The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include scenarios about handling conflicts, working in groups, overcoming mistakes, initiating change, and explaining motivations for pursuing a career in pharmacy or choosing a specific program. Many respondents also mentioned being asked personal questions like their favorite book, future career aspirations, and their unique attributes that would contribute to their success in the program. Some responses referred to an MMI format with questions related to nondisclosure agreements and specific essay content.
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Give an example of a situation where you had a conflict and what did you do to diffuse it?
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Name a time you worked as a group to overcome a problem.
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Tell me about an instance where you made a mistake and how did you fix it.
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Talk about a time you made a mistake and how you fixed it.
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What types of pharmacy professions do you know about besides clinical and community?
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What is my dream job?
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When was a time you when you initiated change to improve something?
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Why do you want to pursuit a career in Pharmacy? Why did you choose University of Minnesota?
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Tell me about yourself.
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Why U of M?
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Why pharmacy? Why UMN?
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What do you know about the profession of pharmacy?
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Tell me about an issue/challenge/experience you encountered during your studies and how you dealt with it.
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Have I ever witnessed someone cheating on an exam, if not, what would I do?
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How many pharmacy schools are part of an academic health center?
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Why pharmacy?
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Who is an influential person to you in this field?
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What changes have you seen, personally, within the field of pharmacy over the years you've been a technician?
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What is unique about the Minnesota program that attracted you to apply?
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Why UMN?
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Why University of Minnesota?
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They have access to the essays, so I was asked specific questions pertaining to my essay.
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What research experience do you have?
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If one of your classmates was giving other students an update of a fellow student that was in the hospital by sharing details of his condition, would that be okay?
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Why the U of M?
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Tell me what you like about pharmacy
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Where do you see yourself in six years?
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Why Twin Cities and not Duluth? Follow up question. Do you see advantages to Duluth vs MPLS?
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If your grandma asked you a question about a medication in your first year of pharmacy school, what would you tell her?
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How do you think the health care professionals communicate with each other?
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I see you speak three languages, how did that happen? (looking at my essays)
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Besides hospital and community pharmacists, what other types of pharmacists are there?
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Why are you choosing this school?
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Why Minnesota?
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Please explain a group experience you have had in which one of the members was not being cooperative/not doing their fair share of work. What did you do to resolve the issue?
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I see you applied last year, how have you added to your application in the subsequent year?
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Why did you choose pharmacy?
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Why are you interested in the University of Minnesota?
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Trying to think of questions that weren't already mentioned.....describe a time you made a mistake and how you fixed it.
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Why Minnesota over schools in Arizona?
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Why Univeristy of Minnesota?
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Where do you see the field of pharmacy going?
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So, why Pharmacy?
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What made you decide you wanted to be a pharmacist?
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Why should we accept you over other applicants?
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What did you expect from/that would happen at the interview today? My answer was on the line of....I've done a lot of research on the U of MN, and I feel that I expected exactly what has happened thus far.... (better put, though!)
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Tell me about yourself
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What is your favorite book?
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Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
What distinguishes me from others?
What kind of research I've done and what type of research U of M has to offer me?
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Tell me about your self
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What kind of setting could you see yourself practicing in 10 years from now?
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Why have you chosen pharmacy as your intended profession?
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How were you a caregiver?
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Why do I want to be a pharmacist
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Why pharmacy? Why U of M? Are you considering other schools?
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Tell me about your directed research.
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Why do you want to be a pharmacist?
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What are current issues in the field of pharmacy?
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Why pharmacy? What attributes do you have that would make you successful in this program?
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What is your definition of a caregiver? Tell me about a challanging experience. How did you handle it? How do you handle stress?
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What issues do you see in today's pharmacy world? If I give you money to do any research, what research will you do? WHY PHARMACY?
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Why pharmacy..where have u shown leadership...where do you see ur self in ten years..who is ur role model...
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy discussed various topics, including views on pharmacists prescribing medication, personal experiences helping others, differences between schools, decision-making scenarios, and admiration for healthcare professionals. While some responses hinted at an MMI format with nondisclosure agreements, common themes revolved around problem-solving, ethical dilemmas, career aspirations, and personal attributes.
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Tell me about yourself and your life!?
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How do you feel about pharmacist being able to prescribe medications? Interviewer made a case if NPs and PAs do it then why not pharmacists.
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What is one way you helped somebody? And how did you do it?
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What makes other schools more appealing than our school?
