How many people interviewed you?
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.90 | 71 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Positively | 55 |
| Negatively | 8 |
| No change | 9 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.32 | 71 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 6.80 | 56 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.75 | 56 |
No responses
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | 0 |
| 10 minutes | 0 |
| 15 minutes | 0 |
| 20 minutes | 5 |
| 25 minutes | 2 |
| 30 minutes | 16 |
| 35 minutes | 11 |
| 40 minutes | 10 |
| 45 minutes | 17 |
| 50 minutes | 3 |
| 55 minutes | 2 |
| 60+ minutes | 6 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At the school | 70 |
| At a regional location | 0 |
| At another location | 0 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| One-on-one | 47 |
| In a group | 21 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Open file | 67 |
| Closed file | 2 |
| Response Average | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 1.90 | 71 |
"what do you think about Obama's health care reform."
"Why do you want to study pharmacy at UCSF?"
"Asked about my research, What are your passions"
"Tell us about your research. Why UCSF?"
"Why pharmacy and not medicine ?"
"Tell me about yourself. How did you come to a decision to pursue pharmacy?"
"Why not a PhD? (I've had five years of research experience). How do you feel about competition among colleagues?"
"What do you do in your spare time?"
"So, I see you were involved with so and so, please tell us more about this experience - a specific question about the activity I described in one of my supplemental essays"
"Why UCSF? Why Pharmacy? Asked alot of questions from my application."
"Why UCSF and which pathway are you interested in. Tell us about a conflict and how you resolved it. Tell us about yourself. Things you do for fun. Good things about working at a pharmacy; bad things?"
"Why do you want to go to UCSF? What other schools did you apply to?"
"The first 20 minutes was about my essay. They asked me to elaborate on specific things in my essay. They started with, "please explain in different terms, why did you choose pharmacy?""
"Why do you want to attend UCSF?"
"about my work experience"
"Why pharmacy? Why UCSF? Do you see yourself happy here for the next 4 years? Where do you see yourself in 20 years?"
"Start off with why pharmacy and why UCSF."
"What makes you a better candidate than everyone else?"
"So you've had an interesting life... You are expected to finish the sentence, so I would suggest to put your cards on the table by talking about interesting periods in your life. Then the interview begins off of any of those topics you presented!"
"Why pharmacy? Why UCSF?"
"What would you do if you saw a fellow student cheating on an exam?"
"Name some leadership experience you have."
"There were 3 essay topics, but I only remember the one I wrote on, where I had to say whether I felt like leadership was an innate ability or a learned skill. You had to write the essay in a box (about 5/6 of a page, unlined) and if you exceed the boundaries of the box, apparently you are penalized."
"Tell us about yourself."
"Why Pharmacy?"
"Basic: why UCSF? why Pharmacy? what unique about yourself?"
"How have you shown leadership qualities?"
"Why should we choose you over other applicants? "
"Everyone talks about the fact that they want to "educate" their patients, but the truth is that it is very difficult. What approach specifically would you take to educate your patients effectively?"
"Why have you picked pharmacy in particular?"
"Obviously they asked: Why pharmacy? Why UCSF?"
"If I were a member of your team and wasn't doing my work, what grade should you get? (That was a very weirdly worded q)"
"Why UCSF over USC?"
"Regarding medication therapy management, do you think its worth it that a patient has to pay $50 an hour just to talk to a pharmacist?"
"Why pharmacy? What do you want to do in 5 years. . . 10 years? "
"Lots of stuff from my file."
"Why did you choose pharmacy? What kind of pharmacy experience do you have? Why UCSF? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Have you looked over the pathways and which pathways interests you? Describe your typical day."
"Why pharmacy? Why UCSF? Why not medicine? etc"
"If there was an earthquake and Dean Koda-Kemble told you that your class would not be able to graduate in 2010 because the school had to shut down for a year for renovations, what would you do?"
"What have you done as a leader for your organization?"
"I see you spent a lot of time abroad. What is the advantages/disadvantages of healthcare in other countries compared to the US?"
"Why UCSF?"
"How did your experience in the pre-pharmacy club prepare you for a career in pharmacy?"
"You said you like __ so much, why didn't you pursue that instead of pharmacy? (They asked me like 5 variations of this question!)"
"What is your typical Saturday? What do you usually do other than what you put down in the application under hobbies?"
"What got you interested in pharmacy? At no point did they ask me why UCSF...I bet they already know why."
"describe a time when you felt proud"
"Why pharmacy? They always ask this. What do you like about pharmacy, what do you not like? What do you think is a current healthcare issue? Any leadership? They asked some questions about teamwork too."
"1. Describe a difficult situation with another person, i.e. colleague, patient, customer, and how you handled it."
"What would you do if a member of your team refused to do his/her share of work?"
"Why UCSF"
"The usual question, "Why pharmacy?""
"What important issues in healthcare do you think will shape the future of pharmacy?"
"Why are you interested in pharmacy rather than medicine or nursing?"
"if you got in, what pharmacy pathway would you choose?"
"If you were a professor with a very strict policy on no make up exams, and a student came to you 2 days before the exam and said they had to miss the exam because they were going into the hospital for surgery. What would you do?"
"Questions pertained to my work background so, probably not relevant to most people."
"so tell us about ______(something you wrote in your app)"
"what are your strength and weakness?"
"Why pharmacy? Why UCSF?"
"Is there anything you think we need to know?"
"What track do you want to pursue (among UCSF's three emphasis)"
"What would you do if you saw someone cheating on a test?"
"If a patient came in with the wrong prescription, eitehr the dose was wrong or the medication is wrong, and you call the doctor and he says fill it anyway, what would you do?"
"What is your strength? Why pharmacy?"
"What do you wish to change during your undergrad years ?"
"How do you manage your time?"
"How do you manage time? How is it that you work full time, manage to do research part time, attend school full time, go to professional meetings? What makes you qualify for these professional organizations? Be prepared to answer if you are heavily involved in many ECs, work, school, etc."
"Which one of our three pathways are you interested in?"
"Situational question # 1 ( be ready for a couple of those). Imagine you work in a pharmacy and a patient comes in very upset about something, the situation quickly escalates to a conflict, how would you handle this ? "
"If you were an advisor to President Obama, what healthcare reforms would you suggest he make?"
"Strengths and weaknesses. Questions about my extracurriculars. How will my language skills help me as a pharmacist (I'm almost trilingual)."
"A team project is due tomorrow. Your team members want to copy something from the Internet. What will you do?"
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"
"Why did you choose pharmacy and not medical school?"
"Tell us about [country]. (i went here for a summer research fellowship)"
"Do you see yourself as a leader? What kind of a leader are you: the type that is loved by his followers or the type that demands efficiency even at the cost of how his followers feel about him?"
"When has there been a conflict and how did you help to resolve it?"
"Why pharmacy? Do you have pharmacy experience?"
"Is there a pharmacist that you look up to and model/why? Is there a pharmacist that you did not want to be like, and why?"
"Tell me about yourself and why you'd like to study at UCSF."
"Which pathway are you most interested in?"
"Why did you change your career plan? (I used to be an art major before switching to pharmacy)"
"Do you have any teaching experience?"
"They asked open ended questions about things in my application e.g. "I see you have done research." "
"Why UCSF?"
"If we are in the project group and we (the prof. and student) are not doing our job, what would you do?"
"My grandmother died of cancer, so they asked if i was the pharmacist in charge of her treatment, how would i do it differently?"
"How would you handle a physician who did not trust your judgement or take your advice because you were not an MD?"
"Do you think your experience working with animals help you work with people?"
"You seem to be involved in a lot of activities, what would you do if your grades began to slip?"
"How did you exhibit leadership, adaptability, and creativity in your extracurriculars?"
"If I had a patient whose prescription I felt was wrong, what would I do?"
"What do you do on the weekends?"
"Define integrity and how you see it as an important aspect of pharmacists?"
"What do you think about homeopathy?"
"If a patient brought in a wrong prescription, what would you do? What would you do if the patient kept insisting to fill the RX?"
"(In regards to my student govt experience) What qualities do you possess that you believe helped your peers select you for this position?"
"What is your proudest moment?"
"how do you spend your free time?"
"One day a customer comes to the pharmacy and complains that we gave him the wrong meds. You call up the pharmacist who gave it to him the night before. The pharmacist comes in and admits to his mistake, gives the customer the right drug and apologizes. The customer leaves. Later that day, the pharmacy manager comes in and askes "so how were things today?" The morning pharmacist lies and says "oh just fine." What would you do in this situation?"
"Tell me a situation in which you had a conflict with a fellow director in your organization. How did you deal with it?"
