Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 30% of interviews, indicating it is moderately regarded. They found the interview mixed with a moderate stress level, and felt they did okay.
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as average stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools included inquiries about qualities important for teamwork, dealing with stress, reasons for choosing the specific school and pharmacy as a career, strengths and weaknesses, handling group dynamics, and reflections on non-science books read. Additionally, respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement due to the prevalence of Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) formats across the interviews.
How do you feel your GPA reflects your academic ability?
Imagine it’s your first day at a new job. Your supervisor asks you to do something you’ve never done before but you want to do a good job. What would you do?
How do you prepare emotionally/mentally for the move to OR, to adapt to being back to school, especially an accelerated program like this one? (Since I was out of school for ~ 4 years)
How did you do on the team work activity? How did you group come to that conclusion?
How do you work in a team?
What are your 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses?
Alot of other questions that I don't remember because it was one right after the other!
What have you done to improve your application? I had applied the previous year and hadn't even gotten an interview. I had to get more pharmacy experience and more community service. I did both!
What would you do if you caught another student cheating? Are you a follower or a leader in a group? What would you do if there was a slacker in your group?
Students said the most interesting question asked at Pacific University Oregon - School of Pharmacy discussed various topics such as professionalism, future of pharmacy, ethical dilemmas, and personal attributes. While the interview format was not explicitly mentioned, the range of questions suggests a traditional interview style with a focus on situational scenarios and personal reflections.
You’re planning an event with a student group for a homeless shelter. The night before the event, you realize you forgot to get approval from the school and need to cancel the event. What do you do?
The questions were all generic. I was only asked one question about a pharmacy experience--"Describe a stressful situation you have observed or been a part of in a pharmacy."
If you were working at a retail pharmacy, and was giving a consultation for a drug with minor side effects, were you disclose those side effects knowing the possible psychological aspects of this information on the patient...
Students said the most difficult question asked at Pacific University Oregon - School of Pharmacy discussed a wide range of topics, including scenarios requiring problem-solving skills, reflections on personal experiences, and motivations for choosing pharmacy over other healthcare professions. While some respondents mentioned a mix of standard and more challenging questions, there were instances of an MMI format with inquiries about team dynamics, personal contributions, and future trends in pharmacy, which may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement.
Working with people from different backgrounds/cultures can afford new opportunities. Describe a time when a decision/project you were involved in was enhanced by including diverse perspectives.
Tell us a more personal reason you want to be a pharmacist.
They were looking for something beyond work and school experiences, which I had already mentioned.
Pacific divides the class up into groups of 6 and you work with these people all year.
Question: What would you contribute and bring to the team and to pacific. I didn't prepare for this question so it threw me off.
if you were a pharmacist and you double checked a medication that the instructions were wrong and you confront the pharm tech, and she insisted that she is right. how would you handle the situation?
None were really too difficult. They did ask, "What is it about you that makes you stand out from the others?" I had to take a minute to think that one through.
Can you tell me about your GPA trend. I noticed here they weren't that high, especially in the science area. How do we know you are ready for our rigorous program?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
No responses
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Many applicants prepared for their interviews by reviewing common questions, practicing with friends and family, reading interview feedback on SDN, and researching the school and current pharmacy news. The key suggestions included understanding oneself and motivations for pharmacy, practicing answers out loud, and staying relaxed during the interview process.
Go over some common questions asked in every pharmacy school interview (i.e. Introduce yourself, Why pharmacy?, Why this school?)
I looked at SDN questions, but also came up with my own. But, there really isn’t a great way to prepare. Know yourself and why you chose the field of pharmacy. Look up current events in pharmacy in case you want to strike a conversation with your interviewers. But honestly, I would glance over some questions and mostly focus on yourself and your journey to pharmacy school.
Read through SDN, talked with P1 students, read up on current issues. I also prepared and practiced answers to questions- in front of the mirror with dress clothes on.
Read up on the school and the area of pharmacy I want to get into. Also went through all of the interview feedback question on SDN which was probably the most helpful.
