Pharmacy Interview Help and Answers
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Jimmocrates
Those interview questions sound tough! To be quite honest, I wouldn't really know how a patch works despite 3 and a bit years studying here. I don't think they'll of been wanting you to know already exactly how it works, maybe to just get you thinking in a logical way and have an educated guess. A big part of all interviews seems about being able to blag it and talk the talk without really knowing what the hell you're talking about.
Check out the PJ for some useful articles which'll give you stuff to talk about
eg. http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20051119/news/p621goahead.html
Check out the PJ for some useful articles which'll give you stuff to talk about
eg. http://www.pharmj.com/Editorial/20051119/news/p621goahead.html
Hahaha. Thats made me feel alot better, cheers dude and thanks for the website. How are you finding the degree and manchester? Are any of your lectureres nice? How long did it take you to hear from Manchester after your interview?
king_britt
Hahaha. Thats made me feel alot better, cheers dude and thanks for the website. How are you finding the degree and manchester? Are any of your lectureres nice? How long did it take you to hear from Manchester after your interview?
Following on from those, hows the atmosphere there? Do you like the campus?
king_britt
Hey guys, i have had interviews at Bath and Manchester so thought that it would be beneficial to share my experiences with you. Heres some background information, i got CCCC in my AS-results and got predicted BBB.
Doing Chemistry, Spanish and Biology.
09th November. Bath was awesome, they were extremely friendly, you got a free lunch which tasted awesome and the campus is magical, along with the city.
The actual interview was equally pleasant, the interviewee asked me the following questions:
Why Pharmacy?
What other health-care professions had i considered studying/entering?
Did i enjoy my work-experience and what did i learn from it?
Talk to me about a drug that is/has been in the news recently?
And then time to ask him questions.
He was so nice and walked me to the bus stop as i was the last person to be interviewed and he was telling me all about his research topic.
It was informal, but i would advise dressing smart.
They also give you a free wallet/folder for books and stuff and a pen! Not bad, really! I really wasnt interested in Bath and it was more or less to fill the 6 choices up but im really considering it now.
They gave me an offer off ABB a few days later.
Now Manchester 16th November, it is my first choice, but after being at Baths interview got a false sense of security so i didnt do much preparartion at all - slightly foolish!
From the word go i didnt like the atmosphere at Manchster, it was intimidating with the admissions people asking us questions in the welcome lecture about acid reflux and cytotoxic drugs!
Then we were shown around the university campus and the medical building where most of our time is spent.
We are then taken to the pharmacy common room where you can get free mars bars etc! You then have to write two mini essays!
One about a part of your scientific course that you have enjoyed studying, suggestions include a practical in chesmistry or drawing a cell and explaining its function. How i wish i had paid more attention in lessons! I ended up writing about insulin and diabetes etc.
Secondly you have to write about health/science/medical related news.
I wrote about the controversy over Herceptin, the breast cancer drug.
Apparently, this exercise was just to see how effectively we can communicate and present ideas, so make sure its neat!
Then interview time, there was the interviewer and there was also another person sitting in on the interview writting notes about my performance. The interview started late and so he basically said that we werent going to beat around the bush and he would ask me straight out about pharmacy.
First question, tell me about all the different ways drugs can be administered?
I foolishly said patches as well as all the other usual suspects, this then led on to him asking me insistently
how patches work!
(I havent the foggiest!) He then asked
why patches are used?
when are patches used?
Then he asked when you would choose to inject a drug and when you would choose to give drugs as a pill?
He then asked how topical solutions work?
He then asked me to tell him about 5 prescribed drugs?
which i struggled to answer
I said methadone as one of my answers and he then asked me
how methadone works ?
Once again i had no idea.
Then he asked me where drugs come from?
Why is pharmacy considered as a profession?
It finished after that. It was so intimidating and very unfriendly, it left me questioning why on earth i chose pharmacy! I was rather anoyed as Manchester was my first choice.
I have yet to hear from Manchester, i just hope its good news.
I have an interview at Nottingham this Wednesday 23rd November 2005.
Hope it wasnt too long and boring!
I hope it helps in your quest to be a pharmacist.
Doing Chemistry, Spanish and Biology.
09th November. Bath was awesome, they were extremely friendly, you got a free lunch which tasted awesome and the campus is magical, along with the city.
