How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.55 | 80 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 52 |
| Negatively | 11 |
| No change | 11 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 4.77 | 75 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.15 | 78 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.93 | 76 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In Person | 0 |
| Virtual | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 2 |
| 20 minutes | 1 |
| 25 minutes | 0 |
| 30 minutes | 2 |
| 35 minutes | 0 |
| 40 minutes | 6 |
| 45 minutes | 4 |
| 50 minutes | 9 |
| 55 minutes | 2 |
| 60+ minutes | 53 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 79 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 1 |
| In a group | 78 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 62 |
| Closed file | 15 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 2.55 | 80 |
"Why Pharmacy, Why Touro"
"Why Tour? Why Pharmacy?"
"Future of Pharmacy"
"What drug fascinates you above all others? Why is this drug so meaningful to you and how did it influence your interest in pharmacy? (For me, it was not a specific drug that interested me in pharmacy, so don't feel obliged to give a direct answer here)"
"Name a failure you have had"
"Tell us about yourself, why pharm, why touro?"
"Everyone in my group had research experience. They asked us all what our research was about?"
"What challenge do pharmacists face"
"What challenges and opportunities face pharmacy in the future?"
"Where do you envision pharmacy in 2026?"
"Why Touro? If you were any food, what would you choose to be? What is your greatest achievement? What do you think about technology and websites that allow people to diagnose illnesses by typing in symptoms? If you were ethically against dispensing a drug that a physician prescribed, what would you do?"
"What challenges pharmacists may face in the near future?"
"This school is based on teamwork. How have you experienced teamwork from your past experiences?"
"Tell me about yourself."
"Why pharmacy"
"About You: Tell us about yourself. Why you for the last spot? Are you satisfied with your life? What is your greatest achievement?"
"If you did not get into pharmacy school, what would you do?"
"Why Touro?"
"Where do you see pharmacy 10 years after you graduate?"
"Why pharmacy? What specific field of pharmacy?"
"WHY DID YOU CHOOSE PHARMACY AS A CAREER. WHAT LED YOU TO MAKE THIS CHOICE. WHY NOT MD"
"tell us a little bit of yourself."
"What do you think about Universal Healthcare? "
"Why pharmacy? Where do you see yourself in the future?"
"What do you like to do in your free time?"
"Why pharmacy school?"
"If a patient came in with a prescription that you thought would harm him, would you still give it to him?"
"Why Touro? Why Pharmacy?"
"Tell us about a time you worked in a team and how did that affect you?"
"Tell us a little about yourself, and why you are interested in pharmacy."
"Tell about yourself, why pharmacy, and why Touro?"
"Tell us about the last book you read."
"Why you/pharmacy?"
"Tell us about yourself."
"Why Touro/pharmacy/tell me about yourself (obviously!)"
"What is epistimology?"
"What 3 words describe you?"
"Where did I go to school and when did i graduate?"
"y pharm"
"Tell us about yourself. why pharmacy. why touro"
"Why Pharmacy?"
"tell me about yourself, and why pharmacy? what do you do for fun?"
"Tell us about yourself and why you chose pharmacy."
"questions about technology in the pharmacy (sorry I forgot the exact question)"
"Why pharmacy, who are you, a time you went above and beyond, plans after pharm school"
"Why are you interested in pharmacy?"
"Pharmacit's right to refuse to dispense b/c of moral objections."
"What do you think about the automated drug dispensing machine? Tell me about yourself and why did you choose Touro? "
"Tell me about yourself. Why did u choose Touro"
"Tell me about yourself? Why pharmacy?"
"what do you do for fun?"
"Tell us about yourself. Why Pharmacy? Why Touro?"
"If the pharmacy becomes too busy, how will you deal with customers and consultations?"
"Tell me about yourself..."
"Tell us about yourself (where you went to school, where you grew up, etc...)"
"How would you deal/what would you do when a patient requested a medication that you were morally against dispensing (EC, suicide pill, etc)?"
"tell me about yourself"
"Why are drugs so expensive in the States compared to others like Canada?"
"What do you think about the use of technology/machines in the pharmacy?"
"what do you like to do on your spare time?"
"Nutrition and role of a pharmacist"
"Do you prefer a structured environment or unstructured environment?"
"How would you explain to a patient that thier co-pay is more than they expected it to be?"
"What characteristics make a good pharmacist and how do you have those characteristics?"
"I want to learn something today, describe anything complicated, and break it down into a digestible format. Just as a pharmacist would describing a medication to someone. (It did not have to pharmacy related)"
"Tell me about your self?"
"One constructive criticism you've received, from whom, and how it affected your life? (this is about your weakness)"
"What do you do to relieve stress?"
"What are some challenges pharmacists face?"
"What would you do if a doctor prescribed a medication that you thought did not fit the symptoms?"
"How do you think pharm is changing in 5 years?"
"What is one area of pharmacy that you are interested in or are considering for your career?"
"What is the public perception of pharmacists? How can we change this perception?"
"This school involves a lot of teamwork: name one instance when you were involved in a group and faced a challenge working in a group, and how you overcame that challenge."
"If there was one seat left, why should we pick you over the other candidates?"
"What would you ask a President Obama if you were having a tea party with him?"
"Why pharmacy? Why not a doctors? (PRACTICE THIS ANSWER!)"
"Why is pharmacy for you?"
"What do you do if a patient asks you to dispense him a perscription which includes narcotics, while he is under influence of a drug?"
"What are the obstacles that patients are epxeriencing in the upcoming years, what role does pharmacists play to bridge the gap?"
"How would you address someone in your group that isn't doing their fare share of the work"
"Pharmacy: Why Pharmacy? What particular field of pharmacy? What is MTM? What is an ambulatory care center?"
"Name one characteristic/quality that makes a good pharmacist?"
"If a patient came in with a valid prescription that you did not agree with morally or ethically, what would you do?"
"How do you deal with stress?"
"How would you approach a situation where someone came in speaking minimal English? if they were shy? if they had someone else with them who seemed in charge.. or something like that.. "
"If we were down to the last seat, why should we pick you?"
"TELL US SOMETHING YOU DID/DONE THAT WAS OUT OF YOUR WAY"
"what book have you read or are you reading? tell us about it. have you involved in any leadership activities?"
"What would you do as a pharmacist if you were morally opposed to prescribing a certain medication?"
"Why not MD instead?"
"Why pharmacy?"
"what would you do if a doc wrote for a med that you thought would harm the patient?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
"Tell us about your teamwork experience."
"Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"
"What do you know about Universal Healthcare?"
"Why Touro?"
"Where do you see the profession of pharmacy in 10 years?"
"What is the future of the Pharmacy?"
"Tell us about a weakness that you have."
"What is your plan if you don't get accepted to any pharmacy school?"
"Why here? ** I would just go over your information and main points you want to make. Don't stress out about what they are going to ask b/c it probably wont be any of the questions on SDN. Except Why Pharm and Why Touro.**"
"what do you know about medicare part D."
"Where do you see pharmacy in 5 years?"
"In 15 seconds or less, what 3 words best describes you."
"What is one thing you have done that you wish you wouldnt have?"
"Why should Touro pick you? "
"medicare"
"give us an example of when you went above your call of duty"
"What would you do if you suspected one of your classmates of cheating? "
"what do you go to free up pharmacist's time?"
"What have you done that was beyond the call of duty?"