SDN and SDNers (Thank you:)). Brainstormed possible questions. Researched profession, current profession topics, and school. Conversed with admissions staff at school. Shadowed Pharmacists. Informal Mock interview questions with my own (in my head) self and with my wife. Life Experiences! Relaxed too:)
Rested, had breakfast, conversated with the P1 students ahead of time, and tried to stay as relax as possible. The food they provided took a lot of stress off.
Applicants were consistently impressed by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere created by the staff, faculty, and students. They appreciated the student-centered approach, eco-friendly initiatives, informative presentations, and team-oriented community. Suggestions included maintaining the positive and supportive environment, continuing to prioritize student success, and enhancing the facilities and curriculum.
The interview was quite relaxed, and the interviewers were quite nice and approachable
They had a student panel where you could ask questions to a lot of current students at once. The group activity was fun! It was ranking items for survival in the desert.
Friendly students and staff (even the people in Oregon were friendly!), eco-friendly building, the MAX line, the culture in Oregon (the state tries to maintain this weirdness culture which I find interesting)
The program is in a great location and shares a building with other health sciences. The building is very high tech with a plug-in for laptops at each seat. The program seems to be of good quality.
the school system...three years. work every other week. passing grade for classes is 90%+. Current pharmacy students were very easy to talk to. very nice. the team activity was interesting. I was lucky to get the early interview time (didn't have to wait long like other students).
The warm friendly community. This includes: shuttle drivers, hotel staff, restaurant staff, the other applicants, strangers on the train, and of course the school's students and staff.
The students and staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The building is a green building. They try to save water, paper, and even collect rain water from the roof.
The student ambassadors were friendly and many of them gave up valuable study time to spent the day answering questions, giving tours, and providing support and encouragement.
The faculty and students were all nice. You can tell that the staff really care about the program. The school is eco-friendly and has LEED gold certification.
New facilities (though small), and that they are building new buildings to open soon. Also, because the program is located in a building with other medical programs, they subscribe to a more holistic view of patient care.
Everything. The area was exactly as I had pictured it and everyone was incredibly nice and helpful. It felt very informal and comfortable. The faculty, staff, and students were very upfront with all the information we needed and answered all of our questions very thoroughly.
Student-centered environment. The program really seems to care about the progess of their students. Even though the school is a building, it's a new and nice facility.
How the admissions staff made the school sound like they really knew what they were doing. The students seem very enthusiastic about their school also.
Enthusiasm for the success of the student, new facilities, small student to teacher ratio. I like the "small" feel so the fact the campus is one building was a positive component for me.
How enthusiastic the staff was and how friendly everybody was. Also, they had research presentations on the effects of a pass/no pass system (which they are) in comparison to a grading system. That was neat!
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions about the limited campus facilities, small building size, lack of parking, long waiting times, and unenthusiastic or intimidating interview experiences. Suggestions included improving facilities, providing a more welcoming and engaging interview process, and addressing logistical issues like parking and waiting times to enhance the overall candidate experience.
The professor that interviewed me had a very dry personality and didn't seem like he wanted to be there. The student ambassadors answers about their experiences at the school seemed rehearsed as they all said the same things and down-played anything that they didn't like about the program.
My interviewers did not come off as friendly, conversational individuals. They didn't smile very much, or encourage me in my answers. It was one question after another with little or no reaction to my answers. Though I heard from many others that their interviewers were smiling and supportive- so perhaps its just my situation.
First, this school should've used another name besides "PACIFIC University." There is "University of the Pacific", which is more established and can be easily confused with this school. Second, I think the interview having 1 interviewee (you) and 3 interviewer (them) is very intimidating. Please read my "general comments" section for more details.
We had to do a team exercise and our team moderator, a current pharmacy student did not give us the full 15 minutes the task was allocated. She was very adversarial. The team was great however she made the experience very unpleasant.
Although everyone was saying the interview was very conversational and they only wanted to get to know you, I felt that since I was assigned a later interview time the interviewers just wanted to be done with the whole process. They asked no follow up questions to my answers but just felt preoccupied to shooting off all the questions that were on their list. I could have mentioned I won the Nobel Peace Prize and they would have just nodded their heads and went off to ask "Now how would you deal with a difficult group member?" I was interviewed by a student and a pharmacist that had no affiliation to the school.