The actual interview was equally pleasant, the interviewee asked me the following questions:
Why Pharmacy?
What other health-care professions had i considered studying/entering?
Did i enjoy my work-experience and what did i learn from it?
Talk to me about a drug that is/has been in the news recently?
And then time to ask him questions.
He was so nice and walked me to the bus stop as i was the last person to be interviewed and he was telling me all about his research topic.
It was informal, but i would advise dressing smart.
They also give you a free wallet/folder for books and stuff and a pen! Not bad, really! I really wasnt interested in Bath and it was more or less to fill the 6 choices up but im really considering it now.
They gave me an offer off ABB a few days later.
Now Manchester 16th November, it is my first choice, but after being at Baths interview got a false sense of security so i didnt do much preparartion at all - slightly foolish!
From the word go i didnt like the atmosphere at Manchster, it was intimidating with the admissions people asking us questions in the welcome lecture about acid reflux and cytotoxic drugs!
Then we were shown around the university campus and the medical building where most of our time is spent.
We are then taken to the pharmacy common room where you can get free mars bars etc! You then have to write two mini essays!
One about a part of your scientific course that you have enjoyed studying, suggestions include a practical in chesmistry or drawing a cell and explaining its function. How i wish i had paid more attention in lessons! I ended up writing about insulin and diabetes etc.
Secondly you have to write about health/science/medical related news.
I wrote about the controversy over Herceptin, the breast cancer drug.
Apparently, this exercise was just to see how effectively we can communicate and present ideas, so make sure its neat!
Then interview time, there was the interviewer and there was also another person sitting in on the interview writting notes about my performance. The interview started late and so he basically said that we werent going to beat around the bush and he would ask me straight out about pharmacy.
First question, tell me about all the different ways drugs can be administered?
I foolishly said patches as well as all the other usual suspects, this then led on to him asking me insistently
how patches work!
(I havent the foggiest!) He then asked
why patches are used?
when are patches used?
Then he asked when you would choose to inject a drug and when you would choose to give drugs as a pill?
He then asked how topical solutions work?
He then asked me to tell him about 5 prescribed drugs?
which i struggled to answer
I said methadone as one of my answers and he then asked me
how methadone works ?
Once again i had no idea.
Then he asked me where drugs come from?
Why is pharmacy considered as a profession?
It finished after that. It was so intimidating and very unfriendly, it left me questioning why on earth i chose pharmacy! I was rather anoyed as Manchester was my first choice.
I have yet to hear from Manchester, i just hope its good news.
I have an interview at Nottingham this Wednesday 23rd November 2005.
Hope it wasnt too long and boring!
I hope it helps in your quest to be a pharmacist.
do they test your communication and presenting skills, e.g presenting any ideas you got to everyone etc.
also, do u know how topical solutions work?
Like with everywhere else, theres good and bad bits to the course. Yesterday afternoon I was in Salford hospital doing hospital pharmacy stuff - going through case studies and invterviewing patients. I love doing that stuff.
Unsurprisingly, in the first couple of years we did lots of stuff whihc i found more boring on how tablets disintegrate and how that is effected by stuff like temp, light, pH. The intermolecular forces which hold them together, how they are effected by the "extra" ingredients in tablets. I found that stuff reeeeeeally dull.
As for the place, I've really enjoyed my time here in Manchester. Most of the lecturers are alright, but some are really good and some aren't as good. The city is great, lots to do, lots of places to go.
The atmosphere in the department is also pretty good. Unlike other subjects, everyone within the uni who does pharmacy does exactly the same modules, which helps you to get to know people, which i have heard some people find tougher in other subjects where the people in your lectures are different for every module.
Having said all that, they've been promising that they are moving to a new building for ages now, so things may change after i've left at the end of this year.
Unsurprisingly, in the first couple of years we did lots of stuff whihc i found more boring on how tablets disintegrate and how that is effected by stuff like temp, light, pH. The intermolecular forces which hold them together, how they are effected by the "extra" ingredients in tablets. I found that stuff reeeeeeally dull.
As for the place, I've really enjoyed my time here in Manchester. Most of the lecturers are alright, but some are really good and some aren't as good. The city is great, lots to do, lots of places to go.