"You were president of XXX Club. If I went to a person in the club and asked her why she voted for you, what would she say? (an interesting way to ask what are your strengths?)"
"Tell us more about...(they referred to hobbies I had written about on my supplemental application)"
"One question about my hobbies ("You like to paint?""
"What happened with (referring to something I stated in my application)."
"Why UCSF? Why Pharmacy? Tell me about yourself."
"What are some of the issues facing pharmacists where you work? Solutions?"
"what challeneges in future of pharmacy?"
"Ask a few questions based on what I wrote on my essays. What do you do on your free time? What are some of your strengths? Do you take adversity well? What things would you do different in your undergrad years if you were to do it over?"
"What is pharmacogenomics?"
"2. Tell me how you have been a leader. "
"What would you do if you got rejected? What would you do if you could never get into pharmacy school no matter how many times you applied?"
"Would you rather be a leader or a follower?"
"If a patient show up at your pharmacy with a complain about their medication, how would you handle the situation?"
"Describe some leadership positions you have had and what you learned from them."
"What is the most positive aspect you feel is in the practice of pharmacy?"
"how do you see the role of pharmacy changing?"
"What evidence makes you believe that the pharmacist you worked for, developed cancer as a result of the medication she was preparing?"
"Describe an ethical situation you were involved in."
"Why USCD ?"
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
"What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?"
"i am president of my school's pre-pharm club so they asked multiple questions about this. And my TA position."
"what are you strengths and weaknesses"
"Why not PhD? (I expressed my interest in research on my PharmCAS and suppl essays. I also have 5 years of research experience.)"
"Give an accomplishment you considered the best in your life."
"If I had to decide right here right now whether to accept you, what would you tell me? Why should we accept you?"
"What is pharmacogenomics? How do you think that will change or shape the pharmacy profession?"
"What are the characteristics of a leader?"
"Situational question number 2, I don't recall the exact question but it was along the lines of the first one. "
"Describe the steps on how you solved a problem."
"Situational: It's 3am and a patient comes with a rx that you know is 10x the normal dosage, but the Dr. office is closed. What do you do?"
"What was a challenge you overcame here (activity from supplementary essay) other than the one you wrote about? What did you learn from it?"
"So I saw you had the opportunity to go to (place I traveled). Tell me about it."
"Were you ever in a situation where you were in a disagreement with a coworker, or you witnessed a disagreement? what did you do?"
"What can you contribute to the next class that makes you stand out from all other applicants?"
"3 situational q's"
"You have explained how you have done a 180 in your interpersonal behavior. Elaborate."
"Tell us more about what you did in leadership for your church (dealing with my app, first essay question)."
"Are you interested in any particular therapeutics branch?"
"Problems in pharmacy?"
"Tell me about your leadership experience: what did you do, and what did you learn from it?"
"Don't remember but everything was either really basic or relevant to my application material."
"Which track do you think you will take? Side note: I was concerned after my UCSD interview about how to divide my eye contact between 2 people during the interview. However, at UCSF, the interviewers alternate asking questions and once one person is done asking questions, they immediately start taking notes as the other interviewer starts asking the next question, so you can make 100% eye contact with the person who asked the specific question. "
"Why should we accept you over other applicants?"
"If you have a member of a group that is not pulling their weight, how would deal with this situation?"
"what is the main concern/issues in pharmacy rite now? (I wasn't asked on any current health news)"
"Everyone in my family is a nurse, so they asked, why not become a nurse if you like working with patients so much?"
"Why Pharmacy? "
"What are the social implications of Plan B going over the counter?"
"What are your study habits?"
"They asked a lot of questions about my activities and my supplemental, so be ready and know your app!"
"Define maturity and how did you exhibit this?"
"How is the pharmacist I work with now different from the one I worked with before?"
"Why UCSF?"
"What is the major problem with health care and how would you fix it?"
"Team/group questions"
"If we all were in a group and we(the interviewers) weren't doing our share of the work, what would you do?"
"What are the relationships like between the pharmacists and doctors in the hospital you work at?"
"How would your co-workers describe you?"
"describe a difficult situation with another person and how you handled it."
"Describe a time when you felt proud."
"Why did you decide to study abroad and what classes did you take?"
"What is the most interesting piece you ever knitted?"
"What type of role do you see yourself in as a pharmacist?"
"One question about my work experience ("So tell us about working in a restaurant.")"
"So why did you choose San Francisco?"
"Elaborate on [something from my biographical info]- be prepared to explain stuff you brought up and to offer examples =-)"
"what pathway do you want to take at ucsf?"
"Tell me more about yourself. Know about UCSF three pathways. Also ask them questions! They are interviewing you, but at the same time, interview the school."
"Why not medical? (try to avoid the cliche answers, like "i don't like blood and guts" or "i want to work normal hours" or "I want to have a family"--they do get a lot of applicants/interviewers, so you do want to be remembered). "
"3. If you didn't get into pharmacy school, what would you do? 4. With respect to a personal situation, the interviewer asked how I would advise a patient that had the same issue/problem. "
"How would you handle the situation of a complaint about a prescription that was incorrectly filled?"
"What pathway would you like to pursue?"
"There were a whole bundle of scenerio questions but I can't remember exactly what there were. "
"Why should we pick you instead of the other applicants?"
"How do you feel about the current state of retail pharmacy? What suggestions can you make about any changes?"
"what do you think of san francisco?"
"Give an example of a time where you solved a problem in a very creative way. What would you do if a patient brought you a script to fill that you knew would be detrimental to the patient? You call the doctor and he says to go and fill it."
"any pharmacy experience?"
"Why pharmacy"
"Tell us about _____ activity. How did you go about doing it and what challenges did you have to overcome?"
"N/A"
"towards the end they seemed to run out of questions to ask me so they asked "what was one question you were expecting us to ask, but didn't?" so of course as a follow up I had to answer it"
"something about clinical trials came up and the faculty asked me if i knew the different phases of a clinical trial."
"Which anmial do your friends consider you as?"
"Is there a difference between student pharmacists and pharmacists?"
"If you could change something about Eastern medicine, what would it be? How would you 'educate' others who hold on to their cultural medical practices?"
"What current health care issue interests you the most?"
"What real-world work advice would I give the student interviewer after she graduates."
"What do you want to do with a pharmD degree?"
"How will you help a patient with some kind of disease to improve her emotional well-being?"
"Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a cultural barrier."
"what will you add to our program?"
"Describe a situation in which you had to deal with a difficult person, and how you solved the problem. Another way of solving the conflict."
"Lots of questions about my research background and my interest in the basic sciences. (I am lacking for the most part, but my resume seems to not really show that.)"
"Are you more of a subordinate, obedient follower or a rebellious, opinionated follower?"
"Tell me about [random supplemental Q]."
"Is there universal healthcare coverage in Mexico? Be prepared if you're interested in international health!"
"Was there ever a time that you felt like you couldn't pull it together, with school, work, extracurrics, etc?"
"Do you think pharmacies should stop selling cigarettes?"
"What do you like about San Francisco?"
"Describe one piece of art that you enjoy the most (painting, architecture, music)"
"If you were working as a tech in a community pharmacy and a customer turned in a prescription that you were having trouble reading and the pharmacist told you it was X drug but you still weren't 100% certain it was, what would you do?"
"If you could cure any disease in the world, which disease would you chose? "
"If you have a terminal patient and the family wants to give up but the medical team decides there's still hope, what would you do as a pharmacist?"
"If a patient came to you with a prescription with the medication , for a personal reason, you feel against that medication, what would you do?"
"I had volunteered at the VA hospital, so the interviewer asked "if i called the nurse right now, what three qualities would she describe about you?""
"Why do you think women are comfortable talking to you about contraceptives?"
"How would practicing pharmacy in a region outside the Bay Area differ in terms of clinical opportunities, demographics, and overall reception?"
"What kind of running shoes do you wear?"
"What do you think about Pharmacists prescribing/recommending herbal supplements?"
"If you were the interviewer, what would you look for in a candidate?"
"What would I do if I had to help a blind/deaf patient?"
"Say you were trying to provide information about a medicaiton to a patient, and the patient didn't want to listen. what would you do? "
"If you were a pharmacist, how would you help your mom? "
"What do you think about drug commercials and how pharmaceutical companies are able to get to the consumer directly that way?"
"If a patient brought in a prescription that you thought was wrong, what would you do?"
"How effective is the barcoding system at your hospital? What are the positive and negative aspects of this type of new technology?"
"how did you choose to learn how to play the flute? (follow-up question)"
"I mentioned that I am bilingual in my application so the student interviewer asked, "how would you go about teaching a second language to my younger brother, who isn't interested in learning another language. He'd rather play with his nintendo all day.""
