, states such as Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Hawaii have launched new or expanded Medicaid adult dental coverage hawaiinewsnow.com. This reflects a growing recognition that oral health is integral to overall health and that investing in dental care can save costs long-term hawaiinewsnow.com. An interview conversation might touch on your thoughts about these developments – for example, the importance of prevention or how dentists can advocate for vulnerable patients.

Despite expansions in coverage, challenges remain in ensuring access to care. One policy-related issue is the low Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental services, which often deter dentists from participating fully in the program time.com hawaiinewsnow.com. In many places, only a small percentage of dentists accept Medicaid patients, especially in rural areas, leading to “dental deserts” where people have to travel far or face long waits for care time.com hawaiinewsnow.com. This situation might be something to be mindful of if asked about improving healthcare access or why you want to work with underserved communities. Another topic that occasionally arises is public health measures like community water fluoridation – which has long been proven to reduce cavities at the population level – and the fact that some regions have controversy or pushback against it. For instance, there have been recent moves in certain states or localities (e.g., parts of Florida or Utah) to limit fluoridation due to misguided concerns time.com. Understanding the science and public health benefit behind fluoridation, and being aware of the debate, could be useful if the interview turns toward preventive dentistry or health policy. Overall, staying informed about these kinds of policy and societal issues (insurance coverage, Medicaid, public health initiatives, workforce distribution) will help you discuss dentistry in a broader context – a quality that aligns with Ohio State’s training of “socially responsible and engaged citizens” in the dental field dentistry.osu.edu.

Like most dental schools, Ohio State employs a holistic admissions approach – meaning that beyond strong academic metrics (GPA and DAT scores), they highly value an applicant’s personal qualities and experiences. In fact, the College of Dentistry explicitly looks for candidates who have a diverse range of experiences and can discuss them in depth during the interview blackstonetutors.com. This includes evidence of volunteer work and community service, which demonstrates a commitment to helping others – a core aspect of healthcare. Substantial leadership experience (such as leading a student organization, team, or project) is also appreciated, as it suggests you can take initiative and work well with others. Participation in research or other scholarly activities is another plus, especially given OSU’s strong research component; it shows intellectual curiosity and perseverance. Additionally, many successful applicants have meaningful work experience, whether in dentistry (for example, dental assisting or shadowing a dentist) or in other fields that develop professionalism and communication skills. Ohio State even notes that experiences like military service or teaching can contribute to a candidate’s preparedness and maturity blackstonetutors.com. All of these non-academic factors – community service, leadership, research, work, etc. – help paint a picture of a well-rounded individual. They also align with the school’s mission of producing not just clinically competent dentists, but ethical, community-engaged professionals. During the interview, you can expect questions that probe these areas of your background (e.g. “tell me about a leadership role you took on” or “what volunteer experience has been most meaningful to you?”), so being ready to discuss your experiences and the insights gained from them is key. Finally, given the hands-on nature of dentistry, it’s worth noting that manual dexterity and fine motor skills are implicitly valued; while Ohio State doesn’t require a specific “manual dexterity test,” the admissions committee appreciates when applicants have hobbies or activities (like playing a musical instrument, art, crafts, or woodworking) that demonstrate good hand-eye coordination and patience, which are relevant skills for a dentist.

Dental education at Ohio State is grounded in the standards set by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). These standards define the competencies that every new dentist must have upon graduation. In alignment with CODA’s framework, OSU’s curriculum ensures that students develop proficiency in areas such as critical thinking and problem-solving, ethical and professional conduct, clinical patient care, communication skills, and practice management. For example, CODA standards specify that graduates must be competent in applying critical thinking to patient care and research interpretation dentalpracticeready.uthscsa.edu, and that they must demonstrate the ability to self-assess and commit to lifelong learning as professionals dentalpracticeready.uthscsa.edu. You can expect that Ohio State’s program, like all accredited dental programs, will incorporate training and evaluations to make sure you meet these competencies – from diagnosis and treatment planning, to technical procedural skills, to professionalism and teamwork. Being aware of these expectations can help you understand why certain interview questions (like ethical scenarios or how you handle complex problems) might be asked – they’re often gauging your preparedness for these competency areas.