"Why do you want to be a pharmacist?"
"refer to above"
"What are some of the positive and negative aspects of pharmacogenetics (i know thats spelled wrong)?"
"Something you did that was above and beyond the call of duty."
"If there is only 1 spot left, why should the school accept you or what make you a better candidate? What kind of pharmacy are you hoping to get into? "
"If there is only 1 spot left, Why should the school accept you?"
"What was a group situation you have been in and what was your position?"
"what kind of pharmacy are you hoping to get into ?"
"Should pharmacist suggest the use of herbs to patients? Why? or Why not?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"What about Spanish?"
"Why pharmacy and what do you plan to do after becoming a pharmacist?"
"Why did you choose pharmacy since you were already involved in another succesful business? "
"Why Touro other than the 2+2 program?"
"If someone came in speaking only spanish to fill a prescription, what would you do to resolve the situation?"
"Why did you choose pharmacy? "
"which path would you like to take? as in retail, clinical, research etc..."
"Ethical and birth control"
"Someone has recently died in your family. How would that effect you with your studies?"
"What is you biggest concern with pharmacy school?"
"What would you do if you were doing group work and someone didn't want to participate?"
"There are a lot of people who face disadvantages, both socially and economically. What are pharmacists doing now to help them and what could/should they be doing better."
"Assume that there is a pt. in line at the pharmacy, that is hostile, aggressive, and does NOT want to wait for their pain medications. . . how would you react? What would you tell that person? (I'm not a pharmacist or a technician, so that one was tricky)"
"Tell me about a volunteer experience that impacted your life."
"Why pharmacy"
"Teamwork is important in pharm. What 3 characteristics do you need to work in a team?"
"Define professionalism in school and in pharmacy."
"Other than community and hospital, what other settings do pharmacists work in?"
"They asked specific stuff about my undergraduate research."
"What do you think about universal healthcare system?"
"If there was only one seat left, why should we choose you? (PRACTICE THIS ONE TOO!)"
"Tell us in 2 minutes, why we should offer you the last seat."
"What do you need to talk to a Spanish speaking person?"
"Predict the future of pharmacy in 10 years"
"What area of pharmacy do you wanna work in"
"Tell me about your leadership position. "
"Other: There were direct questions addressed to other people from their file."
"What don't you like about pharmacy?"
"Why pharmacy?"
"tell us something that we wouldn't know from reading your file."
"How do you feel about a single-payer system?"
"WHY SHOULD WE PICK YOU FOR THE LAST SPOT"
"how do you think about today's technology? is it spoided people? have you make any mistake? and how did you deal with?"
"What do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Why you for the last spot?"
"What is your definition of a clinical pharmacist?"
"What would you do if a doc wrote for a med that you knew would kill the patient?"
"Situational question."
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"With all things listed on your resume put aside, what do you like to do for fun?"
"Tell us about a time when you helped someone and what you learned from it."
"What is your view on universal healthcare and how will it affect the profession of pharmacy?"
"The prescription question mentioned above."
"Tell us about a time when you asked a colleague, teacher, boss, or anyone else for help."
"Tell me about yourself."
"How would you advice a company to improve patient counseling? "
"would you dispense morning after pills?"
"Describe a pharmacist in 1 word."
"Why should Touro pick you?"
"There was a question about epistemology-I forget the exact words."
"Do you have any questions about Touro?"
"volunteer"
"what is one draw back of pharmacy. ---- 4. what do you think pharmacy is going to become in like 5 years. "
"What was the last book you read for fun?"
"what do think the high technology in pharmacy? "
"Where do you see yourself in five years? The last question was just to clarify something from your application (they didn't ask me, but did ask the other 5 interviewees)"
"What would you do as a pharmacist in a crowded and backed up pharmacy?"
"refer to above"
"Whats the difference between learning and memorizing?"
"Drug dispensing machines. We were also asked to do introductions and got other common questions about why pharmacy and such."
"Do you think you are a leader or a follower? Give example. What do you do for fun? What was a group situation you have been in and what was your position?"
"Pharmacy is all about remembering what you have learned. What will u do to retain all the educations that you have learned as well as balancing your life?"
"What do you do for fun?"
"would you be willing to learn another language as it get harder for pharmacists to communicate with patients that have language barrier problems"
"What do you think about automated drug dispensing machine? "
"What type of pharmacy do you want to go into? "
"What do you think about television and drugs?"
"summary: keep up to date on current pharmacy issues and ethical issues (the other interview group got a lot of ethical questions but we did not)"
"Where would you like to work when you graduate (ie community, hospital, etc) and how do you plan to contribute to the profession?"
"It is after hours, and someone who clearly is intoxicated comes in to fill a prescription. Would you concede and fill the order?"
"What types of techniques do you use in research? (specific to me) Give an example of how you are part of a team (to everyone)"
"what kind of role would you take as a pharmacist with someone who is taking supplements as a cure? (something like that)"
"free time?"
"This school consist of more females than males. How does that make you feel?"
"How will your life experiences prepare you for pharmacy school."
"From your current understanding, what does a pharmacist do? - Try to talk about pharmacist roles outside of retail pharmacy, they don't want to hear about filling medications and checking patient charts."
"Situational question: The patient was wanted to take hydroxychloroquine to treat covid. However, it interacted with other medications they were taking. Would you dispense the medication?"
"Tell me a short story about anything (pick any topic)"
"Imagine if all of a sudden that there were no more pharmacists (as in the dispensing role of pharmacists is gone). What would you do then? (be creative with this one; think of something related to drug monitoring and/or regulation, for example)"
"If you could design the front page of the College's newsletter, what would your title be and why?"
"If one last spot left, why should we pick you?"
"Explain one failure in your life."
"Describe yourself in one word."
"If you were any food, what would you choose to be?"
"Your house is on fire and you can save one thing only. What would that be?"
"n/a"
"What club/organization would you start here at Touro?"
"No 2"
"Why drugs are so expensive in America vs. other countries like Canada?"
"Is it ok to make mistakes"
"What is your greatest achievement? (my favorite question)"
"Why do you think prescription insurance is the way it is today?"
"Qualities of a good pharmacist?"
"What is the biggest problem in Pharmacy and how can we change it?"
"What do you hope to get out of pharm school?"
"How would you deal with a conflict with another person?"
"IS TECHNOLOGY IMPORTANT IN TODAYS PHARMACY. PROS AN CONS"
"What would you do with your first pharmacist's paycheck?"
"What I thought about Universal Healthcare."
"Patient came in with a valid prescription you thought might harm him. What do you do?"
"Teamwork with doctors and other health care professionals is important in assessing a patient’s medical illnesses. If a patient in an inpatient setting has pneumonia and you discover that he is not on the correct regiment/protocol of taking his medication, what would you do as a pharmacist?"
"what do you do for fun?"
"Future of pharmacy?"
"Do you think GPA is important? Explain."
"What do you hate the most?"
"What do you Hate most about your life?--In those exact words."
"What do you like to do for fun?"
"none."
"You are a 4th year pharmacy student working at Walgreens. A patient comes with a prescription that you think might harm him. MD doesn't respond to you, patient is angry and doesn't trust you and wants the med. Whould you give it to the patient?"
"In a pharmacy setting, rank these three: customer satisfaction, profit of pharmacy, outcome of patient."
"What do you do on your free time?"
"Would you give patient drug if they were intoxicated...?"