"What position did you play for basketball in high school?"
"Something about my tutoring experience..."
"What unique characteristic do you bring to your job that others do not?"
"Most of the questions were just about what I had written in my supplemental application (hobbies, work exp., etc.), but the first question they asked me was, "Do you have any questions for us?""
"What is your favorite piece of art?"
"What are the typical problems that occur when starting out at a new independent pharmacy? "
"Tell us about issues in healthcare that you see as shaping the future of pharmacy."
"if you were on a hike with a friend, and suddenly your friend fell. you went down the hill to help her get up and realized you were lost and it was getting dark. what would you do now?"
"All questions were very common... typical interview questions."
"Define critical thinking and give me an example. How would a compounding pharamcist, specifically, ensure patient confidentiality?"
"With having emphasized the importance of diversity in my application, the third year student asked how I would address this diversity while as a student at UCSF. "
"Describe your typical Saturday. "
"Nothing really stood out. As I said in my comments, most of my questions were personal"
"If a patient came in with a prescription that you know has a deleterious effect on their health and you called the doctor and the doctor tells you to go ahead and fill it, what would you do?"
"Personal questions regarding my hobbies. They read your file and ask you specific questions regarding your responses. This part of the interview definitely broke the ice."
"why pharmacy and not medicine?"
"How do you see your christian faith as both a positive and negative factor in your chosen field. "
"How would your boss describe you? (I worked as a chemist for 6 years before deciding to return to school)"
"about personal statement"
"what is your favorite type of music"
"Explain rugby to me. (I played in high school)"
"What do you think can be done in the health care reform situation? What is your stand on it?"
"Why not medical or nursing school instead?"
"None. It was very conversational. My interviewers didn't ask me any situational questions. We just talked about my research, my hobbies and my goals life."
"Which animal do you consider yourself as ?"
"What is it about pharmacy that is detrimental to you? Basically they meant what you don't like about pharmacy."
"Do you believe in Chinese/herbal medicine? How would you find out or counsel a patient if their cultural medicine is interfering with a drug they are prescribed?"
"None really"
"What is my opinion on how pharmacy, as a profession, is progressing/evolved and comment on pharmaceutical legislation that has passed?"
"Situational: A patient calls and you tell them their rx will be ready in 15 minutes. Right after an ER nurse comes and needs a medicine for a ER patient STAT! What do you do?"
"How will your personal understanding of the individual help you as a pharmacist?"
"Define leadership and state an example of a time when you were a leader."
"you say you're a leader, give examples."
"Who would you say knows you best and what 3 qualities would he/she use to describe you?"
"What would you do if a physician told you, a pharmacist, to fill a prescription you know to be wrong or harmful to a patient? [Answer] [Why that answer may not work], then what else would you do?"
"Are you better with dealing with people or dealing with issues?"
"Are there any people you don't get along with?"
"If you were a pharmacist in a pharmacy, a patient comes to you with a prescription indicating a dosage that YOU KNOW will be harmful to the patient... you call the doctor and he says fill it anyway... what would you do? This question was particularly difficult for me since I have no pharmacy experience, but I think critical thinking really helped in forming my response!"
"How do you get through classes that you feel are useless and have no interest in?"
"What skills did you learn from your leadership experience that you will bring to UCSF?"
"What will you do if someone is not doing any work on a group project? What if that (solution I mentioned) doesn't work? <-- they asked this last question at least 3 times. I felt like I was badgered to come up with more and more solutions for the same problem."
"nothing was really difficult"
"How do you like teamwork? (Not what is your teamwork experience or what do you like about teamwork, but HOW do you like teamwork... I felt like a kept repeating the same thing over again. It got painful after a while. haha) I realize now that answering what do you like about teamwork is probably what they meant. Oh well."
"Give an example of time where you have been a leader."
"If you have a terminal patient and the family wants to give up but the medical team decides there's still hope, what would you do as a pharmacist?"
"Imagine if you get accepted and studied at UCSF for 4 years, I (the prof.) came in your class and do a survey about you, what do you think your classmates with say?"
"What's your view on medicare? I didn't have much experience with healthcare in this aspect, but i gave her the honest answer that i didnt know anything about medicare"
"How do you think you will help the underserved community?"
"None of them were really that difficult. Unfortunately, my nervousness amplified the easiest questions to a final in quantum physics."
"How do you feel about Pharmacsists prescribing drugs?"
"Why did you only do this particular extracurricular for only 3 months? (I didn't think they would notice that!) But honestly I'm glad they didn't ask me Why UCSF? Although i really want to go here, I had gotten into a big accident 2 months ago and was still not over it and I almost got into another one right before I got to the interview."
"What would I bring to UCSF?"
"if i talked to your best friends, what would be the one thing they'd they me they don't like about you? (asking what my weaknesses were basically) "
"You said that counseling the patient is important in pharmacy, if you were a pharmacy manager how would you acheive this in your pharmacy? "
"What would you say to a patient who did not want to take a prescription due to cultural/religious beliefs?"
"If we (the interviewers) were in your group for a group project and we weren't doing our work, what would you do? (this question wasn't hard, but it was hard because they wanted me to enact it out...then they changed their minds saying that was going to far so they just had me answer it... haha but I was just kinda thrown off)"
"How will the recent legislation affecting pharmacy change the way you practice?"
"define critical thinking and give an example of it"
"Pharmacists were ranked as number 1 among all healthcare professionals based on trustworthiness, honesty, etc. However, we recently dropped to rank number 2. What do you think caused our drop in the ranking and how can we be #1 again?"
"What did you learn from studying abroad that can help you with pharmacy."
"I wrote that I liked to knit so she asked me what was the most interesting thing I."
"What negative thing have you learned about yourself and what have you done, if anything, to change it?"
"Give an example of when you have been a leader."
"If a patient came in with a prescription that was prescribed incorrectly, what would you do and why?"
"Did you want to be a doctor? Is this the only school you applied to? Really, the questions were not difficult difficult."
"Describe a typical day for you."
"if you were in a group and one member of the group was not doing his part for the group project. what grade do you think the group should receive as a whole?"
"Actually, none of the questions asked were too difficult. They just asked a lot of questions to get to know me better as a person."
"Define critical thinking and give me an example. How would a compounding pharamcist, specifically, ensure patient confidentiality?"
"Unfortunately, all were difficult as I underprepared. . . but the most difficult was the one asked at the end: what else should we know about you? The interviewers only had access to my response to the essay question in the UCSF application and nothing else (i.e. volunteer/work background). I didn't know how to respond without sounding like I was selling myself (though I that is what I wanted to do). "
"If you could change anything about your undergraduate experience, what would it be? This...wasn't that hard...but probably something that I gave the most thought into."
"Why you over all the other applicants. This is a question you should expect but none of the other schools asked me that."
"What are some personal and profession challenges you are currently facing?"
"Tons of situational questions!! However, they were pretty cool about letting me know that we were making this transition by telling me there is no right or wrong answer and that i could take all the time i wanted to respond."
"Nothing too difficult at all! The interviewers don't grill you and just want to get to know you."
"what do you like least about pharmacy?"
"If you were in charge of a clinical pharmacy team, and a noncompliant patient was to have died under your care, what would you do to adjust the program."
"Why didn't you apply to a pharmaceutical company rather than return to school?"
"none"
"Why you want to be a pharmacist instead of a doctor?"
"Describe how you would have changed the pharmacy you worked in to make things operate better?"
"Read through the interview feedback on of Student Doctor Network, and set questions and answered them"
"SDN, lots of practicing with my roommate, researched their website and current events in pharmacy."
"SDN, read over my application essays."
"SDN, practiced and practiced"
"Read SDN, talked to current students, attended 4 interviews at other schools (it was great practice!), did mock interviews with my family and friends."
"Read SDN. Read Joel's blog (admissions director). Re-read my app. Gave lots of thoughts into potential questions. Have taken a few speech classes in advance semesters. Have taken writing courses in advance to help polish the application process, and to prepare for the writing session. Kept up with current events for the writing session. Took a day off to relax before the interview."
"Read interview feedback on SDN, read over my essays, made a "story box" of interesting things that have happened in my EC, work, and general life experiences to prepare for situational questions"
"I have reread this entire interview section mupltiple times, made a list of questions that I could be potentially asked and thought about my answers to them. I didn't practice because I wanted to be genuine, but I have definitely put some thought into what I would say. I also read pre-pharmacy forum threads from previous years to get an idea of what to expect. "
"Reviewed all the interview questions on SDN, reviewed UCSF Pharmacy website, visited pharmacy websites and learned all the current events in pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, and pharmaceutical law."
