Preparation for Interviews 101

Dear Student,

 

Well, hello. Thank you for stopping by and taking time to read about interviewing tips. My story begins after I have received the call for an interview for no particular pharmacy school. I was like, “where do I even begin to practice or prepare for the interview?!” I began researching through the God of search engines, Google, to find anything and everything about interviewing. I have stumbled upon so many tips on interviewing material that I could write a book. But there was still something missing. I soon came to realize the other half of interviewing was put all that data into practice. Remember, interviewing is a skill that can be obtainable, but needs to put into action.

There are many ways to practice interviewing. Prior to practicing, you will need not some things.

1.      A mock questionnaire of interview questions

2.      And must have answered all the questions

3.      And someone or anybody to practice

One way to practice is in front to a mirror with you and your dimensional self. Another location is at the mall, just ask a random stranger to interview you. The last resort should be your friends or family because they can be not authentic, judgmental, and will probably laugh at you. It is still an option, but you have been warned. 

If I were to tell you the top three things to remember when going to the interview day, would you believe me? The top three things to remember is to bring a smile, dress your best, and accepted that the person next to you is just as nervous. Think with me. A smile is your best accessory, it brings out the best in others around you, and people cannot tell if you are a nervous wreck inside. Dressing up your best is like wearing armor for battle. It looks like you are prepared, professional, and it will show. We are programmed to fear the unknown. It is natural to feel nervous and the other entire synonym that follows. If you accepted that fear, then you become the master of that fear.

Let me tell you a fail proof system on answering all types of interview questions. I wished someone told me at my first interview about this, but I digress. I call it the proof method. I am proving or convincing the interviewer of what I have done previously with a passion. The system goes something like this:

Interviewer asks a question about your hobby.

You would reply:

1.      Describe the subject. What is it?

         I love to watch and play basketball

2.      What did you do with that subject?

         I go practice my skills at the courts every Sunday.

3.      What did you learn about that subject?

         It takes a lot of energy to swing the winning momentum to motivation  myself moving and others around me.

4.      How will it affect you in the future? (This depends on the question - this can be omitted)

         By playing basketball keep my heart pumping and keeps my body into cardio shape. 

Try to imagine going to a random stranger and having them ask you a pre-worked up question set like the example above and you answering them. That is what I did. You have the option to do that.  Your college’s career service office could also probably assist you with doing a mock interview to help prepare you. 

Believe it or not, the interview is another opportunity for you to network the people around you on interview day. They could potentially become your new classmate or a potential roommate. Cease the opportunity because it might help you. After the interview is all set and done, make sure to thank your interviewer. When you travel back from home, make sure you send them a letter by thanking them for their time and the experience. I know snail mail is archaic, but I have to say it does come a long way. I am sure you have heard this phrase, “little things come a long way”. Well, it applies here as well.

Now, you and I both know that interviewing is a skill that needs to be obtained. Always bring your smile, dress to impress, and acknowledge that fear can be controlled. The proof method is flawless, in my opinion. If you don’t get anything out of my interview experience, then remember it is all about preparation, preparation, and preparation.

Best Wishes,

Written by Patrick, P2 Student

 

IPPE Rotations-The Most Valuable Learning Experiences!

I am a current P3 here at PCSP; therefore have a few semesters under my belt. I have to admit that one of my most valued aspects of the Pharmacy curriculum are the IPPEs that I have been able to be a part of. These are “Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences” which we all are required to do 320 hours in our first three years at PCSP. In essence, these are our hands on learning experiences through rotations with current local pharmacy practice sites. I have greatly enjoyed each and every one of these experiences that I have had in my time at PC.

Initially, rotations our P1 years were at community sites (independent pharmacies or chain/retail pharmacies). These rotations correlated well with the curriculum that we were responsible for during the initial year. Mastering of the top 200 drugs as well as significant counseling points for each were important on these rotations. It was very helpful to be able to apply these in practice and have direct patient experiences in addition to classroom experiences.

After the initial community pharmacy familiarity, we began rotations at institutional sites. These can involve many difference experiences such as various hospitals, clinics, long term care pharmacies, as well as state funded facilities. These allow us to integrate the vast majority of information we have learned thus far and apply it to specific patients and disease states. In my opinion, rotating through these facilities truly prove how much we have learned from PCSP, and will continue to learn through upcoming years and rotations.

One valuable experience for me on an IPPE was my first institutional rotation at a State funded psychiatric Institution. Although thus far we have not covered a detailed module on psych, I was very impressed and inspired by how much I was able to take away from the experience, and the desire to continue to learn more that was sparked from the rotation experience.

I am confident that all PCSP students have all had similar, yet unique experiences with their rotation sites as well. Hands on education as well as real-life patient care has enabled me to be able to grow as a future pharmacist and find specific areas of interest personalized to my career goals.

Written by Ginnie, P3 Student

For the "Out-of-Staters"

Being from Ohio myself, I was a little tense when I first came down to Clinton, South Carolina to come to PCSP.  I had some family down here, but I really didn’t know more than 5 people in the entire state before I got in my car and made the 8 hour trek down here.  I had gone a few hours away from home for undergrad, but being out of state was definitely a step up from being a short drive away.  