"it's late at night and a patient comes into your pharmacy to purchase Plan B pills (morning after pills), would you dispense it to the patient?"
"If I could start up any club on campus, what would it be."
"If you were an editor of a pharmacy journal, what would you write about?"
"If you were the editor of a pharmacy school journal, what would you write about?"
"What would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood? I was so devastated that I didn't even remember what was asked after I introduced myself. "
"something about contributing..blanked out"
"The first question was ''tell me about yourself, why pharmacy, why touro''"
"What was the last book you read for fun?"
"What have you done that was beyond the call of duty?"
"none"
"A question directly related to my coursework"
"Do you believe that left-brained tasks will become automated in the future and there will be more of an emphasis on the creative/innovative qualities that people have to offer? Explain."
"Pharmacist's right to refuse dispensing drugs based on moral objections."
"What would you do if a patient requested a medication that you were morally against dispensing?"
"What was the biggest problem/challenge in your life that u have to face and how you solved it? "
"What do you think is the challenge that pharmacists will face in the future?"
"how would you deal with a busy pharmacy and you want to free up the time of the pharmacist?"
"If tomorrow you'll die, what is one thing you wish you would have done or wanted to change about your life?"
"What do you think about pharmacy economics at the global level?"
"something to the effect of... How can pharmacy, whether practiced in the retail or hospital setting, be improved?"
"Why do you think that prescription drugs are more expensive in the United States versus other countries? "
"an elderly women is drug price shopping for an antibiotic because she cannot afford it. what would you do?"
"Now there is an automated machine similar to a bank atm that can dispense general medications. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"What do you plan on doing when you graduate in 2010?"
"describe a time when you were involved in a group. what was your role? if someone wanted a morning after pill, would your morals interfere? "
"If someone purchased a birth-control pill, and you were ethically against it, how would you respond?"
"Most of the questions we were asked were open-ended and situational. "
"This school consists of more females than males. How does that make you feel?"
"What is you biggest concern with pharmacy school?"
"What does success mean to you?"
"I want you to look in your crystal ball and tell me what pharmacy will be like in ten years. They said we could not say technology because it was too easy of an answer lol."
"Aside from your degree/ education, what else can touro offer you? (wasn't really difficult) - talk about network, professional development, serene environment, and opportunity to explore CA"
"Name two attributes that you feel are the MOST IMPORTANT for a pharmacist to have? (that's tough because you're being interviewed with 3-4 other students, so try to answer this one FIRST)"
"Tell me about a time you were working in a group and had a conflict. How did you resolve this?"
"They asked a lot of questions pertaining to "what would you do in [this situation]". Seeing as how I am not yet a Pharmacist, I was unsure how to answer."
"Seriously, my interview was so difficult. I had it bad :( The lady kept interrupting us and adding on additional questions: What would you do if a doctor prescribed a prescription that you know would cause adverse effects? What if the doctor disagreed? What if the doctor undermined your authority? Would you still fill the prescription? What would you do if you were working in a group and a student wasn't doing his job? What if it was the same student every time? What do you know about Obamacare and how will it affect the pharmacy work flow?"
"What challenges and opportunities face pharmacy in the future?"
"Tell us something about yourself that is not in your application."
"This school involves a lot of teamwork: name one instance when you were involved in a group and faced a challenge working in a group, and how you overcame that challenge."
"What changes do you see in the future of pharmacy practice?"
"Do you know what it is like to be a pharmacist?"
"Where do you see pharmacy in 10 years? (Everyone kept referring to technology, so it was really hard to come up with an original answer lol)"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
"No 2"
"what do you do with your free time"
"What is the role of the pharmacist in the community?"
"None. All questions were straightforward."
"If a patient came in with a valid prescription that you did not agree with morally or ethically, what would you do?"
"The pharm in the future one bc I the interviewer seemed to have a specific answer in mind which no one was getting.. "
"Questions were basic and straightforward."
"WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CONCERN IN THE PHARMACY TODAY. PROPOSE A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM TO PRESIDENT OBAMA."
"What one quality about you will make you a good pharmacist?"
"What is a big problem you notice in the pharmacy setting and how would you go about rectifying the problem?"
"What is Medicare-Part D?"
"guess the opening questions, those stated above already. otherwise the questions were to get to know you as a person."
"The difficult part was to come up with new/original answers when others already said what you wanted to say."
"If we gave you a legal prescription to fill, but you were morally opposed to filling it, what would you do? "
"What are your thoughts on universal healthcare?"
"What do you hate most about your life?"
"Tell us what you know about Medicare Part D."
"Why you for the last spot?"
"In one word, ONE WORD only tell us why we should choose you..."
"I forgot the exact wording but it pertained to compensating pharmacists for cognitive services."
"all were cool."
"what do you know about medicare part D?"
"See above, we'd been talking about our hobbies a lot and they basically asked another hobbies question and I was out of ammo."
"What do you think will be the future of pharmacy?"
"What is the future of the pharmacy profession?"
"Why should Touro choose you? (Think about it. It's Touro! Why wouldn't they choose you?)"
"drug advertising-good or bad? y"
"They asked ''what is one of the drawbacks of pharmacy'' and ''give me a example of how how went above and beyond your call of duty to help the pharmacist''"
"How could technology positively and negatively impact pharmacy?"
"Why is the drug more expensive in america than other country?"
"none"
"why are drugs more expensive in the US than in other countries? (not generic versions but the exact drug)"
"none really"
"There was a very vague question in which the professor said something to the effect of "There is power in truth." You were basically supposed to respond to that statement. "
"They asked about drug dispensing machines as well as something we'd done above and beyond the call of duty in recent months, but there really wasn't anything too difficult."
"The essay question: something like how do you feel or what do you think about the innovation of pharmacogenomics made to tailor every individuals genetic makeup and what type of impact it would have on the pharmacist. "
"How pharmacy will be like in the next 20 years? "
"Same as above"
"what is unique about you"
"What do you think about Medicare Part D?"
"Tell me about yourself..."
"Why pharmacy?... without telling them something they have heard a million times before"
"Is drug advertising a positive or negative?"
"nothing really, all the questions were relatively easy."
"pertaining to a medical/pharm website: what are some red flags that indicate it to not be a credible source? the essay is not hard. basically you just have to pick a stand and support it in a clear and logical manner"
"What is a role of a pharmacist in giving nutritional adivice?"
"Someone has recently died in your family. How would that effect you with your studies?"
"This question was not directed towards me, but I was there when it was asked, "...with your experience of taking a cancer biology class in college, how would you treat a cancer patient in a pharmacy setting"? "
"I made sure to know everything about the program, and had questions prepared to ask."
"BE EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF SOMEDAY, BECOMING A PHARMACIST!!, SDN interview feedback, talked to a pharmacist, LOTS of mock interviews, learn as much as you ca about the school, and learn the various specialities in the profession. For the essay and math section, I read my GRE textbook on analytical writing and several short essays by a favorite author of mine."
"Gather some sample questions, this website has plenty. Develop good answers for them (short and to the point is best). Also be careful not to deviate from your primary and secondary application responses, because this is an open-file interview, and the interviewers knew all of our backgrounds before being interviewed. And of course, research the program and know exactly what you will say when asked "why this school"?"
"SDN interview questions and recording myself when answering questions."
"Went over all the questions on sdn and practiced my responses. This was the best tool in helping me have great interviews."