"SDN, read over my application many times, mock interviews, read UCSF website, talked to current UCSF students"
"I knew two things: 1. UCSF was going to be the toughest interview, and 2. it was going to be open file. I looked through all the questions on this forum, practiced the main ones (like why pharmacy, why UCSF, etc) and mentally prepared myself for situational questions. Read up a little bit on healthcare on wikipedia.com, nytimes.com and cnn.com. Read about the school. PS, make sure you know your essays VERY well."
"Read my application. I read the UCSF website which is full of information. I researched recent pharmacy news. "
"Read what I wrote in my apps, took previous day off work to relax."
"Know yourself and your motivation to pursue pharmacy. SDN, interview book"
"Interview feedback"
"Read all interview feedback available on SDN, talked with pharmacists and UCSF interns/graduates, took notes on main points for interview responses, read about UCSF on their website"
"SDN, mock interviews, pharmaceutical literature."
"SDN, read research articles on pharmacy field, roles of pharmacits future and present... read about healthcare issues in the US and a review of medicare Part D after its first year of implementation"
"Read SDN, read my PharmCAS/supplemental apps, practiced with a friend. It helped that I had my Touro interview the day before, too."
"Mock interview, other interview at different pharmacy school, talked to other applicants about UCSF, talked to current students, read over my application"
"SDN, website, asked alumni"
"sdn"
"SDN, 2 previous interviews, read and reread the website, subscribed to Drug Topics and listened to podcasts on recent developments in medicine/pharmacy."
"This website. Job Interviews for Dummies (it really helped me get in to the right frame of mind). I prepared stories that I wanted to tell--I believe that the key to a good interview is good storytelling."
"Mock interviews with friends, went over my essays and application. Reviewed the UCSF website"
"I actually "studied" for the interview. I typed out the answer, listened to myself on tape, pulled out all the possible questions and read the important news (you don't have to know them all)"
"Mostly practicing questions from SDN and asking previous applicants about the process."
"SDN, mock interviews, read the website (know the 3 pathways really well), re-read my essays "
"I read current events, interviewed various students and pharmacists and skipped my usual vat of morning coffee."
"I read my essays and read through articles about pharmacy and the healthcare field. I also read almost everything on the school's web pages."
"SDN, speaking with pharmacists, reading the paper for topics, reading my application"
"SDN, mock interviews, same ol'"
"I had 2 interviews before (I think this helped me the best in terms of familiarity, confidence, and thinking on the spot), otherwise: studentdoctor.net, prayed"
"SDN interview feedback, interview questions on the internet, and a timed essay"
"Look at SDN and just thought about my life over a hot cup of chocolate! I didn't want to do mocks because interviewers will know if your answers sound rehearsed."
"SDN, re-read my application essays. "
"I read this website, talked to my grandma who's a pharmacist, and went through interview questions with my mom "
"SDN, read up on pharmacy issues, mock interviews, and REST!"
"SDN, UCSF websites, read up on current healthcare and pharmacy issues."
"SDN, practice interview questions, read UCSF website"
"read up on sdn, read current news articles related to healthcare/pharmacy, re-read my app, researched the school, practiced questions, made a list of experiences/extracurriculars/qualities that i wanted to incorporate/highlight"
"Read SDN, caught up on current events, talked to the pharmacists I work with."
"Practice the usual questions: tell me about yourself, why pharmacy, tell me a situation in which you had a conflict with someone else. Also, SDN's interview feedback was really helpful! It does hurt that this was my 5th pharmacy school interview. "
"SDN SDN SDN!!!"
"SDN, mock interviews, UCSF website, google searches on pharmacy careers"
"Mock interview at career center, read SDN interview feedback and read up on current events in pharmacy."
"UCSF website, studentdoctor.net"
"SDN, mock interview, friends"
"Read SDN, prepared answers for all questions. The situational Q's I was asked came right off SDN! Also read book on how to answer interview Q's and read lots and lots of articles about pharmacy."
"studentdoctor"
"SDN, came up with my own questions and came up with answers."
"This was my very very last interview. The last interview I had before this was a month ago at UCSD, so I didn't do anything to prepare for my UCSF interview in the 1-month lagtime (except sleep and eat, of course :). However, for all my other interviews, I: read SDN, pharmacist.com, some other offline pharmacy journals, went thru every single interview question posted in the interview feedback section (including non UCSF), practiced repeatedly and tape recorded myself, attended a mock interview held at my school, had 5 more mocks elsewhere. So I thought this was sufficient :) Oh, I constructed my response to "why UCSF?" on the BART ride there--it was a good thing I did that too because the very first thing they asked me was "So, why UCSF?""
"SDN (very helpful!), UCSF web-site, practice answering questions outloud."
"SDN; talked to pharmacists and a current student; read lots of pharmacy-related articles; online research (school site, pharmacy-related sites)"
"sdn, ucsf website, interview q's"
"read current events, went over my application, read student doctor"
"School website, SDN, re-read my application essay"
"Read sdn website, looked at ucsf website, talked to pharmacists, talked to students who go there."
"Read UCSF website, SDN, pharmacy websites and magazines, and talked with Pharm D.'s."
"read industry magazines, mock interview on my drive up to SF, read up on my undergrad research topics, and recalled my experience while volunteering at pharmacy"
"Worked in Biotech, talked to everyone in the company from the clinicians to the chemists. Talked to several faculty members at UCSF. Read a few books on pharmacy. volunteered at a pharmacy as a pharm tech. Read webpage after webpage on pharmacy related issues and associations. Took extra classes in biology. Subscribed to drug topics. Read the UCSF website about a zillion times. Practiced my writing skills via GRE study books. "
"Reviewed my personal statement, UCSF application essays, read up on recent developments in the field of pharmacy months in advance"
"sdn, website"
"read feedback from DSN"
"Read UCSF website."
"How friendly the interviewers were"
"The video about UCSF Pharmacy school."
"Everything. They definitely tried to put all of us at ease. There were awesome snacks (but i didn't have much of an appetite). Everything was structured extremely well and gave us the opportunity to get to know the other applicants."
"very well organized event. The chat room session with the current P1 students gave us a good chance to talk to them openly."
"Going through one of the most vigorous application and interview processes, I realized why UCSF is the #1 pharmacy school. This school is looking for genuine applicants who will be the future leaders of the phamracy."
"Well-organized event."
"Everything was very nicely organized and everyone including the staff and interviewees were friendly and welcoming."
"Everyone was nice. The entire interview process was on schedule and proceeded smoothly. I was impressed that interviewers knew our profile and had already put thoughts into what to ask us. They showed a lot of interest in wanting to get to know every individual. Above all, I was surrounded by the world's brightest pharmacy faculty members; UCSF ranks #1."
"Pretty much everything about the school. The interview day itself was very organized, admissions people were friendly and open, and my interviewers were kind and genuinely interested in learning more about me. The students were very friendly as well."
"I was impressed by how kind and friendly everyone was - I truly felt relaxed and comfortable during the interview, despite the extreme level of stress. I felt like I was valued as an applicant and the interviewers were trying to simply learn more about me. "
"Everyone was very professional and friendly and they didn't try to stress you out. My interview ran late, but they gave me a few minutes to calm down before entering the writing portion of the day."
"Staff's friendliness, UCSF's #1 ranking!!"
"UCSF is amazing. The faculty and staff here really want to know you for who you are, not just the person you are based on your grades."
"there was a lot of time for questions. "
"The incredible reputation of the school, along with the willingness for the administration to make sure all their students do well and pass everything. Also that they do have some housing on-campus, AND housing at the new Mission Bay campus (which is amazing)."
"beautiful campus, professional interview session"
"The curriculum and the diversity of options. The proximity of the other schools and health care facilities."
"The friendliness of everyone from the chat room to the interview to the financial aid session... the organization was wonderful, the welcoming feel and the professional vibe it all had. It was so comfortable, even though most people were really nervous!"
"Professionalism, organization, sense of academia."
"Everyone at the school was very professional. Every candidate seemed top-notch!"
"Students were genuine and enthusiastic! I met with students for the prerequisite check/chat room before my interview, so it really helped calm my nerves before my interview. My interviewers were also the nicest people that I could have asked for! Everything was also really smooth and organized"
"Everyone was SO friendly. The staff was nice, my interviewer was really encouraging and sweet, and all the other applicants were really well-rounded, friendly, and outgoing."
"location, students excited to study here, great faculty, student life seemed fun"
"convenient public transportation"
"It definitely seemed to be the most organized of all of the interviews I went to. UCSF knows they are the top-ranked pharmacy school and they exude confidence and reliability."