Didn't get a strong sense of academic research and intellectual curiosity. When the students were asked what they did for fun, they all looked at each other and laughed nervously.
The length of time for everything. I was there for 7 hours. They made me wait around for over three hours to interview. We literally were just supposed to kill time by talking to students.
There were nearly 60 people being inverviewed, and there are another 60 or so next week being interviewed for only 20-25 spots left. They filled about 40 seats already!
almost everything. Location, no parking for students, dean didn't show up, LOnnie anderson didn't tell us that the interview would end by 3 for everyone and we could fly back home say day. Rotations for third year are not set up. This is not a campus, just one building.
The tour guide seemed clueless. The campus is a building. There were around 60 people being interviewed--that makes you feel like they want you to attend Pacific. NOT!!!
They do leave the "what will happen to you after the interview" timeline/etc. more up in the air from how it was explained previously. I do though excuse them somewhat because because Vanessa (the pharmacy admissions guru) has left for a new job and they are still in the process of that transition.
The wait between lunch and my interview. Lunch ended at 12:00pm and I had my interview at 2:30pm. I just went on a tour of the 5-floor health professions building.
Nothing much. I was hoping the interviewers would have asked more questions about my pharmacy experience, or about myself as a person, or about what I could bring to the program or about how I could impact the field of Pharmacy. I tried to integrate those topics into the basic questions that were asked. This didn't give me a huge negative impression; I just worry that that they didn't get a chance to know me better.
The building was very small, but given that this is a new pharmacy school and that the other professional programs and highly ranked, I think it's not that big of a deal.
The "campus" is a FREAKING BUILDING! I drove by the night before to check it out. I literally missed the school a few times because I was expecting a real campus.
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the long duration of the interview day, including the need for comfortable shoes due to extensive walking, the potential for significant downtime between activities, and the overall relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Additionally, many mentioned the importance of not overstressing, getting enough rest, and being prepared for the financial aspects such as tuition costs and living expenses.
Nothing. The tour at the interview answered a majority of my own questions.
Not to stress so much!! It was such a relaxing day and I was overly stressed about it. Also, beware that it's not just an interview and then you leave, it's a a whole day of activities. You will be there until 3 p.m. Wear comfortable shoes:)
Maybe the order of my interview. Everyone will be split into one of three groups A, B, C which will determine the order of the Tour/Student Panel, Interview, and Group Activity.
I should have prepared even more for my interview. I rambled and stumbled quite a bit. UPDATE: I got accepted, so I guess I did something right :). Don't give up hope if you had a bad interview!
I wished I had known that this school is just a building. There aren't alot of parking spaces around the building (~20). The surrounding area is dilapidated!
If you are from out of town- you will interview first. If not, you may be sitting around chatting with the pharmacy students for a few hours before your interview.
I wish I had known:
There was a cheaper hotel across the street from pacific.
How tired I would be after traveling from 4am to midnight the day before the interview. (Don’t you just love delays)
That hairspray doesn't fly well. I found out I needed to replace mine at 6:45am before the interview.
How many other amazing people are applying for the same spot as I am.
If you are in Portland; take the train (the MAX) downtown and enjoy the quirky shops and night life. Don't forget Voodoo Donuts.
I wish I had known how early I would be finished. I scheduled a late departure because I wasn't sure of my exact interview time and ended up having to wait 4 hours for it. There was an earlier flight I could have booked that was cheaper and non-stop.
I wish I knew that the School is that much small,unfurnished,compact and fictious. To tell you the truth our small yard is way bigger than the school. The building reminds me my father retail building in china.Anyway, it was my back up since I already got accepted in Arizona though they send me acceptance just to day .
use trimet.org to plan your use of light rail. It takes nearly 90 minutes to get to hillsboro from PDX. So plan your flights knowing this time restriction.
There was a huge amount of downtime. After being fed lunch, interviewees were left in a room for up to three hours while waiting for a very short interview.