"Practice questions"
"Review questions from interview feedback."
"Interview feedback, outlining possible answers, reviewing application"
"Answer most of the questions posted on SDN and rehearse them. Also if you have time, look at the faculty's research interest."
"Mock interview"
"Interview Feedback site and practicing out loud (not just in your head!)"
"SDN forums. Practice in mirror."
"SDN forum, mock interviews with friends"
"SDN. "
"SDN, mock interviews, MOST IMPORTANTLY: truly understanding yourself and why you want to pursue pharmacy"
"SDN feedback, my personal essays, staying relaxed and focused"
"SDN, practice interviews (Interviewstream and in-person), read school's website."
"Mock group interviews with counselor and other applicants. Reviewing common interview questions and making outlines of my answers and well as speaking with pharmacists about how their career and problems they face."
"sdn.. practicing with family and friends, reading pharm articles, studying Touro's website"
"SDN, PHARMACY TIMES, PHARMACIST HELP"
"SDN; interviews with other schools."
"SDN, pharmacy-related material on the web (pharmacy times, etc)."
"SDN, mock interviews, and a lot of soul searching."
"SDN, reading up on contemporary healthcare and healthcare issues"
"read my applicationl. read the touro website. researched current events in pharmacy."
"SDN, interview feedback, practice with family"
"SDN, talked to pharmacy students"
"SD forums"
"Mock interviews...Don't waste your time memorizing what's on SDN. If you think the adcoms don't read what circulates on here, you're sorely mistaken. "
"SDN, drugtopics.com"
"Looked at previous questions on SDN"
"SDN, Pharmacy Times, Pharmacy Careers, California Pharmacist"
"SDN, google"
"SDN, googling interview questions"
"SDN and other questions."
"SDN. Talked to current pharmacy student at Touro. Read on current issues in pharmacy at drugstopic.com"
"SDN, reviewed common interview questions"
"Prepared general responses and practiced with friends."
"SDN, friends who are presently in pharmacy school."
"It really doesn't matter. If you graduated from certain ''popular'' universities, you can find out what are some of the questions. If you didn't, then, May the force be with you and if you are Star Trek fan: Live long and prosper. "
"sdn ,mirror"
"I prepared a lot, but it was my first interview, so i was nervous and i blanked out. Don't try to memorize any answers. Just have ideas of what you want to talk about. "
"SDN, school website"
"SND"
"read the feedbacks from SDN and tried to answer some of the previous interview questions"
"SDN, school website, practiced in front of the mirror and with friends"
"sdn interview feedback"
"SDN, reread my essays, read the schools mission statement tried to relax and not be too nervous."
"Read interview feedback and reviewed mock interview questions to get in the mindset before the big day. "
"This website, the school website, friends and co-workers. "
"SDN"
"SDN :-)"
"This website, read over my application amd practice writing essay in 45 minutes"
"read sdn forum, interview books"
"Rehearse"
"read over my application"
"Read Touro Website, read Pharmacy Organization websites, reviewed interview books, mock interviews. "
"mock interviews, school website"
"read SDN, looked at the school's website like crazy everyday"
"SDN! :)"
"SDN - website - make sure you look at their programs and the type of rotations the school offers"
"I read SDN feedback and looked over the school's website. I also had a friend do a mock interview for me. It's also good to prepare by knowing yourself well and why you would like to go into pharmacy."
"Practice with other students in mock type interviews."
"I prepared by reading SDN and going over my application and personal statement."
"They were super friendly and made sure everyone was comfortable."
"Nothing"
"The "family" dynamics of the school. Everyone was genuinely supportive of each other."
"The positive attitude and friendliness of the staff and interviewers was a plus."
"The school's early clinical experience and nice interviewers."
"The rigor of the program"
"The faculty is so warm and make you feel comfortable. It was a great experience."
"The staff was friendly and helpful. The interview group was very small so you were able to get to know some of your fellow applicants. And the dean herself was there to answer our questions and present the campus."
"The friendliness of the faculty and admissions staff."
"How thorough the staff was in describing the program's curriculum and student achievements."
"The tour of the school and the nice classrooms."
"Although they are a new school, they have a strong curriculum."
"The interview was almost informal and most questions were not about pharmacy or health related topics. It was more like a nice group conversation about many things, including our personal interests and hobbies."
"The professionalism of the faculty and staff."
"Student life, curriculum, and faculty."
"Positive Attitude of interviewers"
"unique location"
"The friendliness of the faculty."
"The friendliness of the staff and professors, I like that the group only consisted of ten people - this shows me that Touro cares about getting to know each applicant, the closeness of major cities such as San Francisco, San Jose"
"The schools clinical involvement, Dean's friendliness and care about the program, teamwork-based learning"
"The faculty. Very friendly, clearly accessible. Also: the curriculum. Can't beat 2+2."
"The staff were kind and generous. The Masters in Public Health Options impressed me along with the two year clinical duties they stress as part of the curriculum. "
"The campus.. I heard so many people's bad impressions so I wasn't expecting much.. but its no bad guys! I liked it.. :D"
"The friendliness and welcoming attitude of the admissions committee. It was a very organized interview day and the people there made me feel relaxed and comfortable."
"THE 2+2 PROGRAM. THE STAFF AND THE STUDENTS HAVE A STRONG BOND. VERY HELPFUL. CLOSE TO BAY AREA AND THE MAJOR CITIES."
"how friendly the faculties were. The interview included the tour and lunch."
"Everyone there, from the interviewers, to the staff, to ther interviewees were all very nice and down-to-earth people. It seems like the faculty is very connected to the students."
"The staff were really nice, and they openly answered any and all questions about the school. The other interviewees were also really cool and supportive! There was time ample for bonding and everyone got along really well. No one was visibly trying to be The Best."
"The office staff and people were friendly."
"faculty were very proud to be teaching at touro. they were all excited to be part of a new program. touro offeres 2 years of clerkship while the others offer 1."
"How enthusiastic the dean, faculty and staff were."
"The Dean took time out of her day to speak to candidates, which spoke to the accessible nature of the faculty and administration at this school. The student tour guides were also very friendly. Historical charm of the campus."
"super nice faculty/staff."
"Everybody's attitudes, how friendly the faculty were, I left the campus with a very positive attitude because of it."
"The people were really nice and they provided a ton of food. Everyone was really laid-back and they really tried to make you feel more comfortable."
"The other applicants- very highly qualified and nice people."
"The fact that they openly stated the accreditation issue, and where they stand currently in the accreditaion process."
"Friendliness of staff"
"Small campus size."
"The ''small school'' feel of Touro."
"student relationships"
"Mare Island has huge potential to be an awesome place to go to school. Give it 3-5 years."
"Everyone there was friendly and completely honest. They didn't hide the fact that the school is not fully accredited and that based on its location, it may not the the first choice for a lot of students."
"The enthusiasm of the tour guide; the dean was a very nice and pleasant person; and they were straight-forward about their accreditation, etc-didnt keep us in the dark about that."
"Staff and faculty were honest and direct about its accreditation status and their school's perception. They didn't dress anything up and I didn't feel like I was mislead. That is a huge plus!"
"dean was scary. beware folks!..be prepared to meet the unknown"
"Not many students, so you get to make friends."
"The faculty and staff "
"nothing much"
"The professors and staff were very enthusiastic and friendly. They tried their best to calm everyone down."