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Do you think pharmacists should be able to write prescriptions?
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What was one situation in which you were in charge and take initiative to change or improve the situation?
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How do you solve a problem?
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What would you want your obituary to say about you?
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How do retail pharmacists communicate with doctors and nurses?
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What question didn't I ask you that I should have? Answer it.
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Your friend asks you why you need to attend school for 4 years to dispense pills, what do you tell them?
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He asked me about my volunteer experience. Although the interview was closed file the professor did have access to my supplemental application answers. Possibly he had the PharmCAS essay in front of him too but I'm not sure since he didn't ask me about it.
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If you have a family member who is still conscious and able to make decisions, but is elderly: Some members of the family want to put him/her in hospice and others want to pull out all the stops with medical care to extend life. What do you think of this and what would be your specific role in the situation.
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What is the position of the pharmacist among all the health care professional?
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If a fellow student was in the hospital and someone read their medical chart and were telling people specific information, what would you do?
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Who is a person in the field you admire?
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If a student and friend of yours looked at a paper you wrote and then basically copied it and turned it in, what would you do?
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A classmate of yours is in the hospital. A fellow classmate, who works at the same hospital, checks out their chart and informs the rest of your class how they are doing. How would you respond to this?
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Tell me some things about yourself that I wouldn't know from your application.
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What led you to make your campus selection?
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Same as question 2
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What do you do in your spare time?
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Tell my about a time you made a mistake and how you handled it.
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If your teacher gave your group an assignment that required more work than all the other groups how would you handle that?
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"I know I asked you this question before...but I would like to ask it again..what does the U of M have to offer you?"
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Describe a time when you made an error in judgment or action, and what you did to fix it
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During your first year, if your grandma asked you about a drug what would you tell her?
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Please describe someone in that works in the field of health care that you admire and respect.
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I told her I became interested in pharmacy in high school and she asked me personal questions about what I was like (basically to see how well-rounded I was) when I made that decision, such as other activities, and why I didn't pursue other areas of interest.
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Besides community and hospital pharmacists, what other kinds of pharmacists are you aware of?
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How do you see the profession of pharmacy changing in the future?
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There were a lot of situational questions. One that stands out was something like this: you just took a test. A group of students that also took the test are talking about the questions that were on it. Another student you know will be taking the same test is standing there listening to the discussion. What would you do about this?
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None...
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How do you see yourself as a caregiver?
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What do you do when you aren't in class or studying?
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What are your learning styles? How do you learn?
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None - the only questions asked were "what did you expect from the interview" and "do you have any questions for me about the program?"
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They were all interesting
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How do you see the field of pharmacy evolving?
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How did you end up considering pharmacy field?
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Describe a time where I had to handle a difficult situation and how I handle the situation.
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How your pharmacy manager see the future of pharmacy?
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Describe a time where you had to work through a problem in group setting.
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I didn't really have a most interesting question b/c I wasn't asked many questions.
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Nothing, all the questions seemed normal. It was more like a conversation that question and answer.
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The origin of my last name. Most of the time he was talking -- always a good sign.
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How prepared am I for pharmacy school?
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What radio stations do you listen to?
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Tell me about yourself and your family.
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What have the pharmacists at your workplace told you about the pharmacy profession?
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What are recent books you have read? Describe.
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I was asked about what I felt about holistic care. I really didn't know how to answer this one!
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If you were given money to go to Barnes and Noble and pick one book, what book will you pick and why?
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How do you describe a caregiver?..where have you shown these characteritics...
Most applicants prepared for the interview by reviewing questions on studentdoctor.net, practicing answers out loud, reading interview feedback, researching the school's website, reviewing application materials, and staying current on pharmacy topics. Mock interviews, practicing with friends, and reviewing personal statements and essays were also common strategies used to prepare effectively.
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Review questions, talk in mirror, write down my motivations for pharmacy and compare it to what I said in my personal statement, and review schools website. Applied to various jobs so I could stress test myself for behavioral questions.
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Practice answering questions out loud in a mirror
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SDN, reviewed my PharmCAS application.
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Reading interview feedback here, write out answers to common interview questions, read about current topics in pharmacy.
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SDN feedback
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SDN, previous interview to the school, friend's interview feedback
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Studentdoctor.net & researched the school
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Read and prepare for all the questions posted on SDN, mock interviews with friends.
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Going over all the question from the interview feedback section
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SDN Interview Feedback
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Read reviews on SDN.
