Cardiff Dentistry Interview: Cardiff Dentistry Interview Questions
- The Medic Life
- Dec 10, 2025
- 6 min read
Message from the Founder -> "Welcome! I’m Dr. Bakhtar Ahmad, founder of The Medic Life and a practising UK doctor. In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to succeed in the Cardiff Dentistry Interview (focusing on Questions) - from format, sample stations, to strategy and real applicant insights. Let’s begin!"
PS: This expert "Cardiff Dentistry Interview Questions" guide from The Medic Life (experts in Dentistry Interview Tutoring) covers what to expect, common interview questions, and practical tips to help you succeed.
Cardiff Dentistry Interview: What the interview is - and what to expect?
Cardiff University’s BDS interview is conducted via a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format.
Interviewees rotate through around 10 short stations (though the number can vary by year).
Each station lasts a short, fixed time (historically ~5 minutes per station for Cardiff), with time for preparation between stations.
The interview assesses personal qualities, reasoning, communication skills, ethics, empathy, teamwork, and suitability for dentistry — not detailed dental knowledge.
For Welsh-speaking (or bilingual) applicants, there is an option to do the interview through the medium of Welsh (or mix English & Welsh).
Cardiff Dentistry Interview: What the interview is assessing - core attributes & aims?
The MMI at Cardiff aims to evaluate a broad set of professional and personal traits relevant to dentistry:
Communication & interpersonal skills — ability to explain, listen, empathise, treat patients respectfully.
Ethics, professionalism & integrity — understanding of what dental practice involves (consent, confidentiality, duty of candour, patient-centred care).
Empathy, caring attitude & patient-centred mindset — being able to relate to patients, appreciate their concerns, and treat them with compassion.
Teamwork, leadership, responsibility — ability to work with peers, collaborate, take responsibility, and communicate in group or clinical contexts.
Resilience, reflection & maturity — managing stress, handling criticism or difficult situations, demonstrating self-awareness and professional growth potential.
Motivation, understanding of dentistry and suitability for Cardiff — genuine reasons for pursuing dentistry, knowledge of what Cardiff’s course offers (clinical exposure, teaching style, Dental Hospital context), and why the applicant matches that environment.
Because of this, technical dental knowledge or pre-clinical dentistry facts are not central - the focus remains on you as a potential caring and capable dentist.
Cardiff Dentistry Interview: Practical details — format, logistics & what to prepare?
When: For 2026 entry, MMI interview dates for BDS are scheduled between 12 – 23 January.
Format & language: Stations are in person for home-fee applicants; overseas applicants may be offered online MMI.
Welsh / Bilingual option: Applicants may choose to have their MMI in Welsh, or mix Welsh/English; this doesn’t give extra marks nor penalise non-Welsh speakers.
What to bring / expect: Usually just photo ID and interview confirmation. No prior dental knowledge is required — all tasks are based on scenarios, reasoning, communication and ethics.
Scoring & selection: Interview performance is scored per station by trained assessors; aggregate score matters. Admissions also consider academic record + (if needed) other measures like admissions tests.
Cardiff Dentistry Interview -> How to prepare: strategy, themes & approach
Re-read and reflect on your personal statement and experiences — be ready to discuss any work experience, volunteering, caring/humanitarian work, teamwork or leadership, what you learned and how it shapes your commitment to dentistry.
Prepare concrete examples for core qualities: empathy, responsibility, resilience, communication, ethical reasoning, teamwork. Good examples can come from volunteering, part-time jobs, hobbies that show dexterity or manual skill (music, crafts, art), or other leadership roles.
Familiarise yourself with ethical and professional issues — patient confidentiality, informed consent, duty-of-care, access to dental care, prevention vs treatment ethos, public health in dentistry, NHS / Welsh dental system basics.
Practice MMI-style mock stations — use timed scenarios with 2 min prep + 5 min response; simulate role-plays (e.g. patient consultation, ethical dilemmas, teamwork tasks, manual-dexterity tasks like origami while conversing).
Know why Cardiff — research the course, clinical exposure offered by Swansea’s Dental School (in reality Cardiff’s Dental Hospital at Heath Park campus), unique aspects of Welsh dentistry, and be ready to articulate why Cardiff is your top choice.
Stay calm, structured & reflective — structure answers clearly (Situation → Action → Reflection/Why it matters), avoid over-rehearsal, be genuine, and treat each station independently (you can recover even if one station feels bad).
