Tell me about a book, podcast, or article that changed how you think.
Intellectual curiosity and whether you engage with ideas beyond coursework.
How to structure your answer
- 1Name it
- 2The specific idea that landed
- 3What it changed in how you think or act
- Pick something you actually consumed and can discuss
- Focus on one idea rather than summarizing the whole thing
- Name the change in you, not just the content
- It doesn't have to be about dentistry or medicine
A strong answer
What lands
I recently read Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. What stayed with me was the importance of asking people what matters to them instead of assuming we know. When my grandmother moved in with us, we focused so much on keeping her safe that we sometimes overlooked her independence. I started asking what she wanted to do for herself, even something as simple as making her own tea. It reminded me that good care starts with listening to the person receiving it.
One idea, followed into a household, and turned into a habit of asking.
A weak answer
What most people say
I read Thinking, Fast and Slow and it really changed how I look at decision-making. It's about the two systems in our brains and how we're much less rational than we assume we are. I think about it a lot when I'm studying or when I have to make a call under pressure.
A famous title summarized at book-jacket depth, with no change in her named.
The trap
⚠Naming a prestigious book you skimmed. They will ask a follow-up. Getting caught here is worse than naming something modest and knowing it inside out.
Reading it isn't the same as saying it.
Most people can explain a good answer and still fall apart saying one out loud. Admitted asks you all 100 questions in a faculty voice, records you, and scores your pace and filler words.
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