Honestly, the first few people I met down here became some of the best friends I’ve had.  Arriving for orientation, I walked through the door and started joking around with a few guys in the line waiting to get my name tag.  It didn’t take long to realize that just about everyone down here is in a similar situation, and that quite a few people I met were from a lot of places that didn’t end with Carolina.  Whether from the area or not, everyone I talked to was extremely easy to get along with, which being from an undergraduate university in a major city, I really wasn’t all that used to that happening.  Even this far from home, it was easy to find a place in this school and community.

There was an extreme difference from Clinton and both the town I grew up in as well as the city I went to school in before PCSP.  Coming from a bigger city school to a smaller town was a bit of a shock, but with the people I met, as well as the School itself, it really made the transition easier.  I have had many experiences here that I could not have had in other settings, and PCSP has given me many chances to be successful in the pharmacy field.  Coming down to Clinton has definitely been a good choice for my education, and between you and me, the winters down here are hard to beat.

Written by Pat, P3  Student

P1 Year Completed!

Hey everyone!  My name is Jenny, and I am a P2.  I can’t believe that I have already completed my first year of pharmacy school…it has been a whirlwind of studying, learning, and even squeezing some fun in with friends! Beginning pharmacy school, I (along with all of my classmates) was nervous at the prospect of keeping up with the rapid pace and challenging material that was presented to me by my new professors.  As the semester went on, and the first exams were completed, I realized that I really CAN do this if I put forth some effort.  The start of the second semester had me feeling much more confident in my abilities to keep up and do the work required at the graduate level.  My advice to you as you are beginning your pharmacy career is to stay on top of your assignments, and remain confident in the fact that you were able to get into pharmacy school, so someone believed that you would be able to finish the program- be confident in your abilities- they have served you well thus far!

Our Next Step

My name is McCall, and I am now a 4th year pharmacy student. Our APPE rotations began on May 6^th, I was nervous and excited all at the same time!

APPEs are 4^th year rotations that begin in May and end in April.  All students must complete 9 month-long rotations in this 12 month period.  There are 4 mandatory rotations that must be completed by all students:  Acute Care, Ambulatory Care, Advanced Institution, and Advanced Community.  This leaves us with 5 elective rotations, which allow us to explore our areas of interest.  For example, one could choose to do an elective in Pediatrics, Academia, or even Informatics.

I feel our professors have done a great job at providing us with the skills and knowledge we need to go out on our 4^th year rotations.  In April, all P3 students took the Third Year Competency Exam (TYCE) before going out on rotations. This exam covers the key concepts taught over the past three years.  Even though it was another exam to add to our list, I believe it was a great review and helped prepare us for our rotations.

After completing our APPEs, we will graduate on May 10^th, 2014 as PCSP’s inaugural class!  After passing the board exams, we will then be ready for the next step in our professional career.  For some students this will be to further their education by completing a residency or fellowship, and for others this means starting their first job as a licensed pharmacist.  It’s hard to believe how fast pharmacy school flies by!  The pharmacy profession will provide us with endless opportunities, and I am anxious to see what different career paths my classmates and I will take.

Dear Younger (High School) Me:

You may not know it yet but you are going to be a great pharmacist.  I know what you are thinking.  What?!  All those science classes, public speaking classes, and business classes you are taking will add on toward the path of pharmacy.  The core classes you will be taking in college will be majority science classes.  You will also need to take minor classes that will consist of social studies, public speaking, and economic classes.  Oh, I just found this out recently that you can apply to pharmacy school with 2 years of prerequisite coursework and not have to have a 4-year degree.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to you, younger me.  But to you readers, note that you can finish all your prerequisites within 2 years, and it may require you to take summer classes.  Make sure to pay more attention to those classes because it will haunt you when you go to college and pharmacy school.  I am not trying to intimidate you, but I am being real. 

Here’s a list of key highlights you should be doing from the time you read this letter to you get to pharmacy school:   

1)  Science  (enough said) 

2)  Shadowing experience - If you have time… I know you have time, but you’re in denial.  Go to your local pharmacy and ask the pharmacist if you can see what he/she does on a daily basis.  You might have to try more than one pharmacy because they might be busy.  The purpose of shadowing is to get that professional experience, and it will help you with getting a reference letter from a pharmacist. Why?  You will need it when you get ready to apply to pharmacy school.  Plus, it will make you look good.  And I’m sure you want to look good.

3)  Community Service - Why? Just cause.  You need it for high school, college, and pharmacy school.  Plus, pharmacy is a profession that's based on serving others.  

4)  Time Management -  There will be a window of time to apply for Pharmacy school.  My best advice for you is to do it earlier and for the better.  You will have to consider all the prerequisite, recommendation letters, writing personal statement, etc.

Keep in mind that pharmacy school is not easy and may be intimidating at first, but it is a rewarding career for the mind, body, and soul.  Trust me, I am a pharmacy student.

Best wishes for your future,

Patrick, P2