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Mock interview and SDN surveys
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Interview feedback, typing up possible answers to questions, review application materials, look at the school's website, practice with a friend.
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SDN interview feedback, checked out a couple of interview books.
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SDN, mock interviews
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Looked at the interview feedback here on SDN and had an idea of what my answer would be, although I didn't want to sound too rehearsed.
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The admissions office recommends that you buy an interview prep lesson for a "nominal fee." The lesson is on UM's blackboard site and is only $20. I wasn't going to buy it initially but in the end I did even though I'd already been to a couple of interviews. The lesson is pretty basic but does give you even more concepts/questions to practice with and helps soothe nerves.
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Really learned about the program from the website. Why would you apply to programs that don't interest you? Interview feedback also helped. Tried to stay up to date with some health related news too.
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Become familiar with information on the school's website, as well as research on the direction the pharmacy profession is going.
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Read SDN. Practice answers with friends.
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Finding some of the questions and practicing them outloud.
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School website, but mostly I relied on my own knowledge of my work experience and my long academic history. I went in telling myself, "You already know the answers to the questions."
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This website, reviewing the school website, pharmacy journals, my PS and essay questions, my resume, other web articles...
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School website mostly, this forum interview feedback
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Scanned through the SDN forums and talked to current and former students.
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I read over my essays and personal statement, mock interviews, SDN, pharmacy journal articles, and talked to other pharmacy students.
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SDN, reviewing the UMN website, reviewing application essays, browsing pharmacy ejournals to identify current topics/issues.
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SDN, PharmCAS essay, supplemental essays of all schools, Resume, current events and issues from Pharm magazines.
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SDN, U of MN website, read over my application materials, read up on current pharmacy topics.
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I prepared by re-reading my personal statement and supplemental essays, reading up on current pharmacy topics, looking at practice interview questions I found on the web, and doing several mock interviews through Career Services.
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SDN and read about the school on the website.
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SDN Forums, U of M website, tour at the college the day before
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Read SDN interview feedback, practiced interviewing in front of a mirror, browsed the school's website, read articles about pharmaceutical care.
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Reading the school website, reading my pharmcas essays, my supplementals, reading up on current events, etc.
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SDN, review pharmCAS files/essay, Minnesota essay, practice interview questions
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Reviewed applications (for all schools) and read this site for lots of potential questions. Also looked up a few faculty sites to see hot topics/areas of research.
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I reviewed my application; read about the U of M College of Pharmacy on their website; read feedback on this website; and practiced answering questions I thought that they might ask. I also read about current topics in pharmacy.
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Reviewing SDN interview feedback for the school, trying to brainstorm answer outlines for those questions.
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Reading through the SDN interview feedback, looking at general interview tips on the web.
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This Website, UofM website.
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I prepared for the interview by reading all information provided on the school's website, reading interview postings on SDN and by preparing answers to the questions that other applicants were asked
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I read the questions/topics posted on studentdoctor.net, familiarized myself with the college, identified my strengths, weaknesses, and passions.
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I didn't really.
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Sdn interview feedback, wrote out possible questions and the answers i would give
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Reviewed questions from this website, looked over my application.
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Read about current topics, asked pharmacists questions, re-read my PharmCAS application and supplemental. Re-read the information I had from Preview Day.
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Mostly through this site and my own perception of what I would ask
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Reviewed my essays and PharmCas application. Reviewed school's website in detail.
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Read Interview Feedback on SDN (extremely helpful), school's webstie, health news from u.s. news ... All the questions that I was asked were on SDN interview feedback...
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Reading SDN interview feedback, reading over my essays on my supplemental application, reading issues currently in pharmacy, talking to RPH I work with regarding their view of the U of M and Pharmacy.
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Looked at interview books and looked at the SDN website to see specific questions that were asked from the school I was having my interview at.
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SDN,talked to pharmacists,researched current pharmacy issues.
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Mock interview, student doctor network, researched the schools webpage, researched different settings in which a pharmacist may work, researched current medicare policies.
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I prepared for the interview by researching the school, it's curriculum and it's stragetic plan. I also made a list of interview questions posted on this website and methodically wrote out answers in order to focus my thoughts and ideas.
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Sdn, mock interviews, practice
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I prepared for the interview by looking at the questions on this site, and then writing out answers on paper. Obviously you can't look at your answers in the interview, but it helped me have an idea about what I would say in the actual situation. I also explored the school's website.
