ATSU-ASDOH Dental School Interview: Format, Dates

ATSU publishes the schedule for both day types. The first three times are listed once for both:

In-person interviews are at the Mesa campus Admissions office at 5835 E. Still Circle, with check-in in the lobby and interviews on the first floor. Lunch and refreshments are provided. ATSU asks you to leave your earbuds and phone in the car.

One detail to check: the schedule lists in-person days as Monday or Tuesday and virtual days as Thursday, while another line on the same page says activities begin at 8:00 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays. Go by the date and time in your invitation.

1. ADEA AADSAS by November 15, 2026.
2. Secondary application. ATSU emails it to applicants who qualify. You return it with a fee by December 15, 2026.
3. DAT taken by December 1. Scores go through AADSAS, and none older than three years are accepted.
4. Interviews, September to March, with applicants selected on a rolling basis.
5. Acceptance notifications beginning December 15. Admitted students then return an acceptance agreement, a background check and deposits by set deadlines.

Because interviews and admissions are rolling, applying near the November 15 deadline leaves fewer interview dates than applying in summer. ADEA's Apply to ADEA AADSAS page lists December 15, 2026 as this cycle's acceptance notification date, which matches ATSU's start date.

Community-minded dentists

ATSU evaluates coursework, the DAT, your AADSAS essay, letters and interviews, and says community service through volunteering or service-oriented work is preferred. It also accepts an optional extra letter from a community service supervisor for unpaid volunteer work. That tells you where to point your examples.

Community rotations

Fourth-year students spend about 24 weeks in external rotations, about 37% of their clinical education. ATSU's community partnerships page describes four rotations at over 60 sites, including community health centers, Indian Health Service and Tribal clinics, veterans' clinics and mobile clinics. The school's 2025 program sheet describes five rotations at over 70 sites. Both agree on the 24 weeks.

Public health and early clinic time

The program sheet says students earn a certificate in public health with a dental emphasis, with the option of an MPH. The DMD page describes a curriculum with early clinical exposure from year one, fewer high-stakes exams and cross-year group practices with mentorship. The campus clinics have 140 dental chairs. ATSU-ASDOH was Arizona's first dental school.

Questions about public health, access to care and working in a team fit this school well.

• Practice the group activity. Run a 15-minute scenario discussion with three friends. Practice adding one idea, building on someone else's and helping the group reach a decision someone can present.
• Practice a standardized-patient station. Have a friend play a nervous or upset patient. Your goal is to understand their concern before you explain anything.
• Prepare your community service stories. ATSU prefers it, so have two specific examples with what you did and what you learned.
• Have a why ATSU answer. Public health, the fourth-year community rotations and early clinic time are things the school itself highlights.
• Prepare for the panel. Why dentistry, a challenge you faced and a team experience are standard. Keep each answer to about two minutes.
• For a virtual day, test your setup the day before and plan for a full morning on camera.

1. Group: set a 15-minute timer, discuss one scenario with friends, and have one person present the answer in two minutes.
2. Patient: have a friend play the patient for a timed six-minute station. Switch roles so you see it from the other side.
3. Panel: answer four questions from two friends who take turns, two minutes each.
4. Record the patient station. Count how often you asked a question versus how often you explained.
5. Repeat the whole drill two days later with new scenarios.

Practicing alone? Confetto's dental school interview prep runs AI mock interviews that ask follow-up questions based on what you actually said and give rubric-based feedback afterward.

Does ATSU-ASDOH use the MMI?

Yes. ATSU describes a circuit of three timed, independent stations with a standardized patient, alongside a panel interview and a group activity.

Is the ATSU-ASDOH interview in person or virtual?

Both formats exist. ATSU publishes an in-person day at the Mesa campus and a virtual day with a virtual campus tour. Your invitation gives your format.

How long is the ATSU-ASDOH interview day?

Check-in is at 8:00 a.m. and the published schedule ends with a noon session of wrap-up and Q&A, plus lunch and a tour on in-person days.

When are ATSU-ASDOH interviews?

On a rolling basis between September and March.

When does ATSU-ASDOH send acceptances?

Acceptance notifications begin December 15.

Applying to other dental schools? See our guides to the Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine-Arizona and UCSF School of Dentistry interviews, ATSU-ASDOH's dental school acceptance rate and class stats, or our guide to the ATSU School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona interview on the same campus.

Sources: ATSU-ASDOH DMD program page (admissions, interview day and accepted-student sections), 2025 DMD program sheet, Integrated Community Service Partnerships and dental clinics pages, and ADEA's Apply to ADEA AADSAS page.

Confetto isn't affiliated with A.T. Still University. Everything here about the school comes from its public admissions pages, checked in November 2026.

Formats and dates can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.