Applicants generally appreciated the friendly and welcoming environment during the interview process, valued the school's student-centered approach, and emphasized the importance of being oneself and staying calm during the interview. Some feedback mentioned the lack of campus facilities, the unique interview structure, and the need for interviewers to provide more positive feedback during the process.
Veteran friendly environment. One of the few accelerated 3-year programs that exist. Please be mindful when budgeting your student loans (on the high end with a high cost of living area).
The interviewers simply want to get to know you, they are not trying to tear you apart. Just be friendly and be yourself. ALWAYS email your interviewers later that day, thanking them for their time. This leaves a good impression and could potentially help you get that acceptance you’ve been waiting for.
the faculty, current students and their block program made me want to choose the school, but the only thing that i did not like about the school was that there is not a real campus.
The school is great and everyone is super friendly. Try to stay calm, don't stress out like I did! And even if you stumble on a question, it's okay. Just make sure you know why you want to pursue pharmacy and know how to articulate it clearly to your interviewers.
The interview went smoothly and I really liked the facility, as well as the students, staffs and faculty. If it hadn't been for the weather, I wouldn't think twice about accepting their acceptance, which came 6 days later.
Overall it was a nice school, after the comment by a student comparing a child to a dog it was a done deal for me. I told them I was no longer interested in attending the school.
Be yourself! They are very nice and put you at ease - don't be intimidated by the interview. Remember that you should be honored to even be invited to interview - more than half the applicants are turned away without an interview.
Basically, the school is just a building next to the IMAX train. The students were very friendly and I like how the school utilized the block schedule. The only negative experience I experienced was how the interview was setup. THey split the students into 3 groups with a time limit. For my interview, due to the time limit, they rushed me b/c the interviewers didn't know how to manage their time. Another negative is that you can ONLY do your rotation in Oregon and Washington.
The experience I had in Oregon was amazing. Everything that could have turned out wrong, went way right! I highly recommend taking the time to explore Portland, riding the MAX rail, and staying at the Econolodge. I initially thought that I would have had to walk with my heels, suit, and luggage from the Econolodge (my stay) to my interview that morning. The people at the Econolodge actually called a taxi for us applicants at a cost of $2/person! They saved me the sweat and blisters and got me there on time! During the interview day, students, staff, and interviewers made sure I felt comfortable and invited me to ask any questions. Afterward, I took the MAX (very efficient) and arrived well before my flight departure - it takes approx. 1.5 to 2 hrs. Flight $300, Econolodge $55, Taxi $2, MAX $2, making a pirate impression "Arghhh" during my interview and laughing with my interviewers - Priceless. I am accepted so I guess I did something right :]. I definitely enjoyed my time here, I hope you do too! Good luck. -mvpharm
I liked how they gave us time to talk to current students. However, I did not like the interview itself. It was one of me and three of them. I felt like I was being interrogated. They asked me one question after the other and kept a straight face the whole time. At all of my other interviews, the interviewers were very nice and gave some sort of feedback (smile or nod). I guess it depends on who you get, but they should tell ALL of their interviewers to smile! I was accepted, but the interview process left me with a VERY negative impression. Thanks, but no thanks!!!!
There are a lot of people asked to the interview so it's very crowded since the campus is one building. The PA program was also interviewing on the same day.
Interview was with a faculty member and Oregon pharmacist, but it was conversational and fun. We even laughed and smiled :-D. If you're out of state, take the TriMET. It picks up passengers at PDX and takes you directly to the school and only costs $2.50. Seriously, this will save you tons of money! Try to stay near a TriMET line too, the Townplace Suites was within walking distance to the Orenco Station and they even shuttled us to the interview in their hotel van the next morning.
The day went pretty well, the wait was a little long, but there's nothing really to be done about it. I received my acceptance letter about 10 days after the interview, which was nice.