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Pretty good
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Read the website, current articles about pharmacy, and the Minnesota tribune online.
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Reading online information about pharmacy and checking this website
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This website, other websites about interviewing, went to a workshop at the school for interviewing
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SDN, reading up on what the school is known for, talking to alumni.
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Talk to current Pharm. D students, pharmacists, websites, etc.
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Reviewing standard interview books, which offer examples of generic interview questions, which were used during the interview (tell me about yourself, etc.)
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Online feedback resources, reviewed application statements, reviewed oath of a pharmacist, gathered and reviewed possible questions.
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Research on school webpage.
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I did a lot of research. I try to be very prepared for interviews like this. I checked out a few books on interviews at the library and went over possible questions in my head before I got there
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Practice for FAQ, asking friends for essay question, snoop around.
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SDN..practice wit friends..and other pharmacists
Students said the most difficult question asked at University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy discussed a range of scenarios, including handling conflicts, initiating positive changes, addressing ethical dilemmas, and envisioning the future of the pharmacy profession. Additionally, the responses indicated a variety of personal and professional questions, with some respondents facing challenging ethical scenarios involving patient care and family dynamics.
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Give an example of a situation where you had a conflict and what did you do to diffuse it? (it threw me off, we were having a very open one-to-one that I lost myself in the response....I got it done though).
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Tell me about a time where you initiated a positive change to improve a situation.
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What is something that you did to improve somebody's life?
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What changes do you want to see in the pharmacy field? How would you play a role in that change while in school and after graduation?
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N/A -
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What do you think is the weakness of the pharmacy profession?
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When did you initiate change in a situation?
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Tell me about a time you made a mistake and how you went about fixing it.
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Name a time you did something wrong and what you did to fix it.
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Describe a time when you became a leader.
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Tell me about yourself - I hate that one!
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Tell me what questions I forgot to ask.
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Describe a time when you took initiative with a project and changed it for the better.
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Suppose one of your family members is terminally ill and the rest of your family is looking to you (a pharmacist) for guidance. The rest of the family is pushing for a lengthy treatment to try and cure the ill family member. What do you do?
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None really, I felt well prepared and was very comfortable.
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A patient is on life support and the physician tells the family members the patient still has a chance, but the family still want to take him off of life support. What would you tell this family as a pharmacist?
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What was one time when you made a mistake and how did you deal with it?
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What challenges will the field of pharmacy see in the future?
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What other professions did you consider when you were looking at Pharmacy? This was hard because it's getting at your motivation for Pharmacy, and I just answered the question literally... oops! Sometimes you have to learn how to read into the questions!
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Describe an unethical situation you found yourself in and how you resolved it.
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Would you rule out working as a pharmacist at a large chain pharmacy such as Walgreens?
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How will you do if you are frustrated with heavy workload? How will you handle it?
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How do you feel about the other schools that you have interviewed with?
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Who in a healthcare profession has had an impact on you, and why/how?
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Same as most interesting question.
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Tell me about a recent problem you've encountered..and how did you deal with it?
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Same as most interesting question
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A group of students who had taken a test is talking about it in front of a student who hasn't taken it yet. what do you do?
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Please explain a time when one of your colleges or coworkers was doing something wrong? What did you do and how did you fix it?
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(I see you have experience) Is there a pharmacist you work with that you consider a mentor? What quality do they have that makes you admire them and how would you reflect that in your future practice?
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You just took a test and a group of students that also took the test are talking about the questions that were on it. Another student who will be taking the same test is standing there listening to the discussion. What would you do?
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I see you're a spring graduate: what have you been doing with your time since you graduated?
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Probably the one I just mentioned. Just be honest with the interviewer...they will read through bs answers. Another difficult question was the classic opener "Tell me about yourself". I should have rehearsed this one more because I kind of skipped around. Be prepared for it...it's simple but can get you into trouble.
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Why Minnesota over schools in Arizona?
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What do you forsee as obstacles in pharmacy school?
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Why U of MN?
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Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
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None - it was mostly conversation just getting to know me. We connected, as we have so much in common and very similar passions in pharmacy and outside of pharmacy. It was the best interview I have had for any job, professional school, etc, etc, etc!!
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May be my preparation had something to do with how I perceived the questions...but they were very easy to articulate
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What do you think the weaknesses of the U of M are?
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What do the pharmacist at your pharmacy think about the career and its future?