"The campus and the location are amazing. The first time I visited the school, I was in awe. I thought I would be accepted by such a prestigious institution. However, I am happy to report that I was accepted about one month after my interview."
"People were very nice"
"My first interview and my only. It was very very very formal. And I guess that kind of pressure really challenged me to do good."
"How all the students were not concerned about grades. One students said "Cs get degrees.""
"The students! They're all very friendly. The campus is beautiful, the city is amazing. "
"I was so well received; ALL students: not just those in the school of pharmacy, were enthusiastic, friendly, and made my stress level so much lower than it would have been!"
"The admissions people were very friendly and helpful."
"How much the students are involved in the process and how friendly the students walking by are"
"This school breathes academia. The organization of the interview from the start was probably the biggest impact on me."
"Everyone was professional, very friendly (they're just like you and me!), very organized"
"The students loved the school they were attending, and the professors are so impressive."
"They had an introduction to the school and financial aid session before the interview and essay...but I couldn't pay attention to any of that because I was so nervous."
"the faculty- there really are pioneers in their field. UCSF definitely has the best research opportunities. "
"They were so professional! The student interviewer was really nice ^_^"
"Everyone was very nice"
"The staff all seem very supportive and friendly. The current students also stopped by and they all were enthusiastic about the school."
"The faculty and students were enthusiastic and professional. UCSF is the #1 school and it shows."
"The city was nice and diverse. The students were friendly."
"the quality of the interview"
"Both the faculty member and the student interviewer were really nice. They listened intently to my answers and joked with me a little at one point. They made me feel more relaxed."
"The students. The tour that they gave was really helpful especially since I really got a chance to talk to them about their experience. They also have a nice gym with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge while people are running of the treadmills."
"People seemed nice, friendly, and relaxed."
"the friendliness of the registration staff, students in the chat room and interviewers"
"The interviewers made me feel extremely comfortable and welcome."
"Facilities are excellent, city is great."
"Everything. The friendly people. How very unstressful the interview was because I get stressed a lot."
"Awesome location, very nice people."
"facilities"
"friendly interviewers, friendly students!"
"The professional setting!"
"Unfortunately, I was too stressed to have looked at anything during my interview day in a positive light. "
"Friendly students, faculty, and staff"
"The environment, the campus, the students. It's an atmosphere that I can picture myself in."
"How organized the whole thing was."
"the pharm students are incredibly friendly! someone once told me the students that go there are snobby, but they're not at all. they make an honest effort to welcome you and put you at ease."
"Everyone was extremely friendly at UCSF. Given it's one of the top schools, the atmosphere was very welcoming and comfortable without a hint of snobbishness at all. Also, the curriculum is exceptionally impressive. "
"the location! the campus is in a beautiful setting, the student center overhangs a hill and has a view of the golden gate bridge, and the city life is amazing -plenty of culture, scenery, and good eats. can't ask for anything better. the school is the best in its field too. research is top notch, and student life is communal and interactive (as opposed to what ive heard of another leading school, USC)"
"How friendly all the students and staff were. The very open and communal research environment. The large ammount of feedback the staff was taking."
"The students are diligent yet, they have time to have fun. Also, if you want to do research, this is the place to be...It's all happening here. UCSF sets the standards for all other pharmacy schools to follow."
"friendly students, faculty"
"The people are very friendly, and the curriculum seems great"
"People were much more laid-back than I thought they'd be since it is UCSF. Students seemed happy and the campus seems like there is always a lot going on. UCSF seem to open lots of doors for people doing cutting edge things in pharmacy."
"There are so many people there for the interview so it made it a little bit dis-organized even though I understand the admission staff tried hard to make it organized.. My interviewer would not listen to my answer completely. I was half way done and she said, can you close the door please?...."
"The room that we took our essay in was kinda stuffy. I didn't mind too much, but a few people had to take off their jackets."
"LONG day."
"Nothing."
"Nothing really. I enjoyed it all."
"How intimidating the entire process was. It was difficult to remain calm. It was even more intimidating to know I was sitting alongside the best of the best interviewees. Eek!"
"Nothing, I was in love with the school before I even came, and now that I am a student here, I can honestly say I was blown away by how smooth the process was - for an interview session that takes nearly half the day, admissions office really did an amazing job of setting everything up and organizing an entire event so it proceeded very smoothly and was a very rich and informative experience. "
"Nothing negative."
"Campus looks kind of old."
"paying for parking"
"Parking.... really difficult to commute to campus by car if youre a student. "
"$21 for parking (7 hrs)"
"The classrooms are slightly dated. Beautiful, nonetheless. (Chalkboards, small desks) The city takes getting used to unless you're from NY. I was pretty embarrassed how lost I was my first day (prior to interview)."
"My GPS told me to take a left on a one-way street that I could not take a left on..."
"The rain and the fact that there only seems to be 2 lecture halls for pharmacy students... i guess limited space for classes!"
"Not much, really -- everything was really smooth and organized."
"It was raining. :("
"Expensive! The weather - it was raining the whole time. It was stressful and scary. My interview felt rushed and the faculty seemed unintested. It looked like she just wanted to go home (I was her last interview for the day and it was a weekend). My faculty interviewer went home right after my interview."
"God damn it's a crowded city. Terrible weather. Hope it's not like that year-round"
"How does anybody ever park in this city?"
"Classroom space is very limited."
"Parking is a mess."
"Nothing. UCSF is the best school. Everybody was so friendly. "
"The location. The school is on top of a hill that doesn't get much sunshine."
"besides my interviewer, nothing really. "
"Wouldn't it be great if the UCSF shuttle still picked up commuters from the east bay so my trip over would be more pleasant than the N-Judah?"
"I felt my interviewer was tired and annoyed by the time he got to me. I was the last of his 3 interviews of the day. He sometimes stared at the cieling while I was talking or asking him a question."
"The facilities do not contain one building for the School of Pharmacy and the weather is not to sunny."
"The student tour guides were burned out. They didn't really smile or crack jokes. They were very formal, like the rest of the school. It's an extremely good school, but for me it lacks the bright personality that the rest of the city displays."
"The one-way streets and traffic on the way to the interview, the weather"
"Nothing really...the cold weather."
"Nothing really; I've visited the school before and I didn't have any surprises."
"my student interviewer- seemed a bit arrogant. but the school itself is great!"
"I can't think of anything, UCSF is awsome!"
"nothing really"
"The interview was a bit intimidating."
"The schedule for the day was long, and I was exhausted by the end."
"The school lacks its own building and uses classrooms in other schools' buildings (e.g. nursing building). The first year curriculum is basically a review, and not all of the current students shared the same enthusiasm towards the school (or at least P1s)."
"no tour, financial aid info session, etc"
"The facility is somewhat limited. Only one main lecture hall for pharmacy students."
"The facility wasn't great. The whole building was for all students to share. There was one floor dedicated to the pharmacy students."
"My faculty interviewer acted like she hated me."
"there were no more tours held after I ended my interview so I was not able to have a formal tour of the campus"
"No formal presentations, I spent most of my time there waiting in the lobby."
"There was no formal presentation of the school, it was just sign-in, essay, and out. Also interviewers seemed quite unfriendly and a little demanding. Also student "chat room" was only available after the morning interview, not before. It would have been nice to speak to a current student before my interview."
"Nothing really. Maybe the idea that I might not be accepted?"
"Seemingly expensive and limited housing in the city. Parking situation sucks- and why did they put the parking structure on the side of the school with the beautiful view? Also, I wonder how the school would hold up in the next massive earthquake."
"no where to park and very congested area"
"Nothing really, I was just overly nervous to fully enjoy the day."
"The rain, but it was beyond UCSF's control :)"
"There was no introduction about the school or formal reception. I was in the group that met at 8 A.M. on Saturday, did the essay and then my interview. I had the option to talk with students and take a tour but I wasn't feeling so hot about the interview that I decided I'd call it a day. Looking back, I'd recommend taking the time to (re)familiarize yourself with the student, school, and city -- take those opportunities the day of your interview. "
"There was no introduction from the school. I would have liked the Dean or admissions coordinator to make an announcement or speech about some background of the school, or more statistics, or at least something to introduce us with."
"I stayed a lot longer than I needed to because the letter was misleading"
"The interview as conducted into the student union, and during the essay portion it was kind of hard to concentrate due to the noise."
"For the most part.... the crummy weather.... but that has nothing to do with the school. I'm from southern california so i was shocked to hear one of the pharm students say how 'nice' the weather was (it was cloudy and cold!)."
"Parking was difficult and expensive. Some buildings and lecture halls were old and needed upkeep."
