UIC Dentistry Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

Interviewing at UIC College of Dentistry involves a conversational, closed-file format dentistry.uic.edu reflecting the school’s mission-driven, student-centered approach. Applicants should familiarize themselves with UIC’s mission and values – which emphasize innovation, diversity, and public service dentistry.uic.edu – as well as the college’s distinctive program features like its integrated curriculum and community outreach programs dentistry.uic.edu. An awareness of current dental policy issues (both in Illinois and nationally) dentistry.uic.edu and the non-academic qualities UIC prioritizes (e.g. leadership, service, research) dentistry.uic.edu dentistry.uic.edu will further strengthen one’s preparation. In addition, understanding the competencies the program cultivates (critical thinking, ethics, teamwork, etc.) dentistry.uic.edu dentistry.uic.edu and reviewing common interview question themes studentdoctor.net can help candidates approach the interview confidently. Finally, keeping track of application timelines (June 1^st opening, Dec 1^st deadline, virtual interviews Sep–Mar) dentistry.uic.edu dentistry.uic.edu ensures you stay organized throughout the 2025–2026 cycle.

Format & Setting: UIC conducts personal interviews in a one-on-one (or two-on-one) format that is friendly and conversational rather than an impersonal panel or MMI dentistry.uic.edu. Interviews are typically closed-file, meaning the interviewer has not reviewed the applicant’s full file beforehand dentistry.uic.edu. This format encourages a genuine dialogue where you introduce your background and motivations afresh.

Virtual Interviews (2025–2026): For the 2025–26 cycle, all interviews will be held virtually via online video platforms dentistry.uic.edu. The interview season runs from approximately September 2025 through March 2026 dentistry.uic.edu. Candidates should ensure they have a quiet setting and stable internet for these sessions, which usually last around 20–30 minutes studentdoctor.net. The interview day often includes additional components like an information session and a student Q&A panel, spread across one or more days dentistry.uic.edu, to help applicants learn about the school.

Chances & Competitiveness: UIC’s program is competitive – in a recent year, roughly 1,482 applicants vied for ~70 seats, an overall acceptance rate under 10% discodent.com. However, if you’ve secured an interview invite, it means you are among a select group, and your post-interview chances are significantly higher than the general applicant pool. The interview is your opportunity to personalize your application and leave a strong impression beyond the numbers.

Mission & Vision: The UIC College of Dentistry’s mission is to advance oral health through transformative education, research, clinical care and advocacy within a diverse and inclusive environment dentistry.uic.edu. Its vision of “Better Oral Health through Transformative Innovation” dentistry.uic.edu underscores a commitment to innovation, evidence-based practice, and public service. In essence, UIC sees itself as a leader in improving oral health outcomes via new ideas and community engagement.

Core Values: UIC Dentistry embraces a set of core values that includes professionalism, respect, beneficence, transparency, responsibility, curiosity, flexibility, commitment, and inclusion dentistry.uic.edu dentistry.uic.edu. These values speak to high ethical standards, mutual respect, doing good for patients, and openness to innovation and diversity. The focus on inclusion and beneficence reflects the college’s aim to serve diverse communities and address healthcare disparities. During the interview, candidates may find opportunities to highlight how their own experiences and ethos align with these values – for example, discussing ethical decision-making, showing humility and integrity, or describing commitment to helping others.

Overview of the Program: UIC is the largest dental school in Illinois, graduating a significant number of new dentists each year dentistry.uic.edu. The college typically enrolls around 65–70 DMD students per class (most of whom are Illinois residents) and is part of the broader University of Illinois academic health system in Chicago dentistry.uic.edu. With over 100 full-time faculty (and many part-time faculty), UIC boasts nationally recognized experts across general and specialty fields dentistry.uic.edu. About 96% of students are Illinois residents and nearly 75% of graduates go on to practice in Illinois dentistry.uic.edu, highlighting UIC’s important role in training the state’s dental workforce. The urban campus in the Illinois Medical District gives students exposure to a diverse patient population and opportunities for interprofessional collaboration as part of UI Health dentistry.uic.edu.

