University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy
Madison, WI
Pharmacy Schools | Public Non-Profit
Going on an interview at WISC-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 revolve around self-description, future expectations in the field of pharmacy, reasons for choosing pharmacy over other health professions, strengths and weaknesses, ethical dilemmas faced, and the application of knowledge to real-life situations. Some respondents mentioned being asked questions in an MMI format, potentially subject to a nondisclosure agreement due to the nature of the interview process.
-
Use 3 adjectives to describe yourself and explain why.
-
What is one word you never would want someone to use in order to describe you?
-
What type of changes do you expect to see in pharmacy in the future?
-
What are 3 words that you can use to describe yourself?
-
Why pharmacy instead of any other health profession?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy discussed various topics including past mistakes with a follow-up on regrets, defining pharmacy and its evolution, unique roles in pharmacy, handling ethical dilemmas, reasons for university choices, and personal hobbies. It seems the interviews were generally focused on personal reflections, ethical scenarios, and motivations, with no specific mention of an MMI format or nondisclosure agreements.
-
Do you have any mistake or missed opportunity in the past that you could've benefited from had you not chosen to miss out on it? This question was kinda confusing to me at first, but all it really means is "Do you have anything you wish you could've done differently?" The follow up question for this was then: "Do you regret any of your past mistakes" or something along that line.
-
They were all pretty general
-
What is your definition of pharmacy? How will that definition change?
-
none.. they were all pretty basic.
-
What will be your unique role in pharmacy?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy discussed various topics such as personal opinions on the healthcare system, defining pharmacy and its future application, ethical scenarios, and unique roles in pharmacy practice. Some respondents mentioned a structured format with multiple questions, suggesting a possible MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) setup with potential nondisclosure agreements in place.
-
Seeing your personal experience dealing with it, what is your opinion on the healthcare system? Do you think it is a fair system for everyone?
-
If I didn't prepare ahead of time, it would've been: "Define pharmacy and how you will use this definition in your career as a pharmacist in the future."
-
Define pharmacy
-
None they were pretty easy
-
None.
🤝 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 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 4-6 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 General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
-
msn
-
Milwaukee
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
-
doubletree
-
The Concourse Hotel and Governor's Club
-
Motel 6
-
Madison Concourse
-
Best Western Towne
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?
Applicants commonly prepared for interviews by studying sample questions from websites like SDN, practicing with family and friends, researching the school, and reflecting on their answers. Some also sought advice from pharmacists, reviewed application materials, and familiarized themselves with current issues in pharmacy to feel more confident and prepared.
-
studied questions from this site. also, read a few current issue articles about pharmacy
-
The interview itself was a conversation. It did not feel like an interview at all. So calm your anxieties and just be open. Don't forget to relate what you're saying to pharmacy though, that is the reason why we are there!
-
Had a panic attack (j/k)...read a bunch of SDN interview feedbacks...practiced with family and friends...got some really good advice from a pharmacist...had a good time to reflect on all of my answers and a good breakfast + coffee the morning of the interview.
-
Researched the school
-
SDN, friends, looked at interview websites, looked at the school website
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the friendliness of the staff, faculty, and students, as well as the modern and beautiful campus facilities. Many highlighted the sense of community and the informative and well-organized events during their visit. Suggestions for improvement mainly revolved around the interview process, with a few applicants feeling that the interviews were not as effective or valuable as they could have been.
-
staff, campus and facilities
-
Everything. The event was organized extremely well. The facility is very new and high tech. It is connected to the medical school and library through an indoor bridge. The faculty was beyond impressive in their research and speaking skills. Everyone was supremely nice and the Pharm D.program at Madison just seems like it is simply the best.
-
I'm impressed with how tight-knit of a community the whole pharmacy school really is. It felt almost as if everyone's a big part of an extended family to each other. The pharmacists who interviewed me were also very cordial and nice. The friendliness of everyone there has left me with a very positive impression of the school.
-
The friendliness of the faculty and students
-
All the faculty, students and interviewers are very friendly. The interviewers are local pharmacists that volunteered their time to interview us. The admissions coordinator is extremely friendly and helpful, contact him if you have questions or need help.
What impressed you negatively?
Applicants commonly expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of interaction with faculty members, closed-file interviews, rushed interview day schedules, and absence of campus tours. Suggestions included incorporating faculty interactions, providing more informative tours, and allowing for a more personalized interview experience to better showcase applicants' qualities.
-
Nothing.
-
Hmmm...nothing really. It was cold, but it's not UW's fault.
-
NOTHING
-
The cold weather and no discounts on hotels
-
nothing I had a very positive experience
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Many applicants wished they had known the specific format and focus of the interview in advance, emphasizing the need to prepare targeted questions for interviewers and being aware of the interview's brevity and structure. Additionally, some applicants highlighted the importance of understanding the application process thoroughly, including the distinction between admission and scholarship essays.
-
I should have had a big breakfast
-
I thought I packed enough for a cold weather. Boy, was I wrong...If I get in, I'm contemplating on making an outfit out of heat packs.
-
Nothing. They provided all important information prior to the interview.
-
they give you basically any information you need for the interview and prepare you for your time there
-
Nothing.
What are your general comments?
Applicants generally expressed positive feedback about the interview experience, highlighting aspects such as the organization of the day, friendly staff, and the opportunity to interact with current students. However, some applicants mentioned concerns about the interview process, including the time it takes for admissions decisions and the desire for more personalized interactions with faculty and staff.
-
So pleased with this interview. Madison quickly became my first choice after the visit.
-
If you have any question, Jeremy is such a great resource to get your answers from. He's very responsive and his emails are hilarious! With the holistic method of assessing applicants at UW, I felt honored to be selected even for an interview since it shows that at least my application fee's not being spent on someone who'll treat me like a list of stats. In terms of the interview day, I thought the hardest part was the extemporaneous essay portion. We were given with only 25 minutes to complete 2 essays (everyone's split up into different groups and rotated through different parts of the schedule) and I was barely done with my first essay when there was only 5 minutes left. I wish we could've done it on a computer coz now I don't even know if my handwriting's even legible..lol. If you're an out-of-state applicant, stay at the Best Western Inn towner since they have an excellent free shuttle service + free breakfast + complementary late check-out. The staffs there are supernice and accommodating!
-
I understand WHY the admissions process takes so long, but I sure wish it was quicker!!
-
seems like a great program and place to attend
-
The school is great and I hope to get in. They are really friendly too!
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Most applicants found the admissions process to be well-organized and efficient, with positive feedback specifically directed towards the Director of Admissions, Jeremy Altschafl, for his responsiveness and communication. A common suggestion was to include a longer break for lunch during the admissions process to accommodate the long day.
-
None! Everything was simply perfect. Except, maybe include a longer break for lunch. It was a long day and I got really hungry about halfway through.
-
I really admired the thorough updates that the director of admissions (Jeremy Altschafl) has sent out to us applicants. He's very responsive and has done a good job at keeping us in the loop of things.
-
To keep Jeremy A.! He is so friendly and prompt. The best I've worked with thus far!
-
Offer at least a general time line for making admission decisions.
-
None because everything went great.
Success!
School has been added to your favorites.