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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 23% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 193 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional8–8.9 Very Good7–7.9 Good6–6.9 Mixed< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
Positively (85%)
Negatively (5%)
No change (10%)
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
Great (56%)
Good (26%)
Average (18%)
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience at Creighton to be very laid-back and conversational, with Dr. Ayers being friendly and putting them at ease. They appreciated the opportunity to ask questions and get a tour of the school, with many mentioning the welcoming atmosphere and positive impressions of Omaha.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
Very nice and can really be as long as you make it. Have questions on hand ready to ask
Interview is nothing to worry about. It is more of a chance for you to interview the school. That being said, try to have intelligent questions prepared and not stuff you can find easily on the website.
Overall, the interview was very laid back, and everyone I encountered during my time at Creighton was very welcoming. Dr. Norton is extremely kind, conversational, and enjoyable to talk to -- just be sure you come prepared with questions!!
I was one of 6 interviewees scheduled. We were all scheduled at 1:00, so the order of our arrival determined the order in which we were interviewed. I was second to last, but that meant I got a tour BEFORE the interview, which I found to be helpful. If you want to get out of there right away, arrive a little bit earlier. Dr. Norton, the interviewer is very friendly and makes you feel so comfortable during the interview. Creighton was sort of a last choice for me, but my interview visit impressed me a lot. They make you feel welcome and wanted, rather than the "prove to us why you are good enough to come here" tactic that other schools take.
Very close to downtown Omaha, which is much better than most would give it credit for. The Old Market is great, and the new baseball stadium being built on the North side will make that area great in the coming years.
Get the interview out of the way (in my opinion) get there early and enjoy the tour....the dental students love it there. Its only a two hour interview. Dr. Ayers is the man soooooo nice best of luck you'll do great.
VERY low stress, just a simple conversation with Dr. Ayers. They made sure to almost ALWAYS have someone out in the waiting area with the interviewees, whether it be a professor or one of the receptionists... Everyone was very nice, and it was an overall great experience!
Before the interview Patti Churchill talks with the students about the school and Omaha and helps to calm everyone's nerves. The interview itself is very laid-back and conversational. Dr. Ayers is friendly and pleasant to talk to.
Also, I found Omaha to be a beautiful and clean city with a relaxed atmosphere. I definitely would not mind living here.
I showed up a half hour early and got right in, so I'd recommend that. Patti is extremely nice and talks to you to help calm your nerves. Dr. Ayers is also very nice and makes you feel very comfortable. He started off just making conversation about my trip and my home state before he asked the real questions, so this helped make things very comfortable. Overall very laid back and conversational.
Overall it was a very pleasant experience with low stress levels. Dr. Ayers was very nice and takes his time to get to know you. Be prepared to ask questions because he gives ample time for that.
Very relaxed and pleasant experience. Dr. Ayers was so nice and Patti Churchill, also with administration, did a wonderful job of calming my nerves as I waited to talk to Dr. Ayers. The school was very nice. I felt very positive about the whole experience.
Interview was pretty normal. I sat in a conference room with 2 students and 2 faculty members. They were pretty laid back. They asked me pretty normal questions and then seemed pretty intrested in my ideas and in me.
Dr. Ayers was so nice. He's just as freindly as everyone says. The interview questions were all very standard - no surprises. He really wanted to know about me: asked about my family and my future plans. Just nice. Patti made the pre-interview relaxing and the students overall seemed pleased with their choice.
Arrived at the school 30 minutes early, and talked to other students interviewing that day for about 45 minutes. ALL of them were from areas within driving distance of Creighton, but they were mostly nice.
When there was noone else in the room Dr. Ayers' assistant Patti came to talk to me, which allieviated some of my nervousness.
Interview was pretty straightforward, very conversational. Dr. Ayers' asked me the standard questions, but in a more conversational and specific form than I was expecting, and I didn't get to say a lot of things I wish I had, and simliarly I said a lot of things I wasn't expecting to talk about!
The tour guide was pretty cool, just a regular guy. He was pretty happy about choosing Creighton, and answered all of my questions pretty honestly. Apparently the classes are pretty cooperative, not too much competition. There are gunners, but they still help everyone else :)
Oh, Omaha is not what you expect it to be. It's a pretty cool town with a lot of culture, and the Old Market area is flat out great. The restaurant I ate at had the best steak and beer I've ever tasted, and everyone is disturbingly nice.