Another framework relevant to Ohio State is Interprofessional Education (IPE). OSU is known for its collaborative health sciences campus, and there is a university-wide initiative to foster interprofessional practice among future healthcare providers. Dental students at OSU have opportunities to learn alongside and interact with medical students, nursing students, pharmacy students, and others in structured IPE activities. The university even established an Office of Interprofessional Practice and Education to integrate learning across its seven health colleges, including Dentistry medicine.osu.edu. The idea is that graduates should understand each other’s roles and be able to work effectively in healthcare teams. By the time an Ohio State student graduates, they “know how to work with and coordinate a team of health care professionals” from different fields, dentists included, because it’s been a part of their education medicine.osu.edu. In an interview context, this could manifest as questions about teamwork, communication, or experiences you’ve had collaborating with people from other disciplines. It’s good to recognize that the program values the interprofessional competency – being able to work as a team member in the broader healthcare system.

Students who have interviewed at OSU College of Dentistry report a range of question types, but certain themes appear frequently. One common theme is personal motivation and background. Interviewers often prompt applicants to discuss their journey and interests – for example, a classic opener is “Tell me about yourself.” studentdoctor.net You should be ready to articulate why you chose dentistry and why Ohio State, and even to answer hypotheticals like “What career would you choose if you didn’t go into dentistry?” studentdoctor.net, which assesses your commitment and self-reflection. Another major theme is ethical or situational questions that gauge your professionalism and decision-making. Candidates have been asked to consider scenarios such as how they would handle a situation where a patient refuses a necessary treatment studentdoctor.net, or what they think should happen if a dentist is caught doing something unethical studentdoctor.net. These questions don’t have one “right” answer, but the interviewers want to see that you can reason through dilemmas with empathy, responsibility, and integrity – qualities that align with the school’s values. Additionally, be prepared for questions about challenges in the dental field or the future of dentistry. For instance, one reported question was, “What is a challenge in dentistry that you believe you will have to overcome?” studentdoctor.net. This is an opportunity to showcase your awareness of issues like those discussed in the policy section (e.g. access to care, evolving technology, stress/burnout, etc.) and to demonstrate a proactive mindset. Finally, interviewers may throw in a few personal or light-hearted questions to get to know you beyond academics – asking about your hobbies (“What do you do for fun?”) studentdoctor.net or even something like the “happiest/best day of your life” studentdoctor.net. These help them see your personality and outlook on life. The key across all these themes is to answer genuinely and thoughtfully. Ohio State’s interview atmosphere is known to be welcoming, so they want you to be yourself. By reflecting on these topic areas ahead of time, you can enter the interview ready to share your story, discuss ethical perspectives, and talk about dentistry with insight and enthusiasm.

For reference, here are the key dates and deadlines for the 2025–2026 application cycle for Ohio State’s DDS program:

• June 2025: Application cycle opens. (The college begins accepting AADSAS applications for the next entering class in early June) dent.osu.edu.
• October 1, 2025: Application Deadline. All application materials (including the primary AADSAS application and any required supplemental items) must be submitted by this date dent.osu.edu dent.osu.edu. Ohio State’s deadline is relatively early, so applicants are encouraged to apply well before this to ensure they are fully verified and eligible for an interview.
• October–November 2025: Interview period. Interviews are by invitation only, and Ohio State conducts the majority of its dental school interviews during these two months dent.osu.edu. If you are selected, you will typically be notified about 4–5 weeks in advance of your assigned interview date (notifications are sent via email) dent.osu.edu. Interviews in this cycle are expected to be on-site in Columbus (check your invite for details on location/schedule).
• December 15, 2025: Initial acceptance offers. Ohio State, like other U.S. dental schools, begins extending the first round of offers on or after December 15th dent.osu.edu. This is the first date dental schools nationally can notify applicants of acceptance for the 2025–26 cycle. If you interview in Oct/Nov, you would hear a decision at this time. Admitted students will then have a specified period to respond and place a deposit. (Subsequent offers to alternates/waitlisted applicants may continue through winter and spring 2026 as spots open up.)

Preparing for an interview at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry involves understanding the school from multiple angles – the format of its interview process, the mission and values that drive its program, the unique educational opportunities it provides, and the broader issues shaping dentistry today. By familiarizing yourself with Ohio State’s program facts (and thinking of insightful questions to ask about them), reflecting on how your own experiences align with the college’s selection criteria, and staying informed about current dental policy topics, you’ll be equipped to engage in a meaningful dialogue with your interviewers. In essence, this guide’s insights – from the collaborative, community-focused ethos of OSU’s College of Dentistry to the practical timeline of the admissions cycle – serve to inform your interview preparation so that you can approach interview day with confidence and a deep understanding of what it means to be a future Buckeye dentist.