"the students and other people I met on campus were really enthusiastic about the school"
"nice looking classrooms, food seemed nice, small, quiet area to study"
"I really liked the intimacy and small numbers. There are aproximatly 200 total pharm d students at the school at once and the general science building had a cozy high school feel to it."
"Closeness of the student body and the high tech classrooms and breakout rooms were great. Since the program is new they formed it to include just what the ACPE wants from a PharmD program. 2+2 program and all the clerkships are w/in a 30mile radius. I also got the impression that Katherine Knapp is totally on the ball with getting the program fully accredited. "
"The progress in it's accreditation status and the new community that is slow being built. "
"The program"
"The class room, it was impressive"
"the confidence that the school had in ensuring that their school will achieve accreditation"
"The faculties and the students were very nice and helpful in explaining about their school"
"how high tech the school was"
"Facilities and the caliber of the faculty "
"friendliness of students and staff, main classroom for p1 looked nice"
"The enthusiasm of the faculty, the incorporation of technology into the classroom, and the collegiate attitude of the current students."
"lecture halls are wireless. pharmacy students have break out rooms to discuss lecture topics. break out rooms have plasma screens so that you can hook up your laptop to it. Breakout rooms were created for pharmacy students, but DO students use it as well. "
"the fact that the school's location, which is on an island, was in the middle of major development"
"How nice and enthusiastic the staff/faculty/students were. They were extremely organized and positive -- this really motivated me to go to their school even more. "
"Everyone was very nice. The interview was set up so that you could relax, be comfortable, and mostly be yourself! A question would be asked and we would each take turns answering it. It seem to really emphasize GROUP. they seem to really like utilizing technology so all the classrooms are a wireless environment!"
"The curriculum is so impressive, its very innovative and they seem to really really care about the students. The dean took time out of her schedule to meet with us!"
"The enthusiasm and friendliness of the interviewers!"
"Nothing really. The area around the school is so empty and depressing."
"everyone was very nice"
"I was most impressed with the enthusiasm and energy of the falculty. I could tell that they were well prepared even though this is a new program."
"Nothing really"
"The atmosphere of the college impressed me negatively. Some of the buildings of the college were vacant and not in use. Also, the area surrounding college had way many abandoned buildings."
"The old buildings were a bit spooky."
"Where to begin? First, the school itself is rather shanty and outdated (especially the "cafeteria" area and library). The campus is also extremely small, the classrooms were small, the overall feel I got was being cramped. The surrounding area is not so great, housing is hard to come by and more on the expensive side. One of the interviewers and a public health speaker were late, so the entire interview process was held back and some parts were cut short - not a very good impression :("
"The campus is a bit old and the surrounding area of Vallejo is not really safe."
"The interviewer was so mean! She kept cutting people off in the middle of their answer to add another question and then move on to the next applicant. It was a very tense interview and all my fellow interviewees (?) definitely agreed that lady was cray."
"The buildings"
"The small and old-looking campus."
"The fact that current students said that it would be very difficult to obtain a pharmacy internship in the area."
"The location of the school."
"The location is horrible. It's on an old naval base, which is completely run down and deserted."
"nothing."
"The fact that everyone has said that it was a laid-back experience when it definitely was not the case for me lol! My interviewers didn't even ask the usual "Tell me about yourself" questions. They went straight into the aspects of pharmacy, which caught people off guard."
"The school campus/location."
"school buildings"
"surrounding area"
"The shipyard, the isolation, the barrenness that surrounds the campus...booo sad face. Also, the fact that the deposit is a beast."
"A bit on the location"
"The location, the cost, and the campus itself."
"The Campus is run down, shabby and small. The gym is cramped and there are not a lot of sports related activates with the campus. The Program is also very new so it can't be know yet how the students rank and how employees rank graduates from Touro."
"The area surrounding off the island.. I would worry about finding a nice area to live in.. "
"The location of the school and the length of the interview day. It was about 4-5 hours but it really only needed about 2. The campus is quite small and somewhat depressing."
"THE LOCATION."
"there were a lot of empty old building around the campus."
"I don't quite like the location of the school, certian parts of Vallejo are known for being ghetto so it will be hard to find good housing there."
"The campus has potential to become beautiful, but for now construction projects are frozen, so everything looks downright dreary. Vallejo itself is a little podunk of a town that seems to be constantly shrouded in a depressive atmosphere."
"The location and the buildings."
"campus buildings are shabby looking from the outside. campus is on an old naval base."
"The small, run-down campus, very small caferia"
"Location is isolated. Some of the other candidates were rude and I was embarrassed when they interrupted the Dean and faculty interviewers."
"The fact that they promote Courtyard by Marriot for $120/night when you drive by three motel 6's and an assortment of other motels that are cheaper and closer to the campus. "
"The campus is a little drab and they have no food on campus! The only food they sell is at the grill at Farragut Inn which the pharmacy student that gave us the tour said sucked."
"The interview format- its a panel interview with 5 applicants at once. Basically you get like 3 minutes total to talk, IF that. They might as well not interview you, because they really do not get to know you in this way. Also, it was a bit uncomfortable and intimidating. "
"Not enough time for the essay."
"Small, old fashioned campus"
"Location."
"The drive up, but I did not think about it once I got to the school."
"the shipyard!"
"The island is all torn up at the moment, construction everywhere. The campus is very inaccessible. But like I said, give it a few years to develop."
"The interview itself was not what I expected. I still don't know if the interviewer was genuinely rude or if the actions displayed were an act."
"Well, well, well......what can I say. Prior to the interview, I thought that I would only be turned off by the location. But the spooky campus was NOTHING compared to one of the interviewers. That interviewer was VERY arrogant, sarcastic, and rude! (For those who were with me--you know who I'm talking about!) This interviewer interrupted all of us in the middle of our responses--he had no manners whatsoever and was very very intimidating. Beware! The other 2 interviwers were very nice and pleasant people. "
"There were 2 interview groups. It was odd that one group had all the UCLA and UCSD students while the other group had everyone else. To my surprise, if you were placed in a particular group, some questions were the same as posted on sdn or other prepharm school sites (you know which sites I'm talking about). From what I had heard, if you were placed in the other group, you were basically screwed. I will leave it up to the reader to speculate if group placement determines success in the interview."
"place was spooky,old, worn-out (ghetto)esp. after rain"
"Lots of negatives. This place is in the ghetto. It is miles from anything. A grocery store is 20 minutes away. Just a school, empty broken down buildings, and houses. Touro bought a naval base during WW1 and WW2 and is basically remodeling it. Kind of deprssing place. And the library of the whole med and pharm school about about 1000square ft. "
"What everyone else said, the location is not the best area. "
"the neighborhood"
"The location...the island is a dump. But, Touro does have lots of plans for the island (Cancer treatment center, mall, etc...)"
"How well your interview can go can depends on who interviews you. One of my interviewers left a negative impression on me. Just remember that you are interviewing them as well!"
"the area had this weird smell to it, its on an ugly island, the school is unaccredited (not sure if this is a problem)"
"Like pretty much everyone else says, the location is just awful. Lots of shabby, decaying buildings and no signs of civilization on the island. Also, the dorms for students were very small and gross."