Curriculum & Opportunities: UIC’s DMD program features an integrated, technology-driven curriculum that has earned national recognition (including a William J. Gies Award for innovation in dental education) dentistry.uic.edu. From the first year, students engage in problem-based small group learning and simulation lab training, linking biomedical science knowledge to real-world clinical scenarios dentistry.uic.edu dentistry.uic.edu. The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based dentistry, teaching students to find and apply the best available research in patient care dentistry.uic.edu. Clinical experience is robust: students start developing clinical skills early and progress to treating patients under supervision, with a strong focus on serving underserved communities. UIC requires rotations in community clinics throughout Chicago (and even offers select extramural rotations elsewhere in the U.S. or abroad) dentistry.uic.edu, reinforcing its commitment to public health. Students also have access to a wide range of specialty clinics and research projects, allowing them to explore areas like orthodontics, surgery, pediatrics, and scientific research alongside faculty dentistry.uic.edu dentistry.uic.edu. These distinctive features not only define the program’s educational philosophy but also provide great talking points – for instance, an interviewer might discuss the community service rotation, or you might ask questions about their cutting-edge digital dentistry facilities – demonstrating your genuine interest in what UIC offers.

Access to Care: Given UIC’s strong public service orientation, issues of access to dental care and serving the underserved are highly pertinent. In Illinois, for example, there has been ongoing discussion about introducing dental therapists (mid-level providers) to expand care in underserved areas ilga.gov. A candidate might be aware that legislation to license dental therapists has been proposed as a way to improve oral health access, which ties into UIC’s mission of advocacy and community health.

Public Health and Coverage: On a broader scale, UIC emphasizes advocacy for universal oral healthcare dentistry.uic.edu. National conversations about integrating dental care into healthcare (for instance, including adult dental benefits under public insurance or improving Medicaid dental coverage) are relevant to this mission. Being conversant with topics like health disparities in oral health, community water fluoridation efforts, or state-level dental public health initiatives can be useful. While interviews typically don’t require deep policy knowledge, demonstrating an informed awareness of these issues – and how they connect to UIC’s focus on community and prevention – can show that you understand dentistry’s wider impact.

UIC evaluates applicants holistically, meaning that beyond GPA and DAT scores, the admissions committee pays close attention to an applicant’s experiences, attributes, and potential to contribute to the school community. In particular, the College of Dentistry looks for evidence of the following qualities in its candidates:

• Leadership and extracurricular involvement: Demonstrated leadership roles or active participation in clubs, sports, jobs, or other activities, indicating initiative and the ability to work with others dentistry.uic.edu.
• Commitment to service: Significant community service or volunteer work (not necessarily dental-related) that shows compassion, altruism, and a desire to help underserved populations dentistry.uic.edu.
• Clinical exposure: Substantial dental shadowing experience (UIC recommends 100+ hours) to prove your passion for dentistry and understanding of the field dentistry.uic.edu.
• Research experience: Engagement in research or other scholarly activities, which reflects curiosity and an understanding of evidence-based practice dentistry.uic.edu.
• Diverse and unique experiences: Background or experiences that add to the diversity of the class – whether through culture, language, overcoming challenges, or unique hobbies – demonstrating adaptability and a broadened perspective dentistry.uic.edu.

All these factors help UIC assess attributes like work ethic, empathy, communication skills, and resilience. In the interview, you can expect broad questions that invite you to discuss these aspects of your background. Being prepared with personal stories or examples in each of these domains can help you illustrate who you are beyond your academics (without sounding rehearsed or forced).

Dental education – including UIC’s curriculum – is structured around key competencies that students must develop by graduation. These competencies span both technical and professional domains. For instance, UIC’s program fosters not only strong clinical and scientific skills, but also competencies in critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and professionalism dentistry.uic.edu. The small-group, case-based learning format is explicitly designed to build critical thinking and teamwork abilities, while the evidence-based focus trains students to continually integrate research into practice dentistry.uic.edu. Likewise, the emphasis on ethics and inclusion (through the values and community rotations) aligns with national expectations for dentists to be culturally competent and ethically grounded practitioners. Understanding these frameworks is useful for interview prep: interviewers may probe how you have demonstrated qualities like ethical judgment, collaboration, or adaptability in your experiences – essentially seeing if you possess the foundational competencies required for a future dentist.