I found the whole thing to be positive. I found Creighton moving up the list of my schools to the number 2 spot mainly because of the experience I had at the school. The cost of living is reasonable and I see it as a good place for my family to live while I go to school.
My experience was great, I would have no problem spending 4 years at Creighton. Although I am keeping a specialty program in mind after dental school, it is nice to know that you would have a comfortable level of proficiency as a general dentist. Dr Ayers was great, he apparently was very thorough in looking over my application. He asked for explainations where it was needed, very easy to talk to and also honest about his opinion on your chances and added what things may strengthen your application. Although you schedule your own (Informal)interview, it gives you the opportunity to explain any concerns with your application you may not have coveyed on the application. Also they receive over 2000 applications a year, it shows an initiative on your part to see their school and express your motivation in wanting to become a dentist.
Interview was scheduled for 2:00. I arrived 30 minutes early and got right in to see Dr. Ayers. He's a very relaxed guy and doesn't drill you with questions. He's not going to bring out trick questions. He just wants to get to know you. After the interview I went on a detailed tour from a fourth year who seemed more than happy with his education at Creighton.
Very good and very worth it. My wife and I didn't have the funding to visit many schools so I'm glad it panned out. I would definitely choose Creighton for school.
Creighton does interview visits and does not invite people for interviews, so its on you to schedule them if you want to see the school. It is however a worthwhile experience, in which you have real meeting with the dean and you get to tour the school with a student and see the clinic and ask questions. I thought it was great and would have done it again. Creighton trains awesome clinicians, and Omaha is not as bad of a town as I had thought.
Creighton technically doesn't do interviews. They call them campus "visits". To get one just call the admissions office and they will schedule one for a friday afternoon. I showed up at 2:00 pm. Sat down with the dean of admissions 1 on 1 for about 15 minutes. He was very friendly. The visit was very conversational. He didn't make me feel stupid. He told me that with my stats I would be very competitive this cycle (gpa 3.66, DAT 20AA/22TS/20PAT).
After the interview we were taken on a tour by a DS-4. He was a great guy. He took over 45 minutes showing us around. He wasn't trying to rush us through everything. He commented that he loved the school, especially all of the clinic time. He said some of the advising dentists in the clinic could be overly anal about certain things, but that it wasn't a big deal.
Overall impression: great clinic (new, lots of room, lots of patients), friendly staff.
As you know Crieghton doesn't grant interview like most schools. But you can set up a tour, with a REAL interview with the Dean of Admissions. I felt that my visiting the school really helped me get into the school. BTW, if anyone tells you that visiting this school does not give you a better chance at getting in....then they are likely on crack.
CUSD-COMP interviews are an average of 27 minutes, with an average of 1.1 interviews. 98% of interviews are one-on-one, 0% are in-person, and 5% are closed-file.
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools are related to the applicant's motivations for pursuing dentistry, such as "Why dentistry?" or "Why do you want to be a dentist?" Additionally, questions about the applicant's preparation for dental school, academic achievements, and specific interest in the program, like "How did you prepare for the DAT?" or "Why Creighton?" were frequently mentioned. Some respondents also referred to questions about their personal accomplishments and what they could bring to the field of dentistry. It is important to note that some responses suggested the interview format may have been an MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) where a nondisclosure agreement could have been in place.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
Students said the most interesting question asked at Creighton University School of Dentistry discussed a wide range of topics including personal motivations for dentistry, experiences impacting their lives, influences, preparation for dental school, and the number of dental procedures observed. Additionally, some responses indicated the interview may have been in an MMI format with questions about healthcare philosophy, choosing specific brain or cell parts, and influential figures, potentially involving a nondisclosure agreement.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
Just make sure you come with questions about their school and be prepared to think about where Creighton ranks among other schools you are applying to.
How many other programs have you applied to, where have you interviewed, and honestly tell me what schools you have been the most impressed by. Woah! This Q was outta left field!
I played a year of baseball at my school and Dr. Ayers mentioned he had also played a year when he was at New Mexico, so he asked me about my difficult decision to quit baseball and focus on dentistry... probably not an interesting question for anyone else but it gave me an opportunity to show I am very committed to becoming a dentist.