"Because the island was an old Navy base there isn't much there besides the school, some new housing developments, and abandoned military buildings. The library and gym both seemed small. The weight room was probably the other raquetball court, but thank goodness they left the other one intact. Can't wait to start playing raquetball again. "
"The abandon buildings around the school. They are so old and scary look. I felt like going into a hunted neighborhood. I would feel a lot better if the those buildings where broken down. "
"The school is so isolated, the environment is so sad, and the school is still in the process of construction"
"the location of the school"
"the location"
"The school location"
"location"
"where the schools is located...how many bridges it took to get there (it seemed like the school had to be hidden away because it's so ugly)"
"There is quite a bit of construction on Mare Island, but the campus was not as bad as I expected from other posts about the interview. "
"construction would not be complete until 3 years from now"
"The location is a bit weird and there is a lot of construction going on, but I didn't get a chance to see the rest of the island.. I think there are some really nice parts. Plus, the city has this whole plan of making a promenade and all this great stuff, so I'm excited.. "
"none of the administrators seem to be aware of the high crime rate in vallejo but i found out from the locals and a student that living outside of vallejo may be safer/better. also, it's at least 15 min to find a place to eat."
"It has to be hands down the worst location/facility ever. The campus is on a down trodden army base, the location is very very unpleaseant. All factories, crime rate very very high. Their are "say no to rape" signs on your way to school. The closest civilization meaning restraunts, grocery stores is in vallejo about 20 minutes away."
"There is a lot of construction going on on Mare Island, but the area is safe and the students seemed very friendly."
"Interview seemed pointless. It's basically who can answer the most questions since the questions were thrown out to the group rather than asking each person individually. I answered the majority of the questions, but there were others who answered like one question. It was more like a group discussion, rather than an interview."
"Ugliest campus and area"
"There wasn't anything that left a negtive impression on me."
"The interview would actually be one applicant with 3 interviewers, not in a group setting like I thought it would be."
"I wish I would have researched the school a little more (specifics on the area, 2+2 curriculum, accreditation status)."
"To rent a car for the trip. Do not depend on uber."
"About where to park if you were to take your own car. It's a good thing I did not because apparently the traffic just to get onto Mare Island is a NIGHTMARE in the morning hours. I ended up taking the shuttle from the Mariott (by sheer luck I ran into the driver that same morning)"
"To eat a big breakfast, we didn't get lunch until around 1 PM."
"What the campus was like: very small, on its own island, on old navy base."
"That you don't meet at the School of Pharmacy office. You meet at the Faraday Inn which is all the way up the hill from the Pharmacy office. Wear comfortable shoes!"
"Eat a full breakfast ahead of time. They only served muffins."
"That one of the interviewers was really rude and mean."
"That there was already fruit, muffins and coffee/juice in the conference room where we would write the essay portion. I wouldn't have had to buy breakfast at the Marriott."
"To practice on writing."
"Nothing."
"Nothing really. It was very straightforward."
"That the campus was so old and decrepit. It was kind of shocking."
"not to stress out too much.. its pretty relaxed and everyone was really nice ;D"
"To eat a bigger breakfast."
"THE ESSAY QUESTIONS, AS I PREPARED FOR THEM INTENSELY BY READING ALL THE MAJOR ARTICLES ON PHARMACY TIMES"
"none."
"I was prepared since I am familiar with the area. If you are not from the Bay, keep in mind that the drawbridge to get to the island is sometimes "up" causing a delay. "
"It was my first interview, but I shouldn't have stressed out so much because I'm sure I've shaved a few years off of my life from all that anxiety. Interview turned out to be very relaxing."
"How expansive the tuition is. "
"Just be yourself during the group interview! Don't talk too much, articulate and carefully chosen, but honest and natural responses are most impressive."
"that we'd be outside in the cold for a long period of time"
"The Motel situation. "
"They give you breakfast there at the interview so you don't need to find things to eat before hand. "
"How intimidating the interviewers would be."
"Essay questions were very random, not pharmacy related at all."
"That despite preparing in advance for the interview I did not do so well."
"Nothing. I'll use this place to rant though. Someone a few posts below said one interview group was all UCSD/UCLA grads on purpose. That's completely false. One guy was foreign, one ucsd, one ucla, one uci. I do agree though based on what I heard, the 2nd group got some tough questions. Sounds like their interviewers were hard on them. It's luck of the draw, be prepared for anything!"
"I learned that not all schools gain full accreditation when the first class graduates. Apparently the dean of the school was on some accreditation committees and she noted that the accreditation process is more stringent. Loma Linda and UCSD did not receive its accreditation. Also, after you complete the program, you still have to complete 50 or so more hours on your own."
"I wish I had known about this interviewer!!!"
"Accreditation status is not guaranteed once the school graduates its first class. I.E. UCSD did not gain its full accreditation status with its first graduating class. Go Tritons - In 2008"
"interviewers were intimidating ..so u have been warned."
"nothing. just the fact that the interview is rather open ended and very open to discussion. There was 5 of us and we were adding on and critizing on each others answers. The whole interview was like 5 or 6 questions. Just watch what you say because if you state a false fact regarding anything you're talking about, you're done."
"Nothing"
"The interview was really relaxing and the essay was straightfoward."
"The school is really hard to find.. the street the school told us to use were closed down due to construction and the detour signs did not help.. I think I literally saw everyone from my interview driving aimlessly in the shipyard.. use google maps to supplement the map they give you!"
"3rd and 4th year rotations are given via lottery system, their first class won't graduate until 2009, parking is free, half the class from last year are from UC Davis"
"It would have been nice to try and visit the school before the interview. It is very easy to get lost on the island since there are so many detours."
"Not much. My in-laws live about 35 miles away and gave me plenty of background of the island and I had read up as much as I could about the school. "
"What kind of students they were looking for because i sure wasn't one of them. "
"None"
"how difficult it was to get to the school"
"nothing much"
"that there aren't a lot of restaurants or things around there that are close by"
"The essay/writing sample is the first thing done when you arrive. I did not have alot of time to work at the beginning gitters/nervousness. As the interview progresses you become more relaxed. "
"it was cold, windy, and raining. I should have brought an overcoat and an umbrella. I should have looked up what the weather would be like. "
"the crappy location; no starbucks, decent restaurants, etc. for about 20 minutes"
"That there is no place to eat on the island other than the cafeteria .. you have to drive 15 min to get to a place. "
"how truly this interview was going to be. you can't really prepare for it because the questions that were asked were geared towards what kind of person you are and not what you know about pharmacy. that's key. you may know a lot about pharmacy but know nothing about interpersonal skills."
"Nada, if you read the post, everybody complains about the location"
"I loved the fact that Mare Island is so close to San Francisco and many other great towns and cities!"
"Be aware that questions in the interview are geared more toward what type of person you are rather than your knowledge of what the pharmacy profession is about."
"I discovered that the interview process was not as difficult as I thought it would be. "
"The calculations assessment was easy, no need to stress about it. So was the essay. The interviewers were super nice and asked lots of questions, you were only interviewing for a total of 30 minutes, the rest was info sessions, Q&A, calculations and essay assessments."
"Just relax and you got it. Staying cool is the key, think before you speak. Interviewers will probe bad answers!"
"Vallejo is filled with super nice people. And the absence of night-life is a positive thing to me. Tells me the city won't attract certain kinds of people. The quite environment is beautiful and conducive for efficient study and success. Cost of living is low and means I won't rack up unnecessary bills/ loan upon graduation."