Feedback from previous UIC interviewees suggests that the questions cover a broad range of personal and ethical topics studentdoctor.net. Common themes include inquiries about your motivation for dentistry (for example, “Why dentistry? Why UIC?”), your ability to handle stress or challenging situations (such as “What do you do to de-stress?”), and ethical dilemmas (some reported being asked how they would react if they saw a classmate cheating, or even hypotheticals like “What if all diseases of the teeth were cured?”) studentdoctor.net. Interviewers also frequently ask for self-reflection – expect prompts about your strengths and weaknesses, or to “tell me about yourself” beyond what’s on your application. Additionally, given UIC’s focus on diversity and curriculum, you might be asked how you would contribute to a diverse environment or what you know about the school’s curriculum or initiatives studentdoctor.net.

These recurring themes show that UIC’s interview is designed to assess your personal qualities, integrity, and fit with the program’s culture. Instead of obscure technical questions, they want to gauge your passion for the field, your self-awareness, how you navigate moral decisions, and whether you understand what studying at UIC entails. By reviewing such themes, you can reflect on relevant experiences and principles in your own life that you may want to discuss. The goal is to be ready to have a thoughtful conversation on topics ranging from “Why dentistry?” to handling ethical challenges – demonstrating the maturity and values that align with UIC’s expectations.

Staying on top of deadlines is crucial in the dental school application process. Below is an overview of the key dates and milestones for the 2025–2026 admissions cycle at UIC College of Dentistry:

1. June 1, 2025 – AADSAS application opens. This is the first day you can submit your primary dental school application for the cycle (applying early is encouraged, since UIC uses rolling admissions) dentistry.uic.edu.
2. December 1, 2025 – Application deadline. All application materials must be submitted by this date. UIC’s deadline for both the ADEA AADSAS application and the UIC supplemental application (and fee) is December 1^st dentistry.uic.edu dentistry.uic.edu. It’s wise not to wait until the last day, as rolling admissions means interview slots may fill up earlier.
3. September 2025 – March 2026 – Interview period. UIC conducts interviews by invitation on a rolling basis during this window dentistry.uic.edu. For this cycle, interviews are virtual, and invited candidates will schedule a session (or sessions) between early fall 2025 and early spring 2026.
4. December 2025 – Rolling acceptances begin. UIC (like most dental schools) starts extending initial offers of admission in December, soon after interviews commence and in line with national admissions guidelines. If you interview early in the season, you could hear positive news by mid-December. Those interviewed later may receive decisions in subsequent waves. (Remember that an offer of admission may come via email or a phone call, so keep your contact information updated.) dentistry.uic.edu
5. By April 2026 – Admissions decisions finalized. UIC notifies all interviewed applicants of their final status (acceptance, waitlist, or rejection) by April 1–April 15, 2026 dentistry.uic.edu. This marks the end of the 2025–2026 cycle. Candidates accepted in earlier months may need to submit a deposit to hold their seat, and those waitlisted could be offered spots up until the class matriculates in summer 2026.

Preparing for the UIC College of Dentistry interview involves more than just rehearsing answers – it’s about truly understanding the program and reflecting on how you fit into it. By reviewing the interview format, knowing UIC’s mission and values by heart, exploring the program’s unique offerings, and staying aware of current issues in dentistry, you position yourself as an informed and motivated candidate. With solid preparation, you will feel confident going into your interview and will likely even learn more about UIC during the process dentistry.uic.edu. Ultimately, the interview is not only an evaluation of you, but also a chance for you to demonstrate your passion and potential to contribute to UIC’s community. Good luck – and enjoy the opportunity to share your story with the interviewers!