The Michigan dental school interview format

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) for its DDS program, and it is virtual. Its how to apply page describes the MMI as a series of timed questions or scenarios in which you discuss a variety of topics, with interviewers or reviewers who include Admissions Committee members, faculty, students and staff.

Item	What Michigan says
Format	Multiple Mini Interview, as part of a virtual interview
Who invites you	By personal invitation only, by email, with scheduling instructions
Required	Yes: candidates must interview to be considered further
How many	About 300 candidates take part each cycle
Interview months	September to January
Agenda	A detailed agenda is provided when you are invited
Optional	A Visit Day for interviewing candidates
Number of stations, time per station, rubric, open or closed	Not published

Michigan does not say how many stations there are or how long each lasts, so rely on the agenda in your invitation. In many MMIs each station is independent: a new interviewer, a new topic and a new score.

What Michigan looks for

The school says applicants to the DDS program are reviewed in a holistic manner, with consideration of all parts of the application. Its applicants page lists prerequisites, shadowing, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation and the DAT. It says applicants should show confirmed interest in dentistry through dental-related activities, including direct shadowing of a dentist in a patient-care setting.

The school's DDS program page describes a Pathways Program meant to give students space within the curriculum to ignite passion, foster purpose and sustain individual professional identity formation. That language is a clue: Michigan cares about who you are becoming as a professional, not only about a list of experiences.

The cycle and requirements

ADEA AADSAS: opens May 14 and closes October 15. All materials, including the $75 Michigan supplemental fee, must be received by October 15.
Letters: three, uploaded through AADSAS by the evaluators. Letters sent to the admissions office are not accepted.
Prerequisites: a C or better by May of the entering year. In-progress or planned courses will not prevent an interview invitation.
DAT: official scores sent to AADSAS.

How to prepare for Michigan's MMI

Prepare for a mix of topics. An MMI covers a range, so practice ethics, communication, teamwork and dental-career motivation.
Use a simple frame. Restate the situation, name the people affected, give your recommendation and say what you would check first.
Be ready to speak to varied interviewers. Faculty, students and staff may each ask in a different way. Speak plainly and avoid jargon.
Practice transitions. Between stations, take a breath and let the last one go.
Use the Visit Day. It is optional, but it is a chance to ask students about the Pathways Program and clinical timing.

Michigan dental school practice questions (written by us, not Michigan)

Michigan does not publish its stations. These are ours, built from the MMI format and the school's emphasis on professional identity. Practice each aloud for about five minutes.

A dentist you are shadowing tells a patient a procedure is covered by insurance when you know it is not. What do you do?
A patient wants a tooth extracted that you believe can be saved. How do you talk to them?
You are on a team project and a member is not participating. Role-play the conversation.
Why dentistry rather than medicine?
Describe a moment when you realized you had a different opinion about your career than you expected.
A patient in your community avoids the dentist for years because of cost. What can a dentist do about that?
You notice a classmate cutting corners on a preclinical lab exercise. What do you do?
Tell me about a hands-on activity you do well, and how you practice it.
Explain to a patient why they should floss, without making them feel judged.
What do you want your professional identity to be in ten years?

For a wider set, see our dental school interview questions guide and our free MMI timer.

A drill for a virtual dental MMI

Set up your space like the real day: camera at eye level, quiet room, charged laptop, a clock out of view.
Pick five scenarios. Give yourself a short reading pause, then answer for five minutes.
Have a friend interrupt with one follow-up per scenario and then switch the topic entirely.
Record and review. Count how often you stated your recommendation in the first minute.
Repeat two days later with five new scenarios.

If you do not have partners, Confetto's dental school interview prep uses AI mock interviews that ask follow-up questions based on what you actually said and give rubric-based feedback afterward. The question bank has over 500 questions, and you can start with a 7-day free trial.

Michigan dental school interview FAQ

Is the Michigan dental interview an MMI?

Yes. Michigan says its virtual interview uses the MMI format.

Is it virtual?

Yes. Michigan says about 300 candidates take part in its virtual interview process, and it offers an optional Visit Day.

How many stations are there?

Michigan does not publish that. Your invitation includes a detailed agenda.

Do I have to interview?

Yes. Candidates are required to interview for further admission consideration, and invitations are by personal invitation only.

What is the deadline?

October 15, through ADEA AADSAS plus the $75 supplemental fee.

Applying elsewhere in the Midwest? See our guides to the UIC College of Dentistry and University of Iowa College of Dentistry interviews, or our dental school interview prep page.

Sources: University of Michigan School of Dentistry how to apply, applicants and DDS program pages.

Confetto isn't affiliated with the University of Michigan. Everything here about the school comes from its public admissions pages, checked in October 2026. Formats and dates can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.