How do you deal with stress?

Stress is an inevitable part of dental school — and indeed, of a career in dentistry more broadly — so this question is really testing your self-awareness and your ability to manage pressure constructively. Never claim you don’t get stressed; everyone does, and pretending otherwise comes across as either dishonest or lacking in self-insight.

What a strong answer shows

• Self-awareness — recognising when you are becoming stressed, and knowing when it’s time to step back rather than pushing through unsustainably.
• The importance of taking breaks from studying and continuing to make time for extracurricular activities, rather than treating them as optional extras to be dropped under pressure.
• A clear plan of who you’d turn to for support — friends, peers, and lecturers — showing you understand the value of having people around you, not just personal coping strategies alone.
• Awareness of university support services, showing you know formal help is available and that you’d be willing to use it if needed.

Ways of managing stress

• Stepping back from the source of stress, even briefly, to gain perspective.
• Talking to someone — whether a friend, family member, or mentor.
• Engaging in hobbies as a healthy distraction and outlet.

Making it personal and authentic

This answer should be grounded in a real, specific example from your own life — a group project, a deadline, or a personal dilemma — rather than a generic description of stress management in the abstract. The example itself matters less than how clearly you can show what you actually did, and what you learned from it.

Linking it to dentistry

It’s important to go beyond just describing how you managed stress in the past — explain how you intend to apply the same approach to the demands of dental school, and beyond that, to a career in dentistry itself. A strong answer recognises that stress doesn’t disappear once you qualify — dentistry can be demanding throughout university and an entire working career, which is why having a solid, reliable foundation of stress management techniques — and being willing to regularly review and adjust these techniques — is so important. Ending with a genuine sense of motivation to manage stress effectively, rather than simply “coping,” shows real maturity.

Suggested structure for this question

• Acknowledge that stress is a normal part of life, without ever claiming you don’t experience it yourself.
• Give a specific, authentic example of a time you were stressed — a deadline, group project, or personal challenge.
• Explain exactly how you managed it, including any support you sought from others, and how you knew it was time to step back.
• Describe the outcome — how your approach improved the situation.
• Reflect on how you’d apply this same approach in dental school, and more broadly across your future career, showing you understand that stress management is an ongoing skill rather than a one-time fix.
• End with genuine motivation to keep developing and reviewing your own stress management strategies throughout your career.