"IMPORTANT! READ HERE: Listen, for this school, you will be interviewed alongside 3-4 other students, the same question will be asked and each of you will respond. Try to be the FIRST to answer the questions, it shows confidence and eagerness, and you won't be forced to change your answer because someone else answered what you wanted to say ~~~ The nature of the program is pretty attracting, the 2+2 program is pretty interesting but the school itself and the environment are not to my liking whatsoever."
"I was very nervous initially but the interviewers were very nice and laid back."
"None"
"This is a great, organized school with faculty that are very kind and willing to help you with anything you need. Great program but not so great location."
"The interview was easy-going, but the campus and city did not impress me."
"The area around the school is very peaceful and quiet. The school itself seemed sparsely populated for a school day."
"The interview became a lot less stressful after the first question. Everyone seemed calm and relaxed."
"Admission staff iv very thoughtful and organized. They respond to any question or requests in a very timely manner. That was the most positive experience I have ever had."
"I recently got accepted to the school (YAY!), so here are my tips for the interview! Remember, since it's group-based, they're pretty much looking for people who can interact well with others. Therefore, you definitely want to ramp up the nonverbal communication skills and show whoever is talking that you are engaged in the conversation, especially with eye contact. This shows that you actually care about what others are saying (= team player!). Oh gosh and please please please don't forget to SMILE! Also, I've heard people say that you have to be the first one to answer or at least the second because the person before you can steal your answers, leaving you with no options. That wasn't the case for me, for I went second-to-last or last, and I still got accepted. This should tell you that if you practiced for the interview earlier and did enough soul searching over the past year...you can still definitely stand out regardless whether you answer first or last. Here's a great format to follow when answering a question. 1. State your answer 2. Provide a real life example to support your answer (this could be from your experience or what you studied/read) 3. State how your answer relates to the profession or what the school is looking for in a pharmacy student This is a great format to follow because since you're doing a group interview, the possibility of people coming up with step 1 is very likely. Yet this is where step 2 and 3 come in because your putting your own personal twist to it, which can definitely help you stand out. As for the essay portion, don't sweat it when it comes to neatness. Just make sure it is legible. I finished my essay in 10-15 minutes while everyone else spent the entire 45 minutes rewriting their essay on new pieces of paper just so it looks nice. If anything, spend a little more time on making an outline in the beginning and proofreading near the end (I totally just crossed out words and wrote new words over it...kinda messy but still readable). In terms of preparing for the types of prompts, you definitely want to keep up with with the current events of pharmacy and read the pharmacy forums/blogs for people's views on certain topics. Well, I hope this advice has helped you! Good luck, you guys!!! :D"
"My impression of Touro definitely went up after the interview. Everyone was really nice and generous. Interview was informal and was more of a conversation."
"Don't stress out...make yourself prepared and maintain your confidence!"
"I actually enjoyed the group interview. the interview was very conversational and relaxing. It gives you time to think before you answer and a chance to come up with more interesting answers since you can listen to other applicants. "
"Initially, I didn't think much of Touro, but after the interview - I am very impressed. The staff and professors were so knowledgeable, considerate, and understanding. During the interview day, different professors sat with us and expressed their devotion in teaching and their dedication towards the students. As for the interview, remember that it's important to shine, but also to share since you are interviewing with other applicants. Think before you speak - when I say think, I mean really draw from your heart, your passion for pharmacy and express them. Touro is definitely an amazing school, but I'm forgoing the hefty deposit. Good luck! -mvpharm"
"It's a shame that Touro chose that site for its campus when it opened a few years back. I think they could have done much better elsewhere. Mare Island is isolated, boring, ugly, and industrial. Also, our tour guide (a student) went out of her way to bash other Calif. schools. Not cool."
"The campus is really pretty bad but there might be a lot of potential in the education one can receive there. the staff and teachers seemed great and the program seems to be working so definitely worth some interest and consideration. Plus, it's near Napa and six flags."
"dress professional.. that seems to be a big thing ;D"
"DONT GET NERVOUS. THINK ABOUT THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH. IF YOU HAVE WORKED IN A PHARMACY BEFORE THEN THE INTERVIEW WILL BE VERY EASY"
"I didn't expected a lot from the school before I went for the interview. But I gladed I went. The faculties and students were very nice. I was impressed by the block system and 2+2. I really like the school."
"Overall, I think the school is great. I really love the idea of the 2+2 program and the student who gave my interview group a tour of the campus seemed really happy with the program. "
"Someone mentioned a "rude" interviewer, and I'm positive he was among the three who interviewed me. He wasn't really rude, he was just frank and trying to get to what you're trying to say past that handy spiel you memorized. They were all nice and answered all our questions fully and honestly. People complained about the fact that the interviews were done in group format, and I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be an informal discussion type of thing. The writing sample completely threw me off; the questions weren't pharmacy-related at all!"
"it was a positive experience overall"
"Remain calm and do not have to be the first one to answer every question; show consideration, respect and interest when others speak."
"Group interviews are both a blessing and curse, but overall interviewing in a group was a positive experience. It was interesting to learn how and why other students were interested in pharmacy and Touro. Everyone was extremely friendly, both students and faculty, and symbolic of such a positive experience."
"very comfortable interview. you have ample time to bond with fellow interviewees before the actual interview so there is little intimidation. interviewers are nice but can be a little scary. i went through the whole thing with my shoes off. kosher is the only food type available on the island. weeds everywhere/no landscaping whatsoever. but a big plus is they'll will give fed financial aid even though not accreditted."
"The location is very different, but I liked it. It's quiet and antiquated. "
"Overall, the school isn't too bad. The other comments people have written are true and the location isn't the most preferable. The people there are really nice and they seem to truly like it there. I think I overprepared, but it's definitely more of a good thing than bad."
"It was well organized, the staff was very friendly."
"Shortened version of the agenda given to me: 9:00AM-9:05AM Candidates convene in conferenece room (total of 10). 9:05AM-9:50AM 45 minute writing sample. 9:50AM-10:10AM Presentation on how to obtain financial aid. 10:10AM-10:15AM Break. 10:15AM-11:00AM Meet with the Dean of the College of Pharmacy (atmosphere was more like an icebreaker I guess). 11:00AM-12:00PM Interview (Dr. Ip, Dr. Bartlett, and Diane for my group) 12:00PM-1:00PM Campus tour. 1:00PM-1:30PM Kosher lunch. I honestly think I didn't do very well. I couldn't answer the question I listed as most difficult. My responses to the other questions asked to me weren't that lenghty and the interview did not seem like a conversation (unlike with other people in the room with me). Be sure to know (forwards and backwards) what you put down on the supplemental application. Be polite to the other people getting interviewed and say what you need to say instead of rambling on. "
"I left the school with a overall good feeling. I liked the school, they seem very supportive. Ask questions if you have them, I think that is what helped me get a good feel for the school."
"The group interview was not as intimidating as I initially thought it would be. Most people in my group have similar answers to the questions but I try to go off tangent and built upon their answers. I think that's how I got accepted!!!"
"The Marriott is comfy with free internet so you can study/prepare for your interview =) The shuttle ride is almost required in my opinion, because I couldn't find the freakin place on my own. The interviewees there were chill people and ironically 80% dudes. The faculty treated us well and diffused my nervousness. I didn't know what to expect of the group style interviews but it seemed to keep flowing and people building off others comments."