I was impressed by the school and the people. You can tell the students are happy, and the faculty genuinely want them to succeed. Yes, the campus is only one building so far, and pharmacy only takes up one floor. However, the other schools I've interviewed at so far were very similar in having just a few classrooms for lectures dispersed into different buildings. I wouldn't count it as a negative. The writing sample was only 15 minutes, but it's a simple situational question. Don't stress it too much. For those taking public transportation, it takes about an hour and a half to get from PDX airport to the school using the MAX.
They gave us information (telling us they don't have a dean), group breakouts, lunch, three hour gap, an interview with two people unaffiliated with the school.
Overall, the experience was relaxing and we were able to meet many students. The school exceeded my expectations and the set-up was great! They put a lot of effort into making you feel comfortable and informing you of any changes,etc.
At the time of the interview, I felt it started out well and went downhill. I thought afterwards that I didn't say what I wanted to in regards to why I wanted to do pharmacy and why I felt that this school was my right fit. I think a lot of it was nerves though and they take that into account.
I was only in the interview for 5 minutes before I was told we needed to speed things along because they were running behind! Like it was my fault. They already decided who would be admitted before the day, so it was pretty much a waste of my time and money!
It went alright overall. I was very nervous during my interview and didn't say the things I wanted to correctly. In other words, don't answer right away and think before you say anything
Good. I had two pharmacists interview me. I only somewhat bumbled one question (which was actually the one I was most prepared for - go figure!). All in all it went great!
Good info for those still to interview this year: It appeared to me that the interviewers had a list of 25 or so possible questions in front of them. They will choose 5-6 off that list to ask you. Also other questions will be embedded as a second part to a question or feed off of your answers to their questions. Be as ready as you can but don't stress too much. Scan the Pacific SDN threads here in interview feedback and the SDN pre-pharmacy forum. Also prep for common school/job interview type questions.
Hi guys, you really feel that you will be accepted by the admissions until you finish the interview . Then, you can see how they mislead you when you don't hear any thing from them up to the two weeks they will promise you on the interview day. I don't understand why this school is that much expensive. All cost(School fee,food,house, rent,...) around 50000.00$ a year. Wow !
Overall, I was very impressed by Pacific. The program, the faculty are seem to really care about it's students. Everyone is down to earth and very personable.
the morning, i got lost and i came 30 minutes late. then the writing sample was very easy. and then the interviews turned out to be okay as they asked questions about pharmacy scenarios and where i want to go into.
Excellent - The day was really laid back, and showed the character of the faculty and staff. Be yourself in the interview because that is all they are interested in knowing.
i was a bit nervous but you have the chance to talk to other students prior to your interview time so that took some of the nervousness off. overall, it was a casual environment
The day was pretty good. I had the first interview time at noon, so I didn't have the long downtime that many people did. The question and answers sessions could have been more in depth. I think many people didn't know what to ask. The essay was a breeze and the interview flew by. There was really no reason to worry. Everyone was very kind.
It felt very relaxed and stress free. The people that interviewed me were very nice and welcoming. It didn't feel like they were bombarding me with questions.
OK, forget all this low stress stuff from last year. They turned it up a notch this year. The questions were more indepth. I had Vanessa (admissions lady) interview me. She is actually apart of the admissions committee!! So all those times you email her prior to your visit, please know you're talking to the adcom indirectly! Since she knew my application inside and out from the admissions process, she asked me very specific questions. It was like an open-file interview. But it wasn't so bad because I practiced interviewing before. It got pretty stressful at first but they were both very nice. The pharmacist brought her own experience and asked for my opinion on that.
Overall, I was somewhat disappointed. Logistically, it is probably hard to accomodate a large number of candidates, but I thought the structure of the day could be re-worked. Also, only high-sugar and high-caffeine beverages were available, so it was extremely hard to relax during the downtime. I wish I had gone to the OSU vs USC football game...:(
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants suggested that the admissions office improve transparency and honesty in communication, provide more detailed information regarding program requirements and logistics, and enhance resources for veterans and candidates traveling for interviews.
Develop a Veterans Club Organization that provides all veterans entitlement information when applying to the program (ie Gi Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program, etc)
Tell the student ambassadors to be more honest with applicants because people tend to catch on when they're given the same answers from every student they talk to.