The atmosphere in the department is also pretty good. Unlike other subjects, everyone within the uni who does pharmacy does exactly the same modules, which helps you to get to know people, which i have heard some people find tougher in other subjects where the people in your lectures are different for every module.
Having said all that, they've been promising that they are moving to a new building for ages now, so things may change after i've left at the end of this year.
king_britt
I said methadone as one of my answers and he then asked me
how methadone works ?
how methadone works ?
Jesus christ, I don't even know how methadone works and I'm in the 4th year...
I think they're probably analysing the way you respond to the questions (whether you try and blag it) and how you cope under pressure as you said, because there's no way on earth that you could know most of that stuff - unless you've already done a first degree (I know someone who did a whole Pharmacy degree after already spending 3 years on BSc Pharmacology).
Pav27
Following on from those, hows the atmosphere there? Do you like the campus?
The atmosphere was ok, nothing to rave on about and the campus is quite nice, the pharmacy building is pretty cool its an old Victorian building and the groundfloor is painted purple! Pretty crazy and cool. Manchester city is just first class though.
fly kika
do they test your communication and presenting skills, e.g presenting any ideas you got to everyone etc.
also, do u know how topical solutions work?
also, do u know how topical solutions work?
I just said topical solutions work by effecting the symptoms of a illness/condition....like acne products have salicylic acid in them which is anti-inflammatory so they just treat spots that have alreday formed and try and stop new ones forming. I also said that they just work on the targeted area, as opposed to pills sometimes affecting other parts of the body that will inevitabley produce side-effects.
I dont know if i what i said is scientifically correct, but thats the answer i gave.
No we didnt have to give a presentation or anything like that, just had to write a small piece about a part of our science course and about the news.
I just kept it neat and used bullet points. Hope that did the job!
Some of those questions are very harsh indeed... just think of it this way, everyone is in the same boat, so try not to worry about it. Chances are, if you found it hard, so will everyone else.
Its also important to try and reduce any bull***t. The people interviewing you will have a PhD in their field or possibly even be a professor. If you honestly do not have a clue about an answer, then just be honest. If they see you trying to blag and guess, they will know. They have done this kind of thing soooo many times before.
Either say, 'I am sorry I do not know'... or say, 'I am sorry I don't know, but if I was to have an educated guess I would say..... etc' These people can see right through you.
Also, I am sure that someone has already mentioned this before, but it is really important that you prepare some questions! It shows that you are interested, and actually bothered. It does not come off very well if you just shrug your shoulders and say, 'no'. It is always better to ask some questions, it comes across well. I cant remember what I asked but it was something along the lines of, 'how much freedom do we get in our project in the fourth year' or something along those lines. I did not care about the answer, but it gives the impression of enthusiasm over the course and a general interest in the subject as a whole.
Good luck if any of you have any more interviews to go...
Its also important to try and reduce any bull***t. The people interviewing you will have a PhD in their field or possibly even be a professor. If you honestly do not have a clue about an answer, then just be honest. If they see you trying to blag and guess, they will know. They have done this kind of thing soooo many times before.
Either say, 'I am sorry I do not know'... or say, 'I am sorry I don't know, but if I was to have an educated guess I would say..... etc' These people can see right through you.
Also, I am sure that someone has already mentioned this before, but it is really important that you prepare some questions! It shows that you are interested, and actually bothered. It does not come off very well if you just shrug your shoulders and say, 'no'. It is always better to ask some questions, it comes across well. I cant remember what I asked but it was something along the lines of, 'how much freedom do we get in our project in the fourth year' or something along those lines. I did not care about the answer, but it gives the impression of enthusiasm over the course and a general interest in the subject as a whole.
Good luck if any of you have any more interviews to go...
Why on earth do they ask such ridiculously hard questions? Surely they know what the A-level chemistry course is like and that we don't get taught the Pharmacy course as well. It seems like these interviews are a waste of time, its just putting people under uncessary pressure. Why do they expect us to know about (insert name of unkown medicaion here). By all means ask questions about recent pharmaceutical developments in the news but not "How would you prepare 250mg of erythromycin enteric coated tablets in a school laboratory?" 
maoam x
maoam x
Oh, come on now... 250mg erythromycin enteric coated tablets are easy! 
