Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 99 responses
Score Reference:
9โ10 Exceptional8โ8.9 Very Good7โ7.9 Good6โ6.9 Mixed< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
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
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the areaโs cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
๐ฌ Interview Questions โผ
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools revolve around personal values, decision-making experiences, familiarity with the field of study, reasons for choosing a specific profession or school, and personal background including strengths, weaknesses, and leadership experiences. Some respondents mentioned questions related to the 7 values of UofA, moral dilemmas, and preferences for pharmacy over other medical professions, indicating a focus on the MMI format where nondisclosure agreements may apply.
The 7 values of UofA are: integrity, compassion, exploration, adaptation, inclusion, determination. Tell me how you encompass one or more of these values.
Students said the most interesting question asked at University of Arizona College of Pharmacy discussed a variety of topics including ethical dilemmas, personal qualities of a pharmacist, time management, influential people in their lives, and personal moments of conflict. Some respondents mentioned questions related to addressing personal weaknesses or handling difficult situations, while others found the "tell me about yourself" prompt particularly engaging for steering the interview direction. It's worth noting that some responses may hint at an MMI format with potential nondisclosure agreements in place.
Your friend does not have time to complete an assignment that will cause them to fail a class if they do not submit it on time. They ask you to complete the assignment for them. What do you do, and how do you address the situation?
the "tell me about yourself" one because it gave me an opportunity to mention everything I thought was relevant and to lead the interview in the direction I wanted it to go in
Sell yourself to me. If there was only one seat left, why should we pick you? That and "Do you read the newspaper?" Wasn't really prepared for that one...
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Arizona College of Pharmacy discussed ethical and moral dilemmas, including scenarios involving theft, ethical conflicts, and influences, with some respondents mentioning a moral dilemma question. The interview format may have been MMI or Multiple Mini Interview, possibly subject to a nondisclosure agreement, as indicated by recurring themes of ethical decision-making and personal values.
What is the difference between inequality and inequity in healthcare? Why is it important that we ensure that healthcare is equitable for everyone?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 1 person.
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.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed 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.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as SDN, school websites, and mock interviews to research common questions, practice responses, and stay updated on current pharmacy topics. They also focused on understanding the school's programs, history, and values, as well as reflecting on personal experiences and qualifications to articulate why they are a good fit for the pharmacy program.
SDN, UofA PharmD website, youtube interview tips, etc.
this website definitely helped me the most, but I also researched potential questions and prepared an answer for each and researched current issues and news in the field as well as the school.
Read over all my essay questions and the personal statement and answered typical questions to myself, i.e. "Why pharmacy?" "What makes you a good pharmacist?" etc.
Printed out everything on the U of A website, I wrote out responses to the basic questins asked:
Tell us about you? How do you look at the Pharmacy profession? What volunteering have you done? What work experience have you involved yourself with? Any other healthcare related experience? What are three characteristics about yourself? Why U of A? What will make you a good PharmD?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and supportiveness of the staff, faculty, and students at the University of Arizona's College of Pharmacy. The positive and welcoming environment, along with the modern facilities and personalized attention during the interview process, stood out as key highlights for applicants.
This year (incoming Fall 2023), they had the MMI's via Kira Talent as well as a short interview with a current student. (last year they only had the Kira Talent asynchronous pre-recorded "interviews")
The interviewer was very attentive/interested and was more than happy to share his own experiences, the tour, one pharmacy student per 1-2 interviewees
Everyone was SO nice, including the associate dean who was with us throughout the day. We also had student guides that took us to our different activities and kept us engaged the entire time! The student panel was also very nice and answered as many questions as I could think of!
Everyone was just so nice. People are there to encourage you throughout the process and help you make the most of the experience. It was a great environment to be in.
The students really enjoyed being there and seemed very happy. Everyone stressed how they want students to succeed, and they would help you with any career path you wanted to take. The best comment for me was when a student mentioned the faculty treat you like colleagues and not just students.
The interview was very friendly. They just wanted to get to know me. Even when I stumbled they were willing to help out and find the right words for me.
The setting was professional, the Dean and his staff were accomodating and positive. They were very proud of U of A, and had an information session dealing with many issues in the near future.
Applicants commonly expressed negative feedback about disorganized tours, lack of diversity in the student population, unapproachable interviewers, impersonal interview processes, and concerns about the cost and location of the school. Suggestions included improving tour organization, enhancing diversity initiatives, fostering a more welcoming interview environment, and addressing concerns about affordability for out-of-state applicants.
My interviewer was not super approachable/friendly, and the use of the Kira Talent software feels impersonal
...The organization of the entire interview day. Many students giving the tours did not know what was always going on, people presenting at different "pit-stops" of the tour didn't really know what was going on, and so forth. The dean's presentation was also a little less impressive than I was expecting it to be?
