Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy
Birmingham, AL
Pharmacy Schools | Public Non-Profit
Going on an interview at SAMFORD-PHARM? Add your feedback to help others!
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
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 include inquiries about volunteer experiences, time management skills, reasons for choosing pharmacy as a career, handling failures, strengths and weaknesses, ethical scenarios, handling stress, and future goals in pharmacy school. Respondents may have been subject to a nondisclosure agreement due to the prevalence of questions related to the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format inquiring about personal qualities, career motivations, ethical dilemmas, and future aspirations in pharmacy.
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They asked about volunteer hours.
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When is a time you had to manage your time wisely to take care of your needs as well as someone else's?
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Why Samford?
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The interviewer named a list of 8 programs they had at Samford and asked me to emphasize on which of the programs I thought were nice!
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What's the biggest failure you've ever had?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy discussed a wide range of topics, including backup plans if not admitted, ethics challenges, future of pharmacy, personal qualities, professionalism definitions, and hypothetical scenarios like helping someone commit suicide. These questions reflect a holistic approach to assessing candidates' character, problem-solving skills, ethical decision-making, and motivations for pursuing pharmacy, providing insight into their suitability for the profession.
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What is your backup plan incase you don't get admitted into your desired pharmacy school?
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Name something you admired about the pharmacists you have worked with?
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how would your friends describe you?
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When have I taken time out of my busy schedule to help someone?
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If I were to never get into pharmacy school what would I do?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy discussed a wide range of topics, including ethical dilemmas such as dispensing the morning after pill, personal weaknesses, future outlook on pharmacy profession, and ethical decision-making scenarios. Some respondents also mentioned questions related to professionalism, personal attributes, and global healthcare challenges. Additionally, references to nondisclosure agreements and the MMI format suggest that specific questions related to MMI scenarios may have been challenging for some applicants.
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Do you have any questions for us? (I was not prepared for this)
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What do you think is the biggest problem with pharmacy around the world today?
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Name three weaknesses.
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None. All really easy and conversational
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None really
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 2 people.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 0-1 hour traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent between $101 and $200.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)
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Birmingham airport
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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Suites
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La Qunita
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La Quinta
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Howard Johnson
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Hampton Inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
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?
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I went back and visited after the interview and stayed at the Courtyard right down the road. They will give you a discount if you tell them you're visiting Samford.
✅ 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?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by practicing common questions on online forums like SDN, holding mock interviews with friends or professionals, and reviewing school websites and personal statements. They also sought feedback from current students, alumni, and family members, emphasizing the importance of being authentic and not memorizing answers.
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Practice with online questions
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Read forums, asked friends who have been to Samford.
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Reviewing message boards, essays, and the school's website.
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Mainly practiced with the questions on this forum from previous interviewees.
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Went to several interviews before this one, so by this one, I wasn't nervous at all.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the campus and the friendliness of the staff, faculty, and students. They appreciated the informal and conversational nature of the interviews, which helped them feel comfortable and at ease during the process.
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It was more of a conversation, they just want to get to know you.
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Interviewers were very, very laid back!
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The interview is with two faculty members. One has read your app and the other has not.
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What impressed me the most was how laid back the interview was. I forgot at a point that I was being interviewed. It was just a conversation.
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how friendly everyone was
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative impressions related to issues with tuition costs, uncomfortable interview experiences, lack of interviewer engagement or interest, and disruptive or unprofessional interview environments. Suggestions included improving interviewer enthusiasm and engagement, ensuring a professional and focused interview environment, and addressing concerns about tuition costs during the recruitment process.
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nothing
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None.
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Nothing.
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tuition!
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How uncomfortable I felt. I felt as if they were challenging my decision to change careers. I also felt they didn't take into consideration that my previous career involved having a pharmacy in my clinic (meaning I am have SOME pharmacy experience...my degree is NOT beneath pharmacy).
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known that the interview process was more relaxed and informal than expected, encouraging candidates to be themselves and not stress. Some also mentioned the importance of preparing questions to ask during the interview and not over-rehearsing answers.
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I wish I had known how calm and chill the interview is. I wouldn't have stressed as much as I did.
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I should have thought more about strengths and weaknesses.
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Nothing.
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Don't be stressed! They are so welcoming and I was way more nervous than I should have been.
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That it was be so uncomfortable (may a just cancelled).
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience to be low stress and enjoyed the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at the school. Many emphasized the importance of relaxing, being themselves, and engaging with other candidates to alleviate nerves before the interview.
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Everyone was very kind, especially compared to the other schools I interviewed with.
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Don't stress, just go and enjoy your time! Super chill interviewers, very nice and helpful ambassadors, super fun day.
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Fantastic school and a very low stress interview.
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Great interview. The campus is absolutely gorgeous.
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Don't stress, Everyone is super nice here and will make you feel comfortable.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants overwhelmingly praised the admissions office for their helpfulness, responsiveness, and overall positive experience, providing no specific suggestions for improvement.
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Everyone is very helpful and will get right back with you about and questions.
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Nothing. Everyone was great!!
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Nothing. They were great.
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The admissions office at Samford is great to work with. They are extremely nice and had a great res
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