No, seriously, it doesn't seem as though they've asked questions quite so specific. Some of the things that seem to have been asked like routes of admin you know if you put your mind to it. If you thought about classes of drug, you could probably come up with loads - painkillers, diabetic meds, contraceptive pill, asthma.
They probably won't be expecting you to know everything, just trying to get you thinking and applying what you do know to their questions.
Good luck to you all if you've still got interviews to come.
No, seriously, it doesn't seem as though they've asked questions quite so specific. Some of the things that seem to have been asked like routes of admin you know if you put your mind to it. If you thought about classes of drug, you could probably come up with loads - painkillers, diabetic meds, contraceptive pill, asthma.
They probably won't be expecting you to know everything, just trying to get you thinking and applying what you do know to their questions.
Good luck to you all if you've still got interviews to come.
hey i thankfully got my offer from Manchester, ABB! wuhoo, even after that nightmarish interview so i am sure that everyone will do fine!
Iu had my interview at Nottingham the other week, it was awesome! Really nice and friendly and the campus is gorgeous.
The interview is so easy, it is just a genral chat, my intrviewer asked me one question 'Why Pharmacy?'
Then he looked on my UCAS form realised i was from liverpool and we talked about Liverpool city, and the football clubs for the rest of it! We were laughing and joking and then he made me an offer right there and then.
Oh and they give you magical food for lunch, its really posh finger bufet stylefood. It was soo nice...mmmmm.
I wasn't that keen on Nottingham but the course there sounds amazing and i was really impressed.
How have everyone leses interviews been going?
I got a rejection letter from KCL but it seems like alot of people have been rejected from there so its OK and i have been asked to go for an interview at Cardiff in January.
Iu had my interview at Nottingham the other week, it was awesome! Really nice and friendly and the campus is gorgeous.
The interview is so easy, it is just a genral chat, my intrviewer asked me one question 'Why Pharmacy?'
Then he looked on my UCAS form realised i was from liverpool and we talked about Liverpool city, and the football clubs for the rest of it! We were laughing and joking and then he made me an offer right there and then.
Oh and they give you magical food for lunch, its really posh finger bufet stylefood. It was soo nice...mmmmm.
I wasn't that keen on Nottingham but the course there sounds amazing and i was really impressed.
How have everyone leses interviews been going?
I got a rejection letter from KCL but it seems like alot of people have been rejected from there so its OK and i have been asked to go for an interview at Cardiff in January.
king_britt
hey i thankfully got my offer from Manchester, ABB! wuhoo, even after that nightmarish interview so i am sure that everyone will do fine!
Iu had my interview at Nottingham the other week, it was awesome! Really nice and friendly and the campus is gorgeous.
The interview is so easy, it is just a genral chat, my intrviewer asked me one question 'Why Pharmacy?'
Then he looked on my UCAS form realised i was from liverpool and we talked about Liverpool city, and the football clubs for the rest of it! We were laughing and joking and then he made me an offer right there and then.
Oh and they give you magical food for lunch, its really posh finger bufet stylefood. It was soo nice...mmmmm.
I wasn't that keen on Nottingham but the course there sounds amazing and i was really impressed.
How have everyone leses interviews been going?
I got a rejection letter from KCL but it seems like alot of people have been rejected from there so its OK and i have been asked to go for an interview at Cardiff in January.
Iu had my interview at Nottingham the other week, it was awesome! Really nice and friendly and the campus is gorgeous.
The interview is so easy, it is just a genral chat, my intrviewer asked me one question 'Why Pharmacy?'
Then he looked on my UCAS form realised i was from liverpool and we talked about Liverpool city, and the football clubs for the rest of it! We were laughing and joking and then he made me an offer right there and then.
Oh and they give you magical food for lunch, its really posh finger bufet stylefood. It was soo nice...mmmmm.
I wasn't that keen on Nottingham but the course there sounds amazing and i was really impressed.
How have everyone leses interviews been going?
I got a rejection letter from KCL but it seems like alot of people have been rejected from there so its OK and i have been asked to go for an interview at Cardiff in January.