"I was calm and sociable the whole day, even during the interview. Because I've been on a lot of interviews, I wasn't really phased a great deal when the interviewer wasn't as cordial. All the comments posted by other earlier by other students appear to be accurate from my account. My performance could have been better under different circumstances (like different interviewers), but it is what it is."
"I was not impressed by this entire interview process--I was already tense and nervous about the interview, and this particular interviewer made it so much worse. What he said was right, but the way he said it was wrong--very wrong approach. I felt like I was in court, being interrogated by a lawyer! But in spite of all this, the campus itself is not all that bad--the exterior has a haunted and spooky feeling. But the buildings inside, the auditoriums, and classes, are very nice. Small cafeteria though!"
"I knew what I was getting into when I applied and interviewed at Touro. However, the interview seemed odd. They said that the interview will primarily test the candidate's ability to communicate effectively. If that were so, then it shouldn't matter if you answer a question wrong. However, the interviewer seemed to be really disgusted and upset at a few candidate responses. They should make up their minds. All the other California Pharm schools like to be spoon fed the same answers but presented in a different way (I.e. I want to be a pharmacist cuz I really wanna help people, but I don't wanna help people if I can't use it on PharmCAS or call myself doctor). If that is the case, then just say it."
"very pessimisitic and gloomy..felt like doom..not friendly or lively..very dead like a graveyard"
"Look above. Negative"
"The interview was really relaxed. Our interviewers made us really feel comfortable. We went around in a circle to answer the questions, so try to sit in the middle if you can."
"Just be confident and answer the questions in more detail. "
"The interview was very relaxing. The interviewers actually spent a lot of time talking about Touro's many plans for the island. "
"I did not enjoy the group interview because I did not know what to expect. I assumed it was going to be a group discussion not a typical classroom discussion where everyone raises their hands as quickly as they can to answer the questions."
"Got there really early, took a 1 hour nap on my car, met with a couple of the guys who were interviewing, went into a room with the others, did 50 minute writing assignment, financial aid presentation, group interview, tour, lunch, drive home"
"It was raining and on the drive over to the school, I remember thinking man this looks like a third world country. The island is seriously in that bad of shape. But once i met some professors and deans, i was impressed by their ability to sell the school. its really nice that classes are so small and you are broken up into groups of 10 once the year starts so you can learn together. The interview itself wasn't very stressful because it was a group interview. For the questions that were kinda funky, I just sat back and listened to a couple of people respond before I took a stab at it. But you definatly need to speak up and be assertive at times. All in all, I would come to this school but its not my first choice. I figure if you're going to pay over 30,000 a year at least go to a school that people have heard of (like 'SC)."
"Started at 9am with the 45min essay, then the financial aid discussion, presentation about the program by the dean, 1hr group interview, tour, and finished with a lunch and chat with the Dir. of Admissions. The group interview format is something that takes additional preparation and thankfully it wasn't my first of that sort. The online catalog had general points that they're looking for in the interview and essay. It's under Admission Tips. I personally liked the area even though most people don't; no distractions on the island, close to my family and in-laws in the Bay Area, and lots of Eucalyptus trees. The rest of the island offers little else for the student body."
"It was fun and relaxing. Nothing to stress over. Everybody there is extra nice. I made a new friend there. Don't be alarm about the school location. It just need some time to improve it's surround appearance. "
"It was stressful. The interviewers asked about 6-7 questions that required critical thinking. "
"we did a writing test and then had a tour (short as the school was rather small), and then we had lunch and learned about financial aid. then we had our group interviews"
"The school is at a location where it is very easy to get lost. I suggest that you atleast drive by the school prior to your interview, so you won't get lost the morning b-4 the interview."
"The interview went okay - it was really the location that threw me off. "
"Fantastic"
"interview was in a group setting in one of those "breakout rooms" which were extremely small (because there were 5 of us and 2 interviewers there). good part about a group interview is that if you can't think of an answer, you don't have to answer first (unless they specifically call on you). bad part about group interviews is that if you don't go first, someone might already say exactly what you were going to say. "
"The essay was the first part, and took up about 50 minutes, (the topic related to natural disasters and pharmacy preparation for patients) We talked with the dean and the admissions director proir to the interview. The interview lasted an hour, and was in a relaxed conversational group format. Very conversational style and related to the interviewee as a person rather than about the profession and knowledge of the school. Very Easygoing."
"The school's interview format was by far the most stressful experience. I never heard of a group format. For the first couple of questions, I went first to answer, and the other four would just reiterate my answer with useless jargon. If you happen to get a brown-noser in your group or if you are the suck-up, don't do it. The interviewers stress at the beginning to not monopolize the time and to keep your answers terse and succinct. Be considerate!! I had a couple in my group and they just were rude."
"It was great.. I was nervous at first during the essay, but the question wasn't too difficult. Steve Davis, the director of admissions ( i think) was awesome at keeping our nerves down. The interviewers were very nice and smiled/nodded a lot while I talked, so that made me feel confident. "
"i had an awesome first time interviewing experience! i had a lot of fun and enjoyed listening to my team mates share their thoughts. just be sure to smile a lot, be attentive to others as they're talking, and answer the question! i noticed a lot of people not really answering the question and talking around it."
"It went well, the interview was very relaxing. Make sure you dont always answer first, and try to integrate others answers into yours. They are really looking at your communication skills. "
"The school seems to have a great curriculum and a passionate faculty and staff."
"I had three other interviews and this was the worst. Only because this school's location looked depressing and the questions in the interview seemed to be irrelavant and pointless. Some of the students I met there didn't seem that happy being there."
"It wasn't terrible, but I didn't like the school"
"My experience went very well. We started out with an orientation followed with an essay, tour and interview. There was some added stress early on due to the panel format for the interview, but we all got into a good zone and it turned into more of a group discussion rather than a cut-throat experience."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 65 |
| Faculty member | 7 |
| Admissions staff | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 55 |
| Neutral | 18 |
| Discouraging | 3 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.18 | 74 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 66 |
| Out of state | 11 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 24 |
| 2-3 hours | 18 |
| 4-6 hours | 20 |
| 7+ hours | 11 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 33 |
| Automobile | 41 |
| Train or subway | 0 |
| Other | 1 |
Southwest
San Francisco International Airpoirt
San Francisco International
Oakland
SFI
SFO
OKL
OAK
SMF
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 0 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 14 |
| Hotel | 38 |
| Home | 5 |
| Other | 0 |
Courtyard Vallejo Napa Valley
Yes
Motel 6
No
Courtyard Vallejo Napa Valley
Yes
Motel 6
No
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 11 |
| $101-$200 | 18 |
| $201-$300 | 7 |
| $301-$400 | 11 |
| $401-$500 | 3 |
| $501+ | 6 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5.77 | 77 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.67 | 78 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 3.82 | 78 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.65 | 40 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.32 | 41 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.11 | 37 |
"Literally told me day after interview I got in"
"Financial aid should come more prepared next time with updated dates on the packets. But overall, everyone was jolly nice and super friendly."
"Be more prompt and organized come interview dates! Also, they should try to speed up their post-interview responses and feedback."
"Perhaps find a bigger room to write the essays in. It felt a little cramped."
"Improve email response time."
"Great job, keep up the good work."
"Nothing. I think they are helpful and cooperative."
"HAVE A MORE AFFORDABLE RATE FOR HOTELS AND GIVE INTERVIEW FEEDBACK WITH THE LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE."
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?