"parking, access. but then again, this is the city. walk!"
"The makeshift interviewing cubicles separated by cloth partitions. You could hear other people having their interviews while you were having yours."
"I sensed the students were happy to be there but I wondered about the student-faculty contact. Got the impression that faculty know students by their ID numbers rather than by names. "
"nothing"
"None"
"The other interviewees seemed really stressed out and people we not as talkative as at other interviews. Some students complained about the strong emphasis on basic sciences being "way too much.""
"Why my interviewer was. I didn't know that so I had no idea that she was only doing research, and she seemed to be NOT INTERESTED at all when I told her my volunteer experience because she only interested in RESEARCH which I had zero exp!!"
"How laid back everything was. I felt comfortable the whole time. Don't be nervous, your interviewers just want to get to know you past what they can see from your written application."
"I feel like I was well prepared and there were no surprises. Like someone already mentioned they give you 45 minutes to write an essay and a very limited space to write it in. So I wrote my essay in 25-30 min on draft paper that they provided and then took the rest of the time to copy everything neatly and made sure it fit in a box they assigned for the essay."
"Wished I had learned to find my comfort zone and relaxed. Also, the writing portion we were given 2/3 of a page to answer a prompt in 45 minutes. It's plenty of time for so little space. So don't rush through it. 2/3 of a page! How much can you write in that amount of space? Some people did 5 paragraph essays with tiny prints. I did 3 paragraphs in 20 minutes and handed it in. It was a big gamble on my behalf, but I got in!"
"To bring some snacks because you will be STARVING from the five hours at the interview day, the few snacks you're given, and from using all your brainpower on the essay and interview :-P."
"How relaxed and comfortable I would be during the actual interview, I wouldn't be so very stressed out if I knew how the process actually went"
"Wished I had known there was no place to store my stuff otherwise I would have brought a bigger bag."
"Nothing really."
"Bring water. They have a fountain, but if you get thirsty during the writing sample.. then you're going to be thirsty. Oh and the interview can last 30 minutes or it can last 60 minutes. Don't freak out if you're the first one out because your interview was only 30 minutes long. It's fine."
"Check-in time is really the check-in time on the letter...because they start everything 30 min after that. Didn't have to arrive any earlier (unless youre new to the campus)."
"Very structured interview. Although it was like a conversation, they did set up ethics questions and analytical questions with respect to my character and application. By far, the most invasive interview I've ever had in my lifetime."
"When they say "check-in 8:30am" they REALLY mean check-in from 8:30-9am, and the program starts at 9am. Oh well! Getting there at 8am was... okay."
"The entire process would take 6 hours."
"That I would become super nervous as I entered the interview room... quick way to calm down, anyone?"
"That there's a lot of downtime. My call time was at 8:30am, but the official beginning info session started at 9am. There was also a lot of waiting around after the interview and essay."
"I knew to bring a snack from reading this feedback, so that was good. I got there super early, and the program didn't start until 30mins after check-in, so I had a lot of lag time. It was okay though, I just chatted with other applicants."
"Nothing, everything was basic."
"Don't bother arriving early unless you're going to have to find parking. If you get there early they tell you to go across the street and eat or something."
"Nothing really. I was pretty well prepared because I attended the schools information session months earlier and I read all the interview posts on this website."
"The wait. You don't have to be there a head of time. I started 3 hours after my appointment time, and Iwas there 2 hours before my appt time. So it was 5 hours doing nothing."
"Nothing really. Everything was what i expected it to be. I just wish i had looked over statements more. All their questions came from my application statements."
"I parked at this parking lot near the campus, and it was like a maze getting out of there. It made me panic a little because I was almost late. "
"Having long hair that isn't tied back combined with a name tag that just won't stick where it's supposed to can be a ridiculous combination. Take note ladies."
"I didn't know UCSF invented clinical pharmacy."
"I am from the area so I knew how expensive parking was, but just make sure you bring about $15-20 to park."
"The one-way streets, trolleys, busy streets, bring a small car"
"Where flat shoes the tour was long."
"I didn't need to bring a portfolio."
"it was raining, and parking was really expensive. "
"Know where you live on the map! I was asked a question about this, and I couldn't answer it. . . Also, have questions to ask. In retrospect I think that was important. "
"I wish I would have brought some headache medicine."
"SF is very cold."
"No need to arrive early, the registration table doesn't open ahead of time."
"It was going to be so darn long. A lot of people had planes to catch and places to be."
"That the walk to my bed and breakfast was so far uphill. Try and take a cab when you can. I wouldn't recommend walking since I walked uphill for 45 minutes just to get to the bed and breakfast. I got bad directions from the owner. He told me it was at the top of the hill but refused to answer how many blocks away I was from it, so I thought it was closer than it actually was."
"Nothing, really- no strange surprises here."
"my pre-requisite standing was not what I expected, however, through the help of the admissions coordinator, I have been able to straighten out most of it."
"There really isn't a need to get there super early."
"Nothing"
"Finding transportation."
"No surprises; just try to have someone to drop you off instead of worrying about parking."
"I wish I had prepared myself better for the interview. Even though the questions were not that difficult, I was still nervous. UCSF was my first interview so I had no interview experience whatsoever. I wish I knew not to stress so much and to just relax... all I really needed to know well was myself. The essay was easy too. You had three prompts to choose from. Just choose the one you are most comfortable answering. Answer the question and give examples. For my interview day, the essay questions were 1)something about good stress/bad stress, 2)about uniqueness of ucsf campus, 3)about women only societies."
"You do not need to get there 2 hours in advance when you live across the Bay. If you do get there early, find something to do because you will be bored to death. "
"That there wasn't going to be a formal reception for interviewees."
"San Francisco is a confusing place...we got lost on the way there and I ended up arriving with little time to spare...leaving me to be very stressed out before the interview."
"If you have an 8am interview, you'll be done by noon. I stayed there for 8 hours because the letter said try to say as long as possible as there are other events going on during the afternoon. All you really need is one hour writing, one hour interview, probably 1-2 hours for their workshop/tours and that's it. You should book an early afternoon flight."
"Nothing really. I have been to the school before so I was familiar with the place. I also did a lot of research about the school online so there wasn't anything really new to me."
"the interviews are arranged by area. for instance, on the day i went, all the interview applicants were from southern california, mostly from san diego. I saw tons of people from my school so I was very comfortable even before my interview began."
"That parking was expensive. Also, that the interview was casual."
"get good rest."
"Sudents come out and talk to you while you are waiting for your interview. They interview about 50 people in one session in waves of about 10 people every 30 minutes or so. You take the writing test first in a very nice well lit room, and then wait to be called to have the interview. "
"Dress casual. Don't go into debt buying a suit you can't afford; wear your best dress-shirt and slacks...just dress professionally. You make more of a lasting impression on what you say, not how good you look. "
"nothin"
"the essay is a lot easier than I thought"
"Bring a coat. It's about 5-10 degrees colder at the campus than the rest of the city because it is on a hill."
"Don't be too stress out. DON'T ! It is a good school but you don't have to act like you are begging them for admission."
"I love this school. It exceeded all of my expectations and I am so nervous to hear back!"
"My interviewers were nice, overall. one is a 3rd year student, and one is a faculty member (not necessarily a pharmacist) or resident. Felt like they were grilling me at times, but overall interview was very conversational."
"Keep up with current events and hone your essay writing skills. GRE/GMAT essay prep book was helpful."
"The interview event was very well prepared and organized. I felt that the school really cares for the students."
"Even though I spent 5 hours there, the time passed by really fast. I was also worried that the interview was super long, since my other interviews were about 20 min. But they asked me tons of questions and it was a very fast-paced interview. I was out of there and I couldn't believe 45 minutes passed. I also prepared many questions for my interviewers as there was a lot of time to ask those. I tried to engage my interviewers in a conversation when I asked them questions. In the end, I was kind of worried that I didn't impress my interviewers much and was stressing out for 6 weeks before I finally got my acceptance letter."
"Lots of questions from my application. Review it before your interview. Don't be intimidated by the fact that UCSF is #1. Think of it like it is any other interview. They just want to get to know you better, match a face to the application, and they are looking for consistencies among your app, your writing style, and if you are 'authentic'. Be YOURSELF. I keep mentioning that I was nervous, but I know I appeared calm on the outside. As long as you can keep a cool head, you'll be okay."
"I was very nervous about the interview but it went very well. I didn't really get any situational questions but the interview you have will depend on the interviewer's style--some people will get a ton of situational questions, some might get some typical questions, etc. Don't worry too much after the interview until you get your letter. I left the interview in a good mood but analyzed it for weeks afterward and eventually felt like I didn't do so well. But I ended up getting accepted :)."