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Upon graduation, what types of rotations or externships would you be interested in and why?
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What other intervenes so pharmacist do?
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What are your favorite and least favorite classes and why?
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Describe a time that you worked in a group made up of people from diverse backgrounds (such as race, religion, culture ...)
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What is your definition of caregiver, and how have you fulfilled this role in your life?
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I didn't really have a difficult question either...sorry!
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Nothing
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Why pharmacy? Overall it was a very relaxing, encouraging interview. He was a very interesting and smart person.
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What defines pharmaceutical care?
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Describe a time in your life when you were most creative (writing part of interview)
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"'Do you have any other questions or things that you want to share"-after we had already been exchanging questions back and forth for 20 minutes.
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What roles do you think pharmacists have in the future?
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What are your weaknesses?
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See above
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Your biggest strength and weakness.
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Last question was..if there was one thing I (interviewer) wanted to know about you (student) what would it be and why?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the welcoming and laid-back atmosphere during interviews, where they felt valued as individuals and not just applicants. They also appreciated the enthusiasm and friendliness of the faculty, staff, and students, as well as the emphasis on pharmaceutical care and the diverse opportunities offered by the program.
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1 program on 2 campuses that interact together; yet the campus locations have very different communities that they impact. Great opportunities for students to learn from either one.
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Interview was very laidback and conversational
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Cohesiveness of students, and overall team mentality between all students, professors, and administration. They are interested in the advancement and efficacy of the pharmacy field, not just running a pharmacy school.
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Closeness of the students
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How innovative the school wants their program to be.
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The program is excellent & everyone was very nice and helpful!
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The interview was one of the most relaxing interview I have had. The interviewer was really nice and open to all kinds of questions. The student were very friendly and they gave a tour on the school.
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My interviewer did an amazing job making me feel relaxed and comfortable. She definitely made it more like a conversation. I came out of my interviewing feeling really good. The entire faculty were really nice, including the current students. When everything was all over, I got lost trying to find the area that I got dropped of at and I ended up running into one of the student tour guides. He recognized me and when I told him I was lost, he took the time to take me to where I wanted to be :)
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Everyone seemed very nice and enthusiastic
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Emphasis on pharmaceutical care in curriculum, laid-back interview
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Friendliness of the staff.
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The College of Pharmacy is located right with other health profession fields. UMN stresses healthcare teams, so the fact that the dental, medical, and nursing schools are right there is really cool
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The politeness and professionalism of the staff.
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The warmth from the faculty and staff - they seemed as interested in us as we were in the school.
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The staff was very friendly and it seemed like there were a lot of great opportunities to do the experiential learning.
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The enthusiasm of the students
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The interview was very laid back. I spent almost an hour with a faculty member who wasn't a pharmacist and he made sure we spent time getting to know each other before he started formally asking me questions. I felt very comfortable and relaxed the entire time.
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Many of the students there were clearly big fans of their school and had turned down offers from other schools in order to attend UM. They also mentioned that it is a top three school... a lot.
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The entire program. I was also surprised by how much I loved the Duluth campus and feel.
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Putting me at ease
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They had a survey at the end on how to improve.
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The interview was very laid back and it was more of a conversation with specific questions thrown in, rather than it being an interrogation.
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My interviewer was telling me the strengths of the program, almost like he was trying to sell it to me!
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The friendliness of everyone there and the shared enthusiasm about the program.
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The various options upon graduating from this University. You can go into any field you want to as they are pretty much all represented here. The cutting edge technology and research occurring here is amazing.
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Everything
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The individual nature the program has towards its students.
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Friendly demeanor of interviewer. Very relaxing.
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The Admissions office being so helpful and conveying that they knew how important and personal this process is to some of us.
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The accessibility of our faculty and student hosts. You could tell that they all took great pride in the College.
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Students giving honest opinions about their life at pharmacy school-job, money, stress, social life, volunteering, staff, campus etc.
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The friendliness of the staff and the fact that they are incredibly open, honest and forthcoming about the university. You're given every bit of information you may need to make a decision. I was treated like a person, not just another applicant or number. Beautiful area, nice facilities (in comparison to what I've had in undergrad so far). Students really look happy.
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I was very impressed by how personal the day was. I felt like a person. I felt like, not only did they want to get to know me, but like they wanted me to get to know them (the college as a whole). Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. The pharmacy students we met were excited and so willing to answer any questions we had. It was a GREAT day with very little stress! They try to make it as painless as possible.
