Tell me about a time you worked in a team as a leader

This is a question that assesses how you work as part of a team, especially as the leader.

Start off your answer by identifying a situation where you were a team leader, mentioning your responsibilities and how you achieved your goals. You want to show the interviewer that you are a competent and reliable leader, as this comes handy in dentistry too.

Here are some examples of what makes a good team leader:

• Being able to delegate tasks
• Being fair
• Overseeing the project
• Listening to other members of the team
• Problem solving
• Be respectful towards everyone

Now let's talk about how this relevant in dentistry. You will be an important part of a dental team and will be leading 99% of the time. It's important that you can use your leadership skills here too. As a dentist, you will be leading the treatment plans, therefore you will be delegating tasks to your nurse. You will be the responsible individual for the patient's safety; this should not be thrust upon any other member of staff. You can also give examples of this that you may have seen in your work experience.

If you faced any disputes in your team, mention that too. Don't dwell on the negatives though, talk the interviewer through how you managed the issue, showing your problem-solving skills. Make it aware to the interviewer that you already are a good team leader and are ready to take on the responsibilities of a dentist.

Suggested structure for this answer

• Mention a time where you were the team leader
• Briefly describe your roles and responsibilities
• Describe what went well (and what went wrong)
• If something went wrong, discuss how you handled it
• Talk about how your leadership skills in your situation will transfer into dentistry