"Bring some fruits or some kind of energy bar, this will be a long day/session and you will definitely need the energy. Also - I can't stress this enough !!!!!!!! - be kind and very friendly to your peers interviewing with you - THEY WILL BE YOUR FUTURE CLASSMATES. If you get accepted, these people will be your classmates, your UC family and your friends, so be nice and kind to them because building good professional relationships and friendships with your classmates early on is very important. Surely enough, people that were nicest to each other during our interview, including myself, are now a great group of friends. Also, read about the school on UCSF website, you will have the opportunity to ask one of the faculty members some questions and it's better your questions are genuine and show your knowledge of school, rather than something that can be easily looked up. "
"Overall, the interview was good. The people were friendly. I was worried that I didn't do well because my interviewers didn't laugh at my jokes and they asked some hard questions. I caught myself rambling sometimes. In the end, I must have done ok since I got accepted! :)"
"Before this interview, I interviewed at 3 other schools, and this was by far the most interesting interview. I felt the interviewers knew me so well (almost more than I knew myself it felt like) because their questions were very direct and to the point, based on what I put on my application. So definitely know your application well!!! Because the questions were not as general as I was used to, I felt like they were kind of grilling me and came out feeling kind of down. This year, UCSF interviewed less people, so you hava a better chance of getting in if you got an interview. About 6 weeks later, I found out I was accepted! =)"
"I thought I bombed the interview. I was really nervous. I couldn't articulate my thoughts into words, and felt like I was rambling. I had to ask for clarification for about 2 questions because I wasn't sure what they were asking for. My interview ended early and I was the first person out. My interviewers only took notes for the first ten minutes so I thought they just gave up on me. I was so depressed after the interview that I skipped the tour and just went straight home. I thought my chances were gone. But after a month later, I was accepted. ^_^ (So don't overanalyze your interview experience!!! You just keep degrading yourself.)"
"Just found out last week that I was accepted (2.5 weeks after the interview). Great school."
"The interview, I guess, was semi-closed file. The interviewers only have access to your extracurriculars, and the essays written on pharmcas and the supp app. Also, make sure to at least look at the 3 pathways. I really liked the options."
"My first (and probably only) interview: should have been nervewrecking, but it was instead very wonderful because everyone was so friendly and helpful!"
"Prowess of school is evident when admission coords. greet you. This feeling carries through the end of the day."
"Well, I was calm most of the day, especially since we had to wait half an hour from our specified time to have an introductory welcoming! It really helped to think of the interview as a conversation to calm down a bit, but in the back of my mind and as the interviewers were writing while I was talking, I knew this was no typical conversation! lol Thankfully, the interviewers were not intimidating at all and really helped me to calm down. Nevertheless, I had a shaky voice throughout my interview since I was abnormally nervous (first/last/only interview)... I had never been that nervous before... I even made a quick pause to gather my thoughts during the interview... at which point I thought I had blown it! Fortunately, this was at the beginning of the interview and I was quick to recover and focus and had a decent rest of the interview... I think what really helped me was my knowledge on healthcare issues, pertaining to pharmacy and my passion for other ECs I was involved with. Even with a shaky voice, I guess what you say really shows. After the interview, I had a good time. The student panel gave me some insight into student life at UCSF. The essay was not stressful... decent topics to write about... I finished mine in about 20 minutes. Now, the waiting time for a response is like hell... I second guessed myself a lot... I kept thinking how I could have said things better and kicked myself for saying other things. In the end, after that interview, there's nothing you can do but stay positive... I received my acceptance letter 8 wks later! Better late than never! :-)"
"The interview was great and left a positive impression on me. After going, it confirmed my desire to go to UCSF over any other institution. The essay was also not very difficult. I got accepted about 6 weeks after my interview."
"I was really impressed by UCSF. It actually wasn't my top choice going into the interview, but after the day was over it definitely was. I thought the best part was that everyone was so friendly and we got a chance to mingle a lot with other applicants. It helped me relax."
"Stressful and tense. The other students were obviously very competitive. Once you get in, the students seem to get a long just fine."
"The school looks very professional. The building where interviews were held is VERY confusing. You have to go around a lot. When I got out it was raining dogs and cats so it was a bad ending for an otherwise wonderful day. I did very well so I was happy =)"
"There is a brief orientation-type meeting and then you are divided into groups based on the color of a sticker on your folder. Time is divided between 1-the interview (one student & one faculty), 2-speaking with current students/prerequisite check, and 3-the essay. My order was 2-1-3 and my interviewers were running late, so I had to wait for a while to start. I thought it was really nice of them, because they actually got some students to stay late and give me (and other students affected by the later interviewers earlier in the day) a special campus tour since we missed the main one. :) I was accepted slightly less than a month after my interview."
"Naturally, the stress level was very high because I felt my future was hanging in the balance. But I tried to channel my nervous feelings into an outward enthusiasm. I focused on communicating clearly and took confidence in the fact that I had prepared extensively. In the end, I felt I had made a genuine connection with my interviewers. The essay was a little harder than other schools, but if you have mastered the five paragraph argument essay, then it really should not be a problem. Leaving the interview I felt confident. But as the weeks wore on, my confidence quickly eroded and I became certain that I was to be rejected. Waiting is definitely the hardest part. My advice is to focus on your communication (written and oral) and really think about what makes you a unique applicant."
"This was my first interview, and my first-choice school, so I was pretty nervous. I thought that overall, i did ok, but not great. I thought that, for the most part, I was able to get across what I wanted to say, but after the interview, I've always found myself saying that "I wish I would've said this..." But apparently, I did well enough. I got accepted a month and a half later!"
"This is my first and only interview. The school campus, the students, and everybody really impressed me. After going there, I really wanted to go to UCSF."
"Overall, the interview process was very similar to other interviews i had (UCSD, USC). We were given a short orientation on the school followed by a written statement. Afterwards, we were given a chance to speak to current student. The order of the process will probably be different for each applicant. I had my interview last, so by that time i was very tired and felt off my game. Each question was directly out of my application statements. The questions were similar to others i had encountered, except these questions were really specific and less broad. I worked at an elderly home and one question was describe an experience with one of the patients. I honestly worked there to gain experience with patientcare, but it wasnt exactly heart-felt, so i had a hard time answering the question. From then on, i felt like my flow was off. It took me a long time to answer questions and i studdered a lot. Overall, it felt like the interviewers were out to get me. The funny thing is, out of all my interviews i thought this was by far the worst one. Im writing this almost two months later, i just found out i was accepted. I guess i was lucky."
"Although I already had interviewed at UOP and USC, I was still nervous about this interview. Unfortunately, I was interviewed by a med student. He was not as friendly- he never smiled, and seemed like he didn't want to be there. That only made me more nervous. The pharm student, however, was a lot nicer. The interview process is longer than I expected ( I was there for 4.5 hours)"
"Nice. It was a beautiful day in SF, everyone was so incredibly friendly, and the day was well organized. I didn't experience any of the "waiting" time that so many people have written about here."
"It was just ok. I couldn't get a good read on either of the interviewers, and I felt like either crying or throwing up afterward. It could hae been because I was so nervous, though. All it all, it was just plain bizarre."
"Overall, I was pretty impressed. They schedule time for you to ask any questions you may have about your pre-requisites or in general. I liked that the essay topic was not knowledge based and you had choices. "
"Before interviewing at UCSF, I was having a hard time deciding between UCSD and UCSF. After visiting UCSF, meeting some students there, and touring its campus and city, I decided UCSF wasn't for me."
"This interview was my last one and my best one because I felt most at ease. I prayed and really God answered my prayers. I was "lucky" with my interviewers b/c they were very nice, but I've come to the conclusion that if your interviewer has a mean or weird look on his face, it's probably not you but him/her. They asked sooo many questions-I think like 5 each. Situational, team work q's, resume q's, pharmacy q's. My best advice would be to go to as many interviews as you can or just practice with as many different people as you can (authority figures maybe), and do studentdoctor.net. I started looking over the q's in the airport and in the hotel before I fell asleep. Get to know the city and relax before the interview. And get to know your peers b/c they're just as nervous as you and you can relax as you guys talk."
"Overall I had a great time. My interviewers were both very nice and talkative. They made me feel comfortable and they they didn't ask me anything too difficult to answer. It was like a conversation with friends."
"Basically know yourself! There's no set of questions they will ask you. My interviewers were spontaneous and they asked questions on a tangent to my responses...so they would ask a question...I would respond and they would ask me further questions built upon that."