Practice Questions for Cardiff Dentistry Interview
Here’s a set of practice questions tailored for a Cardiff Dentistry MMI — covering motivation, ethics, communication, professional awareness, personal reflection, and situational judgement. Use these to practise with a friend, in front of a mirror, or in mock-MMI format.
Motivation & Suitability
Why do you want to study dentistry?
Why have you chosen Cardiff University for your dentistry studies?
What has motivated you to choose dentistry over other healthcare professions such as medicine or nursing?
What do you know about how Cardiff’s dentistry course is structured — and how does that align with your learning style and career aspirations?
What experiences (work, volunteering, shadowing) have you had that confirmed your decision — and what did you learn from them about the dental profession?
What are some of the challenges or downsides of a career in dentistry? How are you prepared for those?
What non-academic qualities or attributes do you have that would make you a good dentist (e.g. empathy, patience, manual dexterity, communication)?
What are your weaknesses — and how would you work on them during dental training?
Personal Qualities, Reflection & Resilience
Tell us about a time when you faced a difficult situation, stress or criticism. How did you respond — and what did you learn from it?
Give an example of when you demonstrated teamwork under pressure. What role did you play — and what was the outcome?
Describe a situation where you showed empathy and supported someone (patient, friend, family, volunteering). What did you learn?
How do you cope with stress or heavy workload — especially relevant for dental school and a career in dentistry?
How would your friends/family describe you? What would they say are your strengths and your areas to improve?
Communication, Empathy & Patient-Centred Care
Imagine a patient is anxious about a dental procedure (fearful or nervous). How would you talk them through it in a way that builds trust and reduces anxiety?
How would you explain a complicated dental concept (e.g. oral hygiene, prevention, disease risk) to someone with no medical background — perhaps a child or elderly patient?
How do you think empathy differs from sympathy in the context of healthcare — and why is empathy important for a dentist?
How would you handle a complaint or dissatisfaction from a patient (or their guardian)?
If working in a team (with dental nurses, hygienists, therapists), how would you ensure effective communication, respect, and collaboration?
Ethics, Professionalism & Awareness of Dentistry Context
What does being a “professional dentist” mean to you — beyond clinical skills?
How would you handle a situation where you witnessed unprofessional behaviour in a dental practice (e.g. negligence, breach of confidentiality, poor communication)?
What are some ethical issues or challenges in dentistry today (e.g. access to care, NHS vs private provision, consent, resource constraints)? How would you balance ideal care with practical constraints?
What role does prevention (oral hygiene, public health, education) play in dentistry — and why is it important?
How do you think COVID-19 (or recent public health issues) has impacted dentistry and patient care — and how might dentistry need to adapt going forward?
Practical, Situational & Creative Thinking / Dexterity Stations
You are given a simple manual task (e.g. build an origami shape, follow instructions to assemble something) while conversing with an actor-patient who describes their dental anxiety. How would you manage to stay focused, communicate clearly, and complete the task efficiently?
You are part of a group asked to prioritise a list of public-health initiatives for dental care in a deprived community. Which would you choose — and why? (E.g. free check-ups, prevention education, subsidised treatments, community outreach, tele-dentistry.)
A simulated patient declines a recommended treatment due to cost or fear. They ask you to explain alternatives and reassure them. How would you handle it, balancing ethics, care, and realistic patient constraints?
You are given a short article about a recent dental technology (e.g. 3D–printed dentures, AI in diagnosis). Summarise what you understand, and discuss how this could influence dental practice in the next 5–10 years.
Cardiff Dentistry Interview -> FAQs (what applicants often ask)
What is the interview for dentistry at Cardiff University?
Cardiff uses MMI — a series of short, timed stations that assess interpersonal skills, ethical reasoning, motivation, professionalism and suitability for dentistry rather than dental knowledge per se.
How many stations are there and how long is the interview?
Typically around 10 stations, each ~5 minutes (plus short prep/movement time) — the overall interview circuit lasts under two hours.
Do I need prior dental knowledge for the MMI?
No — stations are designed around values, reasoning, communication, ethics, and problem-solving rather than preclinical dental facts.
Can I do the interview in Welsh at Cardiff?
Yes — Cardiff offers Welsh or bilingual MMIs. Applicants can switch between languages in different stations.
What qualities are Cardiff looking for in applicants?
Empathy, communication skills, ethical integrity, teamwork, resilience, motivation for dentistry, patient-centred attitude, leadership, manual dexterity and commitment to professional standards.
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