Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy
Richmond, VA
Pharmacy Schools | Public Non-Profit
Going on an interview at VCU-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 handling ethical dilemmas, defining leadership qualities, discussing challenging decisions, and explaining reasons for pursuing a career in pharmacy or healthcare. Some respondents mentioned questions related to the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, indicating a structured interview approach that may involve scenarios and potential nondisclosure agreements.
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Why VCU?
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Who knows you best and what three things would they say about you?
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Why Pharmacy?
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How would you handle a customer complaining that their prescription is taking too long?
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What does it mean to be a professional?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said the most interesting question asked at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy discussed a wide range of topics, including challenges in healthcare, ethical dilemmas in the workplace, personal accomplishments, and conflict resolution scenarios. While the questions varied, some responses hinted at an MMI format, possibly under a nondisclosure agreement, as references to nondisclosure and non-disclosure agreements were mentioned by participants.
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What is a class everyone should take?
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What was the most difficult subject in college for you?
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Not most interesting but this was my Essay Question: If you were being interviewed for your dream job at a pharmacy and the interviewer started asking inappropriate/irrelevant questions (about your race, what religion you practice, boyfriend/girlfriend), how would you handle this situation?
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What are some current problems facing healthcare?
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What is one that you would change?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said the most difficult question asked at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy discussed a range of scenarios such as ethical dilemmas, conflicts, decision-making processes, and personal regrets. Many responses indicated a focus on ethical situations, conflicts, leadership qualities, and challenges in pharmacy, suggesting a comprehensive evaluation of candidates' problem-solving skills and professional values. Some references to MMI format or nondisclosure agreements were noted, indicating a structured interview process with potentially confidential content.
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What is critical thinking?
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What is a time you interacted with someone and regret the way you did? What would you change?
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What's something you've done that you regret. How would you have acted differently.
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What is a difficult decision you have dealt with and how did you make that decision?
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Tell me why you have no work experience in pharmacy
🤝 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 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 2-3 hours 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 Richmond International Airport (RIC)
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Richmond International Airport
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Richmond
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?
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VIP Inn
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Omni
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I can't remember
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Holiday Inn
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Days End West Broad Street
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as average
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?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by extensively researching the school and practicing with questions from Student Doctor Network (SDN). They also engaged in mock interviews, reviewed interview feedback, and sought advice from current students or practicing pharmacists to help them feel more confident and prepared for the interview.
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SDN questions
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3 Mock Interviews, researched the school
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Look at school info online, and look at questions from SDN.
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SDN. Internet. Mock Interview.
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Read this website and talked to others who go to VCU and my pharmacist who interviews for VCU sometimes.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness and welcoming atmosphere of the faculty, staff, and students at VCU School of Pharmacy. They appreciated the relaxed interview format, opportunities for interaction with current students, advanced technology in classrooms, and the organized itinerary provided during the interview process. Many also highlighted the close-knit healthcare community on campus and the abundance of resources available for students.
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This interview was by far the best one. The atmosphere, the amount of time we had to communicate with our fellow interviewees and current students, and the amount of snacks they prepared for us.
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How friendly and helpful everyone was
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Very relaxed, some downtime in the interview for snacking and chatting with other applicants or current students.
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That they work closely with the other professional students. That it is a healthcare center complex.
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The faculty and students were very friendly and tried their best to turn a high-stress situation into a welcoming, relaxed experience. They gave us an itinerary that was organized and descriptive and great info about the Richmond area.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed concerns about the interview atmosphere, including some interviewers being distant or arrogant. Suggestions included providing a more welcoming and informative experience, improving the location and parking situation, and ensuring interviewers are more relaxed and friendly.
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Pretty much the best interview atmosphere I have ever had.
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Nothing!
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Absolutely nothing!
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Nothing too bad. I'm not a fan of traffic, so driving around Richmond wasn't a blast. Parking was a little hectic, but overall nothing major stood out to me.
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The only thing I would say is sitting at school desks for interview, but only because I wasn't expecting that.
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known ahead of time about the relaxed and laid-back nature of the interview, the need for comfortable shoes for walking, the parking situation, and the multiple interview rounds. They also recommended preparing questions to ask, being aware of the location and timing of the interview, and dressing appropriately for a long day.
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That they provide you with a bag, so don't bring a purse!!!
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That I didn't need to bring my purse to the interview because they give out complementary VCU Pharmacy bags.
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That my shoes would be very uncomfortable to walk in and they wouldn't stay on right!!
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I felt pretty prepared. I knew what to expect after looking at this site.
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Wish I would have known how relaxed an interview it was because I was so nervous my teeth were chattering.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally found the interview experience at VCU School of Pharmacy to be relaxed, friendly, and well-organized. They appreciated the welcoming atmosphere, the opportunity to interact with staff and students, and the flexibility of the interview schedule, with some mentioning the urban location as a unique aspect of the school.
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This school is by far the one that impressed me the most.
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I think VCU School of Pharmacy has much to recommend it and it remains my school of choice.
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Don't sweat the interview, read the feedback questions, relax, and good luck.
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The interview was very impressive. Just don't try to interact with the admissions office.
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It was a saturday interview. Very flexible and relaxing atmosphere. Only about 20 kids. They made it seem as if you had a reallly strong chance of getting in, just by being there at the interview. Got an acceptance letter for the school about one month later. VCU only gives you about a one week window to reply back with a 500 dollar deposit. So keep that in consideration when applying to other schools, as your spot could be given up if you are too late in responding.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants appreciate the friendly and informative staff, but suggest improving response times to inquiries as some experienced delays and multiple attempts to get a response. Overall, they encourage the admissions office to continue their good work.
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Keep up whatever you guys are doing because you guys are doing it right.
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Keep up the good work! The woman I spoke with to set up my interview was very friendly and cheerful.
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I think their staff did a wonderful job. I was provided all of the information that I needed and more.
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Please by more prompt in responses. Other universities replied very quickly to questions. VCU was the slowest and required multiple calls and emails to get any sort of response.
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None -- keep up the good work!
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