Glasgow Dentistry Interview: Glasgow 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 Glasgow Dentistry Interview (focusing on Questions) - from format, sample stations, to strategy and real applicant insights. Let’s begin!"
PS: This expert "Glasgow 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.
Glasgow Dentistry Interview: What the interview is — and what to expect (Glasgow)?
All applicants to Glasgow must take the UCAT in the year of application: the UCAT score is a primary filter — if it’s too low, you likely won’t be invited for interview, regardless of academic grades.
The interview for undergraduate Dentistry (BDS) at Glasgow is conducted via a structured interview format. Recent cycles have used a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) style: around 7 stations, each ~6 minutes long (including 1 minute reading/prep time).
Station styles vary: you may face role-play, discussion, or practical/manual-dexterity tasks — reflecting the hands-on nature of dentistry.
Topics of stations span personal motivation, ethics, communication and empathy, teamwork, problem-solving under time pressure, spatial awareness / manual dexterity, professionalism, and understanding of the dental profession.
After interview, each station is scored; total score plus other application metrics (UCAT, academics, personal statement/reference) inform final offers.
Glasgow Dentistry Interview: What Glasgow looks for — applicant attributes & required background
In its admissions documentation, Glasgow states applicants must show more than academic ability. Required non-academic attributes include:
Ethical behaviour, integrity, and a caring, empathetic approach
Strong communication skills — verbal and non-verbal
Teamwork and leadership potential
Ability to think independently, reflect, and problem-solve under pressure
Manual dexterity, creativity and spatial awareness (to reflect the technical demands of dentistry)
Motivation for dentistry, self-motivation and a commitment to the profession
Additionally, for eligibility: the academic entry requirements — whether A-Levels or Scottish Highers/Advanced Highers — must be met in one sitting.
Also, applicants are expected to have completed a minimum work-shadowing (or similar) experience in a dental (or dental-team) environment — ideally a few days — to show awareness of what dental training/practice involves.
Glasgow Dentistry Interview -> Practical details & logistics (2025/2026 entry)
UCAT is mandatory. As per the school’s own website, everyone must sit the UCAT in the year of application.
Interview invitations: Historically, about 200 applicants per year are invited to interview.
Interview timing: Interviews typically run in January/February (for home-fee applicants) — often over a weekend.
Interview format: As above — 7-station MMI, ~6 minutes per station (including prep time).
After interview: Scores are aggregated. Final offers are made to meet yearly intake targets, given both academic & non-academic screening.
How to prepare: strategy, themes & approach for Glasgow Dentistry Interview
Prioritise UCAT performance — since UCAT selects who gets an interview, ensure you are well-prepared. Use official practice materials as recommended by the school (they do not endorse commercial UCAT courses).
Gain shadowing / work-experience — ideally in a general dental practice or dental team setting, to understand real-world dentistry and show informed motivation.
Prepare for MMI-style stations — practice role-play, ethical dilemmas, manual tasks, communication with patients/actors, teamwork scenarios. Time yourself (~6 min) to simulate actual stations.
Have concrete personal examples ready — for empathy, resilience, teamwork, leadership, manual dexterity (hobbies like music, art, crafts, model-making), problem-solving under pressure.
Understand why Glasgow — know the structure of its BDS programme, the clinical environment at Glasgow Dental Hospital & School, and what makes the school unique. Be ready to articulate genuine reasons for choosing Glasgow.
Brush up on ethics, public-health awareness, communication & professionalism — dentistry isn’t just clinical skills; empathy, patient-centred care, ethics, and interpersonal skills matter.
Practice Questions for Glasgow Dentistry Interview
Here’s a set of practice questions modelled on past MMI stations and publicly-available guidance. Use as mock-interview prep: time yourself, reflect, and practise structured responses.
Motivation & Suitability Questions
Why do you want to study dentistry?
Why have you chosen Glasgow Dental School specifically?
What experiences (work, shadowing, volunteering) have helped you decide on dentistry — and what did you learn from them?
What do you know about Glasgow’s BDS course structure, and how do you think it fits your learning style and aspirations?
Why dentistry and not medicine (or another healthcare career)?
What do you see as the main challenges facing dentists today — and how are you prepared to meet them?
What personal qualities do you have that make you well suited to dentistry (e.g. empathy, manual dexterity, communication, resilience)?
What are your weaknesses — and how would you work on them if admitted?
Ethical, Professionalism & Public-Health Awareness
A classmate offers you money to write their university essays. What would you do — and why?
A patient is a 15-year-old who reveals they are pregnant and anxious about risks associated with radiographs you need to take. How would you proceed?
A patient expresses fear and anxiety about dental treatment — how would you reassure them and build trust?
If you saw unprofessional behaviour in a dental team (e.g. poor communication, lack of empathy, disregard for patient consent), how would you respond?
What does being a “professional dentist” mean to you — beyond clinical competence?
How important is prevention (oral hygiene, public awareness, early intervention) in dentistry — and why?
What role does a dentist play in wider public health, and what are the challenges facing dental care in the UK / Scotland?
Communication, Empathy & Teamwork
Describe a time when you worked in a team under pressure. What did you do, and what did you learn?
Give an example of when you showed empathy or helped someone during a difficult time. What did you learn from that?
How would you explain a complicated dental concept (e.g. risks, treatment plan, prevention) to a patient with little or no medical knowledge — perhaps a child or an elderly person?
Suppose you’re asked to organise a small community outreach event promoting oral health in a deprived area — how would you plan and execute it? What challenges might you face?
How do you cope with stress, criticism, or setbacks — particularly in a demanding course such as dentistry?
Manual Dexterity / Practical / Problem-Solving / Spatial Awareness
Imagine you’re given a simple manual task (e.g. build an origami shape, or assemble a basic model) under time pressure while explaining the steps to someone else. How do you balance speed, accuracy, clarity and calm?
You’re shown a photo of a dental case (e.g. decayed teeth, damaged tooth). Describe what you see, and outline how you would communicate the problem and treatment options to a patient (in simple terms).
You read a short article about a new dental technology (e.g. 3D-printed dentures, AI-assisted diagnosis). Summarise it and discuss whether/ how this could influence the future practice of dentistry.
Describe how you might handle managing patients with limited resources or who struggle to afford dental care — what ethical and professional considerations come into play?
FAQs (Common Applicant Questions about Glasgow Dentistry Interview)
What kind of interview does Glasgow use for Dentistry?
Glasgow uses an MMI — usually around 7 stations, each ~6 minutes (including prep), combining role-play, discussion and practical/manual-dexterity tasks.
Do I need to know dental-specific science or clinical dentistry for the interview?
No. The interview focuses on personal attributes, communication, ethics, problem-solving, manual dexterity, and motivation — not preclinical or dental-knowledge.
What matters more — UCAT or interview performance?
UCAT is the “ticket to interview.” If your UCAT is below the cut-off, you won’t get interview even with strong grades. Once interviewed, performance in the MMI (plus other contextual factors) becomes decisive.
Is work experience required for Glasgow?
Yes — applicants are expected to have done shadowing or experience in a dental (or dental-team) environment prior to applying, typically a minimum of a few days. This helps show awareness of dental practice.
When are interviews held and when are offers made?
Interview invitations go out (after UCAT and initial screening), interviews usually occur in January / February. Offers (or rejections) are typically communicated by end of March.
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