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Very casual atmosphere for being one of the best pharmacy schools. Also, even though it's in a very cold state, there are usually tunnels which allow you to walk to different parts of the campus so you don't have to go outside.
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EVERYTHING!! Its the land of opportunities!
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Interview was really laid back. It just seemed like my interviewer wanted to know me as a person, not as an applicant. He showed me his evaluation form and told me that I was going to be scored on 6 "dimensions," and then we just talked for 45 minutes.
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Everyone was extremely friendly and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me as a person. Minneapolis is also a great city!
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The friendliness of the faculty and students, free printing
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The Duluth campus offers quite a bit more to their students than I had expected.
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The Dean's welcome address and why we should choose Minnesota over other colleges. I also like that pharmaceutical care is a large part of the curriculum.
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Students are very enthusiastic about their school. There's a lot of flexibility in where you can live, and how you can get to campus.
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The faculty members I came across seemed very student oriented.
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The staff and students were all very upbeat and proud of their school, this college has great facilities. Dean made it a point that they know they are competing for the best students and "sold" what the program has to offer to incoming students.
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The students and faculty were very positive and enthusiastic. The atmosphere was filled with positive energy.
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The visit made me feel extremely comfortable - they did a great job making you feel like you belonged. I left feeling energized about pharmacy school.
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Focus on interdisciplinary work between the Allied Health Center, focus on pharmaceutical care.
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The u of mn has an amazing faculty, they are well known and leaders in the field
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My interviewer was so easy to talk to, it was easy to relax and have a conversation with her.
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Everything. Mostly how inspiring my interviewer was and how highly they thought of me and my very unique qualifications - Interior Design major, 31 yrs old, study abroad, communication abilities.
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They were very interested in YOU as a PERSON
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Student camraderie and laid back atmosphere. New facilities opening next year. Faculty appear approachable.
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Facilities, faculty, staff, and students... everyone is extremely nice and enthusiastic about the program
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EVERYTHING!! I was very impressed with the program. It is well established and it would be an honor to attend!!
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Great facillities and up to date department. All the teacher's lectures were available on line so you can look over lectures again and again.
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Their labs
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The dean's opening statements really sold the school to me.
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As the pioneer of pharmaceutical care, the school offers outstanding opportunities to work with remarkable pharmacists at the top of their game. My interviewer kept the process rather conversational, and she effectively answered all my questions. I walked away feeling as if this was a world-class institution with outstanding faculty.
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How everyone knew each other; the students and faculty are totally helpful
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I really enjoyed the tour. Not only did I get to see what the school looks like, but I also had plenty of opportunities to ask current students questions about the school.
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The location
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The staff and students seemed like a very supportive, inviting group.
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The speech by the Dean and the faculty teaching the courses
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The process was very well organized. They gave us information packets to take home which was great. I was a little uncertain if the school would be a good fit for me but talking w/my interviewer convinced me.
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Minnesota nice. And, they let everybody know in early to mid April if they're in or not.
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How organized the interview process and tour are?
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The high ranking of the school in the nation.
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Very nice faculty, student body. Great facilities, great possibilities for different learning experiences. Interview was very comfortable, not nearly as stressful as I thought it would be.
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Very organized interviewing process. the interprofessional connections. the school is located at the heart of the medical hospital center. in demand of pharmacists.
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VERY laid back guy and he really seemed to think I was very qualified for this position. He looked through my file and told me that there was no way I wasn't going to get into pharmacy school. He stopped the interview right there and we just casually chatted and he tried to sell me the program.
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They didn't make me feel intimidated, they were professional, friendly, and helpful. The Dean was also speaking, and she seemed to promote the school (try to sell the school to us, not make us feel like we are begging to get in there). Oh..and they provided us with a list of all faculty with their research interest!--> Hint: find out to make a conversation/ questions to your interviewer. They also allowed us to make changes to campus preference, in which I decided to change mine to TC only.
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Campus is really nice, everything connects by tunnels so u dont have to go outsite in bitter cold...faculty very very nice..same with interviewer...really nice doctor
Applicants were most commonly unimpressed by the lack of information or exposure to the alternate campus, unorganized schedules causing delays, lack of diversity in student panels, disorganized or rushed tours, and the weather. Suggestions include providing more information about both campuses, better organization of schedules and tours, ensuring diversity in student panels, and addressing concerns about the weather in advance.