The tour was a little disorganized. Faculty and staff that were supposed to help show us around had the day off to the surprise of our student guides. Student guides got lost on the tour and had to ask directions.
The tour...none of the student guides knew where anything was, and they had to keep stopping the group to ask for directions. Also, my interviewer was reading questions off of a paper and asking me things I had already answered. I felt like he was just going through the motions, reading off his paper, and not really analyzing what he was doing or listening to what I was saying.
WHEN THE ASSOCIATE DEAN MENTIONED THAT MANY PHARMACY SCHOOLS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DIVERSITY IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND THAT U OF A ACCEPTS NO MORE THAN 75 STUDENTS. THEN HE APPOLOGISED SAYING THAT I DID NOT MEAN THAT WE DO NOT WANT DIVERSITY .I FELT THAT U OF A IS NOT THE SCOOL THA YOU WANT TO BE IN IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE COLORED OR NON-NATIVE SPEAKER PEOPLE.
There wasn't a tour! I was kinda of upset about this, because I would have liked to look more at the campus and have a formal type of tour.
The other thing was that I noticed was that everyone was from U of A!! That was cool, but I felt like the only one applying to other schools, and that WASN'T a U of A student! Surprising more than a negative I guess.
Applicants commonly wished they had known to relax and not stress as much before the interview process. Additionally, they recommended being prepared for essay questions that may be scenario-based and focusing on handwriting and general cohesiveness in their responses.
3 questions to pick from for essay and I think they are mainly looking for handwriting and general cohesiveness. Also, the interview is very conversational, the questions pretty much stem off of your previous answers except for a few obligatory questions...
That instead of elevators, my tour guide liked to use the stairs (I had heels on...ones that are normally last a long time without discomfort. Climbing up and down stairs, however, happens to destroy the lifespan of my feet). Also, I wish I had known I was supposed to go without food for so long...
The essay preparation! I couldn't really prepare of course, but many schools have advertised non-science related questions. This one gave a scenario and asked you what you would do in that situation:
The Surgeon General has invited you to help plan a way to improve prescription and non-prescription use in senior citizens.
What is the elements, goals, and objectives of your plan, and how will you implement it. Or something that effect.
Applicants generally found the interview process to be positive and relaxed, with friendly interviewers and a welcoming atmosphere. Suggestions include being prepared for longer interview days than expected, not stressing about the interview, and managing time effectively during the essay portion.
Overall a great experience...but be prepared for the interview day to last a little longer than listed (15-20 minutes)
This was my first interview. I honestly had no idea interviews even came with tours of the school. I was entirely under-prepared and I did not sleep well the night before. I DID get in though, so I guess I did alright in the interview? I would highly advise other people to NOT do what I did though.
Do not stress about the interview. I know it is easier said than done but everyone is so nice! It was nice to actually have an interviewer not grilling you and just have a conversation.
The interview consisted of a welcome, 4 30-minute time slots, and then a closing and reception. The interview group was divided into 4 groups for the 4 time slots, and they rotated through the interview, the essay (looking for handwriting and ability to communicate clearly), the tour, and the "showcase" (basically more tour). Then, they had the closing, which was also when you fill out the evaluation (it was difficult to write because they were talking and you wanted to listen). Then they had cookies and soda in the reception. Also, there was one PharmD student for every 2 interviewees, so you kind of had a "mentor" for the day.
GREAT GREAT GREAT. Very impressed with the school overall and especially their brand new facilities. There were about 30 students at the interview. Dr. Tong talked for about 30 minutes then about 15 students came in and introduced themselves, as did the applicants. Every two applicants were paired with one current pharmacy student. The pharmacy student was basically each applicant's director for the afternoon. Each student was given a schedule listing the interview, essay, meet the faculty and tour. Luckily I was able to get the interview and essay out of the way first so that I could relax the rest of the afternoon. Meet the faculty was an interesting part of the day, because it allowed the applicants to see what they do for the school and how enthusiastic they all were about what they do. The day ended with snacks and a survey. I was somewhat nervous for the interview and I expected the day to drag on but surprisingly it flew by...
The essay is pretty simple but you have to watch the time. The staff is very friendly and gave good presentations about financial aid. You get the feeling that they are there to help you succeed in life. They appear to be a top notch school.
Overall, a very professional, excellent atmosphere. The students interviewing me were awesome guys, nice, I did not have anybody grilling me, or putting me in a touch spot! The Dean and everybody in admissions expect much of you! They were ligth hearted, yet serious and move through the process fast. I had a great time, and until my other interviews, I'm hoping I get in here!
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office ensure consistent friendliness and professionalism among staff members and avoid any behavior that may make applicants feel unwelcome or judged during the application process.
The very first woman that I talked to was unfriendly, but the rest were friendly and knowledgeable enough to more than make up for her!