Do you see yourself practicing here in Nebraska or going back to your home state? (I guess I hadnt really thought about this at all yet, I just wanted to be accepted somewhere)
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by extensively researching the school's website, utilizing Student Doctor Network (SDN) for interview feedback and common questions, and engaging in mock interviews to practice answering questions confidently. They emphasized the importance of formulating thoughtful questions for the interviewer and being well-versed in their own application materials and personal statement.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
I practiced using questions I found from various websites and SDN, and I did several mock interview sessions... Although all this practice didn't really matter as I was the one asking all the questions!
Writing my personal statement helped me to learn alot about myself, my motivations, my preparation, and my long term goals. Of course I couldn't survive without the student doctor network.
Students said most difficult question asked at Creighton University School of Dentistry discussed the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, which may have involved a nondisclosure agreement. Common questions included inquiries about saving the world, reasons for choosing specific schools, strengths and weaknesses, and personal experiences in dentistry that were intriguing.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
1) What questions do you have for me? (I had a few questions, but I wonder if I should have had more. I asked 3 questions, and then stopped, because I didn't want to take his whole afternoon. Looking back though I think that he would have been glad to sit and answer several more. Missed opportunity.)
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and warmth of the staff, faculty, and students at Creighton University. They also highlighted the extensive clinical experience available due to the lack of specialty programs, the state-of-the-art clinic facilities, and the ample patient pool. Some applicants also mentioned the positive impact of the location in Omaha and the personal and comfortable interview experience with Dr. Ayers.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
The way the interviewer asked and interjected about my answers.
I was impressed by the friendliness of everyone involved with my interview/tour of the school. The student leading my tour was very knowledgeable and gave me helpful tips in preparation for the actual interview. While sitting in the lobby waiting to interview, the receptionist was always around making conversation with us interviewees which helped keep my nerves low.
Dr. Ayers is great! He makes you feel very comfortable and the stress level is very low. The tour was also great, the school has updated facilities as well as a nice location. The entire staff is very friendly. All the students I met were also very nice and helpful as well as honest. They all seemed to love Crieghton and were glad they decided to go there.
All of the students were very excited to be there and proud of their school's program. Since Creighton does not have specialty programs, the predoctoral students are exposed to cases of greater difficulty and complexity.
Since there are no specialties at the school, students are exposed to a huge range of cases. probably the best school in the country in preparing students to deal with what they may face as a dentist, definitely a huge plus
Creighton is the only US dental school that has no specialties, so instead of difficult cases going to the specialties, DDS students get great clinical experience. The dental outreach in the Dominican Republic sounded really cool.
Omaha didn't seem like a half-bad city either.
My state really helps out with financial aid since we don't have a d-school. I go through the IDEP program which means I study the first year in Idaho and the last 3 in Neb.
The clinical facility is massive! Seeing it for the first time was a breath-taking experience that I highly recommend. Patti, the admissions secretary, was a freindly person- easy to talk to.
Admissions staff were incredibly friendly. In fact, everyone at the school was really friendly! The building is old but the clinic is nice.
D.D.S. students get exposure to both orthodontics and implants, and no specialists are trained at the school so you get lots of procedures.
The tour guide (James) was really happy with the school, and mentioned that basically anyone on staff will do whatever they can to help you in any way possible.
The faculty seems very friendly and warm. I was walking through the clinic and I was called into the office of the instructor over the clinic to talk to me. Dr Ayers was very nice and genuinely seemed interested. His assistant, Patti, was very informative and made you feel comfortable. The clinic was huge. There are no specialists being trained at the school so you have plenty of work and a variety of it. The school recognizes they are in outdated facilities and are working to either renovate or build a new facility.
How much clinical experience you would receive. There are no specialty programs, therefore root canals dont automatically get shuffled directly to Endo residents. The 4th year student who took me around said you have enough work to make you feel comfortable starting a practice directly out of school. Also everyone has done well on there Part 1 and Part 2 boards. Everything seamed clean and updated. Staff was generally concerned about the students. The student that took me around was glad that he received his education at Creighton. I asked if he had anything negative to say about the program and he said no. It would only be petty complaints not worth mentioning, the staff was concerned about your success at Creighton.
CLINICAL! The clinic was HUGE. Very well set up. Administration was very kind and personal. Student tour did not seem to be part of the screening process. How they put it on you to schedule an interview. I really like the Omaha area. School is 5 minutes from the airport.
The faculty, facilities, the students. I was a little sceptical about the school before I actually went there. But I really liked it and will give a strong consideration to creighton now.
The clinical experience will be awesome at Creighton. There are no specialty schools, so you do everything, and will have the opportunity to do every procedure numerous times. A great place to live, and huge patient pool.