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The choice of choosing between the two campuses. Food provided wasn't labeled (type of meat, etc.)
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Some whole days on the Duluth campus are spent in the same room. It would be nice if the ITV classes didn't have mandatory attendance, as they are recorded and available online all semester long.
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Location
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Nothing
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People said that the interview process is more like a conversation. But, my interviewer went down a list and asked a bunch of questions!
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Nothing.
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One of the student tour guides ran into a friend while in the middle of the tour and she completely ignored us after that. We ended up leaving her behind because she was too busy talking to her friend. I thought that was really rude because she was suppose to be there to give us a tour! Also, I was the only out of state student interviewing that day and the entire student panel was either from Minnesota or Wisconsin. I was at the Duluth campus but I really wanted to go to the Twin Cities campus. It was really hard to get a sense of what the Twin Cities campus was like.
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None.
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Nothing in particular.
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There are not many rotations outside of Minnesota.
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The city of Duluth is kind of boring to me.
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My interviewer did make a weird comment that could have been taken as racist - it was in kind of a gray area. I didn't know how to react.
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Everyone on the student panel was from Wisconsin or Minnesota.
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The days events ran a little over schedule. These things can be unpredictable but most people had tight travel plans.
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I didn't particularly like Duluth. I wish I could have interviewed at the Twin Cities campus which is the one I selected at the end of the interview.
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Mostly after my interview and campus tour I was just exhausted. I already had jet lag and the stress leading up to the interview was tiring. The experience itself wasn't negative, just felt long due to me being exhausted.
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None at the moment.
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Nothing that I can think of
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I really enjoyed it and have no negative comments.
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The interviewer was a faculty researcher who did not have much contact with the Pharm.D. students other than to guide them through the Pharm.D. thesis so he could not tell me much about the school and program. The facilities were also not incredibly impressive, but they will suffice :)
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Wish I could have met more of the faculty and the professors.
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The rumor about the weather
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None
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Having seen the Twin Cities Campus I was not very impressed with the Duluth Campus.
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Nothing on interview day itself; however, it would have been nice to try show the facilities on the alternative campus (especially for those not interviewing on their selected campus).
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No food provided!
A PharmD Professor cum sociologist lectured for half hour for no reason-waste of time!!!
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No negative impressions.
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Nothing because this has been my best interview experience so far.
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The Pharmacy lab in a way...
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I wish he had asked more pharmacy related questions. How will he know whether I'm motivated for the profession if he doesn't ask me?
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My interviewer was a little late, but this was also kind of nice because it lowered my stress level.
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Location - its cold
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Minnesota weather is going to be a little different than Southern California weather.
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The tour was rushed and fairly worthless. I think the guide worked in admissions but she could have been a student. Either way she was terrible and I felt like the tour was about as worthless as it could have been.
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Nothing....it moved them to the top 2 or 3 schools on my list.
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The students currently enrolled in the PharmD program weren't required to adhere to a dress code. My interviewer was unable to answer several of the questions I posed during the interview; however, he did provide the contact information of another professor who would be able to address the questions.
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My interviewer seemed rather dry - little emotion, little reaction. I felt like I could not establish common ground.
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Driving/living in the Twin Cities.
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Not much. The admissions staff did try to stress the connectedness of the Twin Cities and Duluth campus while the student panel essentially said the students of the two campuses feel separate.
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Cold weather... be prepared for extremely cold winds...
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There was a lot of "free-time" in between activities. Would have liked more time for the student panel.
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There wasn't much mention about the other campus so I didn't know much about the other campus. Also, 2/3 of the teacher's lectures are on the main campus and satelite over to the other campus.
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The schedule was a little unorganized (although this could have been due to the U of M server going down). I finished my interview and had to wait 45 minutes to start my writing exercise.
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I wasn't as impressed with the labs as I had hoped to be. Compared with other top 5 schools, the lab seemed to be somewhat make-shift. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the student panel. The majority of the students were younger and more interested in talking about how much fun they have rather than what they thought of the program. I would have appreciated hearing more from older students who might have offered a different perspective on managing life and adult obligations as a pharmacy student. I was also disappointed in the lack of diversity of the panel. Every student but one was from Minnesota, and all went to small Minnesota state schools. Most of the students listening to the panel discussion were from out of state, and I would have found their comments most unhelpful. That said, I left the panel feeling that as a student you would be able to create your own niche and define your education at the U of M in whatever manner you choose.