"Like most students, UCSF is my top choice so I was really nervous going there. Even though it was my third interview, the questions they asked you are not easy. I dont' think their intention is to "grill" you about pharmacy. More importantly, I think they want to see how effective your communication skills are - can you speak intelligently about anything that's asked, are you an honest/sincere person (so don't make up anything in your essays, they'll can tell if you're lying), and how will you contribute to the incomming class. In terms of preparing for the interview, I think the best way to go is to know what you wrote about in your essays and be able to defend it. You can practice all the posted questions on SDN, but 90% of they questions they will ask you comes from YOUR essays. So they are very specific to you only. And lastly, something that is out of your control is who you get for an interviewer. My interviewers were not as friendly and nice. They had this serious look on their face the whole time, and that only made me even more nervous. TRY TO RELAX, and don't feel too bad if you don't think you impressed them. As you can tell, most students don't think they did very well anyway, but managed to get accepted in the end. "
"I checked in, there was about a half hour info session, a financial aid session and then we were split up into groups to do the interview and essay. "
"Overall, the interview experience was good. The essay portion wasn't too bad because you get to choose what you want to write on among the 3 questions they give you. The interview was a bit more intimidating. My student interviewer was very nice but my faculty interviewer had on a stern face most of the time. They first started off asking me personal questions. Then the student interviewer switched it over to situational questions. I hear though that not all interviewers ask situational questions. It really depends on who you get. Some are really friendly, some not so much. Some ask very personal questions, others ask questions that are science related, some ask a lot of situational or hypothetical questions. Just make sure you are knowledgeable but don't overlook the easy questions! The whole experience wasn't too bad. Just the waiting part sucks!"
"Overall pretty relaxed, enjoyable experience"
"Student interviewer was really nice right from the beginning, when he came to get me for the interview. He asked a lot of fun hypothetical questions. Faculty member was nice and asked harder hypothetical questions."
"UCSF is my top school so I was really nervous going into my interview. I didn't review any questions before my interview because I was afraid it would make me even more anxious. The essay was harder than all the other schools I had interviewed at before but it may just be my group. The interview was very laidback and conversation. Many questions were follow up questions to my answers. While other people had 35 minute interviews, I had a 20 minute one and the interview told me in advance. I came out feeling great because I felt like I showed them my true self. I didn't feel like I sounded rehearsed. The asked about my extracurriculars and I answered it with excitement and obvious passion. At the end, when they asked if there was anything else I wanted to tell them about myself, I took this opportunity to tell them about much I wanted to go to UCSF and why they should pick me. I also prepared questions to ask them at the end. I'm writing this almost two months after my interview. I found out two weeks ago that I was accepted. "
"UCSF was a lot harder than the others schools for me because my interviewers never asked me the standard interview questions: ie Why pharmacy? Why UCSF? What pathway, ect... Everything they asked me came from my essays and the questions weren't hard but I didn't have great answers for them. It wasn't something I could prepare for (perhaps they felt that I was too prepared for a typical interview and wanted to give me a hard time). The student seemed nice, but the faculty had this disgusted look on her face and acted like she completely hated me. I never felt comfortable at the interview and we never really had a conversation going- it was her throwing questions after questions at me and it seemed like nothing I said was good. The only time I ever felt that I could breathe was when I asked the questions. In the end, though, I did manage to get accepted, however :-)"
"The interviewers were very friendly and did their best to make me feel comfortable. Although I was nervous, it helped that they were patient and welcoming."
"We were taken into a classroom in approx. groups of ten to write our essays (45 min.). Then we were escorted back to the lobby to wait for our student interviewers to come get us. Following the interview, we were free to go. I got my acceptance letter five weeks after the interview."
"The whole interview experience was okay, but it would have been nice to have a formal presentation of the school before our interviews started and to have the student chat room available earlier in the day. I was interviewed by one pharmacist and one faculty member, not a student, which made me stress out even more, and made the questions even harder."
"Overall, the interview was good, laid back, and the questions were simple, but I think I might have screwed up because I didn't answer the way I wanted to, and I over time I forgot the question itself!"
"Very welcoming and friendly people. Asked questions from the biographical info part of my application and also lots of questions you can find listed on this site. They wanted me to answer all of their questions first and then gave me lots of time at the end to ask them questions, so I was not turning many of their questions back on them."
"great because i saw alot of friendly faces and familiar but a bit stressful"
"Overall it was a good experience. The first year students did a good job in making us feel welcomed and trying to help us relax. I was pretty relaxed up till when they called in my group for our essay and then when my interviewer came to get me. When I got to my interview, I was a nervous wreck. I stuttered so much.. I said things I wish I hadn't said, I felt my answers weren't thorough enough. After my interview I thought I blew it! And it ended short... I was the last to be called in and the first to leave. But even though my interview went poorly, I still go in! So for those of you who had bad interview experience, or those of you who aren't that great at interviews.. you still have hope.. cuz if I can do it, you can too!"
"--Some people's interviews were in a little "cubicle" separated by cloths where you can hear every word of all the other applicants, but I was fortunate enough to be in a separate building/room. --The toughest of all my interviews--was asked hard questions (see above) and the essay was the most challenging of all (almost didn't finish; but you have to finish, for otherwise, you will automatically be rejected). Despite it all, got an acceptance letter, but UCSD wins my heart though. "
"I didn't feel very confident going into my interview (because I didn't prepare as I should have -- my fault!!!) and I didn't feel good at all after my interview (I didn't think I provided answers the interviewers were looking for, i.e. intelligent, eloquent thoughts). But just FYI, I received an acceptance letter from them about two weeks ago! So althought I didn't think my interview went well, the interviewers were satisfied enough with it. Woohoo!"
"Some hypothetical questions; the rest were based on my application and personal attributes."
"The interviewers were very friendly, so just relax."
"Overall, I was expecting a lot of situational questions but I think that depends on your interviewer. I had a pharmacoeconomics professor so I didn't get many situational questions (which I prepared for). Instead, there were more personal than situational."
"The people at UCSF are really nice. My interviewers were really friendly and tried to make me feel really comfortable. The time given for the essay portion was also really reasonable. Overall I had a really good experience."
"The interview isn't stressful at all. Talk to the students there, go on the tour, and definitely visit the snack table. I meet my interviewers there and I didn't realize that until they came out to get me."
"UCSF is an excellent school with a great attitude. You can immediately sense this the moment you set foot on campus. The faculty and students are great as well and always seem to be helpful. This absolutely is one of the best schools for professional training. "
"the school impresed me a lot. not only are there are tons of opportunities for research, but opportunities for research with the world leaders in their respective fields. the atmosphere is very academic, people are friendly, pharm students were standing outside to chat with us."
"Overall a very stressful but worth while experience. I only applied to UCSF(the sniper versus the shotgun approach)a big risk, but it paid off! The program is 20 years ahead of any other program in the nation. "
"Overall a very fun experience. Go a day early to walk around the campus. There's lots to see."
"45 minute essay. 45 minute interview. not stressful. interviewer didn't even ask much about pharmacy. "
"UCSF is awesome. The opportunities for clinical work, policy, and basic science research are built into their curriculum and the curriculum is constantly evolving if there is something you want to do. It was a much more mellow atmosphere than I had expected, though it does seem like people work very hard. It felt much more like a university campus than I had expected and that was a nice surprise. I can really see why it is the top pharmacy school in the nation."
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Student | 47 |
| Faculty member | 0 |
| Admissions staff | 2 |
| Other | 2 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Enthusiastic | 32 |
| Neutral | 3 |
| Discouraging | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.48 | 50 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| In state | 46 |
| Out of state | 8 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 0-1 hour | 22 |
| 2-3 hours | 16 |
| 4-6 hours | 8 |
| 7+ hours | 7 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| Airplane | 30 |
| Automobile | 16 |
| Train or subway | 6 |
| Other | 0 |
San Francisco (SFO)
San Jose
OAK
SFO
n/a
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| At school facility | 1 |
| With students at the school | 1 |
| Friends or family | 16 |
| Hotel | 18 |
| Home | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Response | # Responders |
|---|---|
| < $100 | 10 |
| $101-$200 | 9 |
| $201-$300 | 8 |
| $301-$400 | 6 |
| $401-$500 | 3 |
| $501+ | 1 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.71 | 55 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 8.68 | 56 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.31 | 55 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.00 | 22 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 9.00 | 22 |
| Response Avg | # Responders |
|---|---|
| 7.40 | 20 |
"Keep up the great work! The interview experience was great overall."
"Sending out acceptance letters sooner would relieve the nervousness of anxiously await."
"Mailing out acceptance letters slightly earlier would reduce the stress level of the anxiously await"
We help students become doctors. TM
What is one of the specific questions they asked you (question 1)?