The fact that every patient who walks in the door is given to dental students since there are no greedy post-docs doing specialties. Omaha is a nice city. The tour was given by a student and it was really helpful.
Clinical experience, AMPLE patient pool, and lots of extra chairs.
Its the only school in which students can insert implants before being in a specialty program.
Applicants were commonly unimpressed by the dated facilities, lack of organization in the interview process, and the informal nature of the interviews. Suggestions include updating facilities, providing more structure and information during interviews, and improving the overall professionalism of the admissions process.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
The general dentistry operating area is a giant room with low dividers. You can see and hear everything going on. The lecture halls are dated and dismal.
While waiting for my interview, one of the admin staffers sat and talked with everyone. She mad me really uncomfortable by bashing my home state of CA (after I said I was from there) with all the things she hates about it and its people (materialistic, etc). She seemed to be looking at me for a reaction too. All the while she was writing stuff on her pad. Very unprofessional. Recommend avoiding similar situation if you can.
Location... nebraska is definitely nebraska, but this could actually be a positive for a dental student. less distractions than a city like boston or new york might make it a better place to study dentistry
I thought I would receive something in the mail with details about coming to the interview, with parking info, the itinerary, etc., but no cigar. Not a big deal
The interview process was a little informal. The pressure was definately off but, I would have liked to have some sort of overview/informational session.
Interviews were fairly disorganized, I arrived 30 minutes early and wasn't seen until 15 minutes after my interview had started. Some students were given tours before their interview (which I would consider an advantage) and some weren't (me).
The pre-clinical facilities and classrooms were nothing special, and pretty old.
OK, i was considering Creighton...matches my scores+cheap, but when going to visit the campus and interview(not formally) I was suffocated by how rural it was. If you are from NE, then maybe, but if you crave any form of diversity and culture, please do your homework first.
Also, the 4th year seemed absolutely dead, and I could tell he really did not want to be giving me a tour.
The fact that they still have not integrated computers into the program. Most schools have some sort of laptop based program while they use paper everything. There also isnt a sim lab.
Applicants commonly wished they had known about the hybrid interview process, the prevalence of situational questions, and the conversational nature of the interviews. They also mentioned the importance of arriving early but not being the first to sign in, being prepared for potential changes in interview order, having a copy of their resume handy, and being aware of logistical details like parking and attire.
Top 5 Responses: (Click below to see additional responses)
That it was a hybrid interview process with a portion online and in school visit.
If you are the first person to sign in your interview will be first. I advise not to be the first one because if your interview is a little later then the others, than you can have a tour before your interview and that can be helpful. I was the first one there so I did not get to tour before my interview but others who came after me went on their tour first and then had their interview. Ofcourse this does not mean you should go late, be on time but try not to be the first one to sign in :)
How cohesive the student were. The new freshman class were all smiling and laughing like they weren't in their first year. My tour was with a DS-4 and he was pretty cool. Full of info, said some of the profs were kind of goofy but he is very happy with his education at Creighton.
There is a reason it is double the price to fly to Omaha than NY and takes just as long. You cannot find a direct flight, because no one in their right mind would want to go there.
I wish I had a copy of my resume on me. Don't try to alter a suit close to interview times. I almost didn't have anything to wear because my alterations were messed up.
36% interviewees used OMA (OMA), with 9% using Eppley Airfield (Eppley Airfield) and 9% using Omaha Ep (Omaha Ep) and 9% using Omaha's Eppley Airfield (Omaha's Eppley Airfield) and 9% using epply (epply) and 9% using Eppley Field (Eppley Field) and 9% using Omaha (Omaha) and 9% using Chicago ohare and omaha NE (Chicago ohare and omaha NE).
What was your primary mode of transportation?
Most interviewees traveled by airplane to the interview.
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48% Airplane
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42% Automobile
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6% Train or Subway
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3% Other
Hotels Recommended by Other Interviewees
Most interviewees stayed at the Best Western Seville Plaza (average ranking 7.3/10), with some staying at Best Western Seville (average rating 10/10). (Top 3 displayed)
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Best Western Seville Plaza
7.3/10
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Best Western Seville
10/10
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Hilton
9.5/10
What was the cost and time spent traveling?
Cost: Low Cost to High Cost
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents are out of state students.
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
Admissions staff (5%)
Faculty member (3%)
Other (3%)
Student (89%)
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