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How confusing the building and location were for me; no bathroom break or chance to sneak away to use one.
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I can't think of anything.
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Its cold
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I'm not so sure I'm convinced that the cctv lectures are all that great . . . sounds like a cheap way to share a lecture between the twin cities and duluth campus.
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The student panel could have been better organized
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There was no time scheduled in between for breaks, to going to the bathroom. The student panel was not diverse (life expirence wise) I began to wonder about the diversity at the school. Facilities not very impressive at all.
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It is weird how they try hard to sell the school to everybody there, but they're only letting about half of the people in... My interviewer made commments like I was a shoo-in, but I have yet to find out.
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Nothing!
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The weather. I didn't think it'll be THAT cold but it was!
no food? I was starving half way through..
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Nothing, it was a great interview!
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Minnesota is damn cold!
Applicants commonly wished they had known to apply early to top 15 schools, to be aware of residency requirements for in-state tuition, and to research the faculty and curriculum. Additionally, they recommended being prepared for a conversational interview and understanding the campus size and structure, while also highlighting the importance of knowing about research opportunities and the unique aspects of the program.
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Apply early for top 15 schools.
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Parking meters only let you pay for 4 hours at a time, I got a ticket, but was able to pay it online.
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More about the person who interviewed me. but it is impossible to know who since they match you randomly.
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Out state students will not be eligible to pay in state tuition after they study at UMN for a year.
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Nothing.
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Interprofessional care and MTM are super important. Also, they are rewriting the curriculum for Fall 2012.
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Nothing really.
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I felt pretty well-prepared from the interview feedback on SDN.
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I wish I had known that Minnesota does not allow you to gain residency unless you live there for a year without attending school of any kind. I find this a bit unhelpful especially for older applicants who would necessarily move their entire households to Minnesota in order to attend the SOP. Every single other applicant in my interviewing group was very young and planned to go home for summer breaks.
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I wish the website had more information b/n the two campuses to help you make the decision easier. I ended up going with Duluth though.
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None
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To know my resume a little better
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The amazing research some of the faculty is doing. I have similar interests so it would have been great to bring that up in the interview.
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All the walking I would do as I wore shoes that weren't very comfortable...
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It was snowing and raining that morning
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None, I was pretty well prepared.
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Who my interviewer was, so that I could research his background+research interests.
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That my interview would be more like a conversation about everything in my life rather than specific questions about pharmacy or why I want to be there.
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The interviewers do not have access to your transcript or letters of recommendation.
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I said the interview was closed file, but they do know something about you from the information on your supplemental application. Some interviewers choose to look at that, while others wait until the interview actually takes place.
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That it would take a month before decisions are made!
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They use a satellite system with the Duluth campus.
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That its about a $30 cab ride from the airport to the hotel
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Only 16 people were being interviewed that day. I had expected many more.
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Nothing
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Many of their professors are actively involved in research.
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Just how huge the U of M campus in the Twin Cities is...2nd largest college campus in the nation! I knew it was big but not this big.
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Awesome program.....
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Nothing really stands out.
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How much I would end up liking it.
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Nothing. I went in very well informed of the school and process that would happen.
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It wasnt as cold as I thought
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They gave an optional main campus tour (not the pharmacy school) which I took and it was first. It put me at ease by letting me get to know a few other applicants before the interview.
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N/A
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The interview day was very long and lasted from 12:00 to 4:00 pm and there was no snack given or drinks given to us. They also had 2 essay questions: 1. Do you think that patients should have to sign consent forms understanding the risk before they get to pick up their medications. 2. Describe a time where you've demonstrate the most creativity.
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Nothing really came as a surprise to me.
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To get a map of campus and building if possible
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Again, I can't think of anything, but anyone interviewing should probably know that the U of M basically founded and developed pharmaceutical care.
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There is only about 80 seats left to fill in the school.
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Patient Care -- it was invented there.
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Should have attended the mock interviews
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New medicaid law
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I guess everything depends on who interviews you. My professor was extremely casual, so it was all about content and not at all about presentation. He didn't even introduce himself. Be ready to talk about yourself and show excitement about the profession and the school. They want to know that you want to go there, and my interviewer wanted to learn about me with very little effort on his part.
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More about the school
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I thought I might have time to consider which campus I would choose by myself, but my interviewer had to know what I would choose before I left the interview itself.
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None, I go to this university, nothing new.
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They only select 100 students to twin cities campus..and 50 to duluth
