I remember when I went in for my interview for pharmacy school; I was so nervous I almost felt sick to my stomach. But once I started talking and getting to ask follow up questions, my nerves totally relaxed and I really enjoyed the experience. While I wouldn’t want to go through it again, it definitely wasn’t as stressful or scary as my imagination came up with. Some of the biggest tips to ace your interview are common sense, but some of them you may not know. This isn’t a bad thing. It’s just means that you can learn from reading this post.
Currently, I am a pharmacy student based in South Carolina so I’ve been in your shoes before so let’s get started how you are going to do amazing in your interview for either medical or pharmacy school. Hey the process is the same, just not the degree.
Prepare by researching the school
If you’re really serious about applying for pharmacy or medical school, then you need to do your research on each school that you have an interview with. Each school has their own story, achievements, and specialties. So knowing a little more details about the college will definitely give you an advantage over the competition. Pharmacy is all about the small details, and this one of those details you don’t want to skip out on.
Dress for the occasion
Being in a medical profession, it’s highly looked beyond as a serious profession. So coming to your interview in jeans and a tshirt won’t win you any favors and will actually hurt your shot of getting accepted into the program. You’ll want to come dressed for success by wearing either a suit or business clothes. It’s an interview and so you should act like it is. You’ll be so surprised at the amount of people who don’t come dressed for the occasion and who are too causal about the interview.
For men:
- Dark suit
- Tie or bow tie
- Dress shoes
For woman:
- Black slacks or skirt
- Fancy blouse
- Heels or business flats
- Blazer
Arrive on time ready to go
Plan ahead when it comes to transportation and travel to the interview with time to spare. You never know what may happen on the way to the interview so prepare for the worst case scenario. If you’re arriving via airplane, than make sure to your connection flights and landing flight leave enough time for any airway delays and time to arrive at the school. Same goes with driving! You literally never know if there is going to a big crash on the road or something crazy happen.
When I had my interview for pharmacy school, my interview happened a week before a big flood came through the town so interview was pushed back a week as well as the verdict. It was a crazy mess of a time, but I was prepared regardless.
Asks questions to your interviewers
Most people think that an interview is a one-way street, but it’s totally not! Yes, you’ll be asked questions by each person that interviews you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions to them too. I would highly recommend having a list of questions that you might want to ask during the interview. I know for me when I had my first interview I was so nervous that I forgot a lot of the questions that I had, but since I had them written down, I could refer back to my list.
Ask questions to the pharmacy students
If you get the chance to talk with current pharmacy students, do it! They have such great valuable insight into what the program at their school is truly like and are always willing to answer any questions that you may have. No need to bring any prep questions for current students, but feel free to wiggle your way to the front of the group to get your questions answered. Plus they’ll be the best ones to give tips and advice!
Bring copies of your resume
I carried a small, professional looking folder that held multiple copies of my resume as well as a list of questions that I might want to ask during the interview. It’s just a good practice to do when you’re in an interview setting as well as to have your resume memorized. The interviewers will have looked at your application beforehand so they will know some key details about you, but you need to be able to go more in-depth about each item that you listed on your resume and application.
Practice makes perfect
If you have any friends who are in the program already or know a pharmacists or doctor, then you can see if they would be willing to help you practice for your interview. The more that you can practice with different people and with different questions, the more you’ll feel confident when asked for the real deal.
Once you’ve made it to the interview, you’ve already crossed a big hurdle, which is getting the interview in the first place. Not everyone who applies for pharmacy or medical school will even get picked for an interview, so feel lucky and keep this tips in mind before walking in for your interview. Good luck future students! I wish you the best of luck!
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You may also enjoy: How I Gained Pharmacy Experience as a Freshmen in College, 8 Questions to Ask in Your Pharmacy School Interview, and 3 Study Tips to Ace the PCAT
