University of Utah College of Pharmacy
Salt Lake City, UT
Pharmacy Schools | Public Non-Profit
Going on an interview at UTAH-PHARM? Add your feedback to help others!
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents were neutral 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?
Commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about why the candidate chose pharmacy or a specific university, personal qualities they possess, ethical scenarios like handling medication errors or coworker theft, examples of problem-solving in pharmacy, and how they deal with difficult situations involving customers or prescribing errors. Some respondents mentioned scenarios involving giving the wrong medication, which may indicate an MMI format with potential nondisclosure agreements.
-
What is one personal quality that you would bring to the school?
-
What would you do if you saw a coworker stealing money from the register? (something like that)
-
Why pharmacy? Why U of U?
-
What are some current problems in the field of pharmacy?
-
What would you do if you prescribed the wrong medication?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Utah College of Pharmacy discussed various topics including handling group disagreements, diversity importance, healthcare preservation during economic downturns, allocating funds to health organizations, and the impact of avian flu. Some responses hinted at an MMI format with nondisclosure, suggesting a broader range of questions were likely asked under this format.
-
How do you handle disagreement within a group
-
A question concerning diversity.
-
Explain why it is important to understand the diverse background of each individual patient and how would you help add to this diversity (Something along those lines).
-
Given the current economic downturn what aspect of health care should be preserved and why?
-
What health organization would I give one million dollars to in an attempt to improve health of Utahn's?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Utah College of Pharmacy discussed the current problem between a doctor's order and pharmacists refusing to fill the order, and what pharmacists can do to help during the bird flu epidemic.
-
None. The questions were typical
-
They weren't too bad.
-
None were difficult
-
Without supporting a side, explain the current problem between a doctors order and pharmacists refusing to fill the order?
-
What can you, the pharmacist, do to help the bird flu epidemic?
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 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 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.
No responses
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 less than $100.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
-
Salt Lake Int'l Airport
-
SLC
-
Delta
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Friends or family or with friends or family.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
-
Airport 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?
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?
Most applicants prepared for the interview by utilizing resources such as SDN, mock interviews, and reviewing common interview questions. They also sought advice from current pharmacy professionals, read over their personal statements, and did research on current health issues to feel more prepared.
-
SDN, top 100 interview questions, and mock interviews.
-
SDN, google pharmacy school interview
-
SDN, speaking with local pharmacist, practice interview questions
-
SDN, thought about possible ethics questions, and read nearly every page on the College of Pharmacy website.
-
Mock interviews Read interview books SDN
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were impressed by the beautiful and large campus, free printing, personal club rooms, gym membership, research opportunities, and simulation center. They also appreciated the friendly and helpful faculty, goodie bags, financial aid presentation, and overall positive atmosphere during the interview process. Some applicants did not have any positive impressions, mentioning concerns about competitiveness among students and faculty focus on research over teaching.
-
How beautiful and large the campus is. How every student loved their choice to attend the school. They offer free printing, a personal "club room" for each health profession, and they have a gym membership that's already included as apart of your tuition. They're also really big on the research department and they offer a simulation center to practice your patient consultation skills with paid actors!
-
In contrast to the previous feedback below for this school which kinda influenced my view about the school prior to the interview, I actually found my interview experience very positive. The faculty was very friendly and helpful. The pharmacist who interviewed me was super nice. The program they offer is awesome
-
You were provided with a goodie bag that was very nice throughout the duration of the whole process. The students were very nice and made you feel comfortable. The interview was really about getting to know you and not about the interviewers looking for a specific answer. The student interviewer also has a say in whether you are accepted or not. They also had an entire presentation on the financial aid part of pharmacy school.
-
The facilities were impressive, students were very friendly and open, and the admissions staff was friendly and helpful.
-
All of the interviewers were very friendly which helped reduce my stress level.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed negative feedback about the lack of personal interaction during interviews, limited opportunities to showcase themselves, and perceived indifference or condescending attitude from staff. Suggestions included improving interview processes to allow for more meaningful interactions, showing genuine care and interest in applicants, and offering more comprehensive information sessions or tours to give a better sense of the institution and programs.
-
They don't have physical hard copies of textbooks in their "library." When asked for something negative about the school, all the students had to say was the scarcity of parking spaces due to the campus being surrounded by multiple hospitals.
-
The surrounding is very nice but a bit dull
-
Parking near the College of Pharmacy is quite limited. Seriously that is my only complaint.
-
The interview was slighly disorganized. Half of the interviewees were interviewed first and then received a tour and vice versa. This did confuse me a bit.
-
Admissions responsiveness.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly expressed a wish for more insight into the importance of certain aspects of the application process, such as the weight of the student interview and the significance of GPA and test scores. They also highlighted the importance of understanding the supportive nature of interviewers and the practical aspects of transportation options.
-
you can take the UTA trax all the way from the airport to the school and the other way around
-
I wish I had known that the student interviewer plays a larger portion in your acceptance than I originally thought.
-
The interviewers do not expect you to know much technical knowledge about pharmacy.
-
That the interviewers were happy and wanted me to succeed. This would have alleviated the pre-interview jitters.
-
a high GPA and PCAT score in the 90's is important for this school because it shows that the student can learn without any faculty assistance.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience positive and emphasized the importance of being passionate and friendly during the interview. Some applicants appreciated the structured format of the interview, while others desired more feedback and communication from the interviewers.
-
The school has each applicant sign a confidentiality form so I can't give out any specific questions they asked. But as long as you're friendly, sociable, and are passionate about your choice, you should be good to go.
-
They weren't my top choice in the first place but I ended up choosing them over my top school for many good reasons (small class size, internship&clerkship opportunities, inexpensive housing, etc)
-
Great school and an enjoyable experience overall. I was really anxious and nervous about it due to some of the negative things I had read and heard from past students. Those negative experiences seem to have been completely remedied.
-
The way I approached the interview was to explain to the interviewers why I want to be a pharmacist and how I know I will be a good pharmacist. That mindset helped me greatly, both to calm my nerves and how to approach the interview.
-
They were blinded to our application, all the interviewers (one pharmacist, one faculty member, and one student) had was a paper with my name on the top with a series of questions underneath. They didn't know my GPA, PCAT, and hadn't read my letter of intent. There were 5 questions total, and they took turns asking the questions while taking notes as I answered. I felt very confident which I think helped my performance. The structure of the interview is, however, quite nerve racking.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants commonly suggested that the admissions office should aim to send confirmation emails for interviews in a timelier manner, rather than waiting a week or so.
-
Try not to wait a week or so before sending confirmation emails for interviews.
Success!
School has been added to your favorites.