I got my nottingham interview coming up , kind of worried, So they only asked you one question 'Why Pharmacy' did he ask any other questions? , the interviewee must be really friendly from the talk you had with him. he offered you a place right there and then, what do you mean? sounds unbelievable, did he tell you the conditions? sounds like you got a really nice interviewee. ur lucky
. Any other tips you can give for the interview?Thanks
Well done with the interview my Manchester's this wednesday and Nottingham's in feb, do Notts ask for any kind of mini essay thing?
my Manchester's this wednesday and Nottingham's in feb, do Notts ask for any kind of mini essay thing?
Kingspharm
Jesus christ, I don't even know how methadone works and I'm in the 4th year...
The BNF comes in nice and handy for that. I'min 3rd year and I'm not sure of the answer too.
Man, my manchester interview seemed likeawalk in the parkcompared to yours. Seriously,mine wasn't toobad, withonly a few specific qusetions about stuff in pharmacy. The rest were the usual alright ones.
Jimmocrates
Those interview questions sound tough! To be quite honest, I wouldn't really know how a patch works despite 3 and a bit years studying here. I don't think they'll of been wanting you to know already exactly how it works, maybe to just get you thinking in a logical way and have an educated guess. A big part of all interviews seems about being able to blag it and talk the talk without really knowing what the hell you're talking about.
I think that maybe the patch contains the drug which absorbs through the skin into the circulation.
The guy that interviewed me at Manchester was lovely. At the end when I was asking him questions I asked him when I'd hear whether I'd be successful and he said something like "Oh you'll be hearing about your offer within a week I should think".
I don't know whether sometimes they've already pretty much made their mind up and they just wanna interview to check you're not a weirdo. (Although the guy at Nottingham told us only half of the people being interviewed there were gonna get places but we should all feel really proud of ourselves for getting that far - like what?!)
As for the tricky questions, they're probably not in all honesty expecting you to give a perfect answer. They're maybe just to see how well you cope under pressure, whether you can think on your feet and whether you'll be quite ready to admit when you don't know something ... cause in pharmacy you can't second guess yourself, once you're qualified and out there you need to know what you're doing cause it's people's lives you're playing with.
I don't know whether sometimes they've already pretty much made their mind up and they just wanna interview to check you're not a weirdo. (Although the guy at Nottingham told us only half of the people being interviewed there were gonna get places but we should all feel really proud of ourselves for getting that far - like what?!)
As for the tricky questions, they're probably not in all honesty expecting you to give a perfect answer. They're maybe just to see how well you cope under pressure, whether you can think on your feet and whether you'll be quite ready to admit when you don't know something ... cause in pharmacy you can't second guess yourself, once you're qualified and out there you need to know what you're doing cause it's people's lives you're playing with.
As for the tricky questions, they're probably not in all honesty expecting you to give a perfect answer. They're maybe just to see how well you cope under pressure, whether you can think on your feet and whether you'll be quite ready to admit when you don't know something ... cause in pharmacy you can't second guess yourself, once you're qualified and out there you need to know what you're doing cause it's people's lives you're playing with.
I hope you heard good news!
Yeah i totally agree with you about hard questions being more a test of character than knowledge, and it was seeings as they made me an offer.
Its just very disconserting to be asked those questions!
--------------
Lucky you! Looking back on my Manc interview though, it was quite fun and definitely an experience! Especially seeings as they did make me an offer.
--------------
Nottingham dont ask for any type of written thing. Just an empty belly to eat that scrumptious food! Haha. I want another interview there...
--------------
Good luck with the interview. Be yourself, friendly and confident.
When you dont kow something, just say! Be honest! But tell them 'i dont know, but if i was to make an educated guess i would say....'
He didnt ask any other questions after 'Why Pharmacy?'
He made me an offer of ABB, right after we had finished talking.
Once again good luck!
I hope you heard good news!
Yeah i totally agree with you about hard questions being more a test of character than knowledge, and it was seeings as they made me an offer.
Its just very disconserting to be asked those questions!
--------------
Xenon
The BNF comes in nice and handy for that. I'min 3rd year and I'm not sure of the answer too.
Man, my manchester interview seemed likeawalk in the parkcompared to yours. Seriously,mine wasn't toobad, withonly a few specific qusetions about stuff in pharmacy. The rest were the usual alright ones.
Man, my manchester interview seemed likeawalk in the parkcompared to yours. Seriously,mine wasn't toobad, withonly a few specific qusetions about stuff in pharmacy. The rest were the usual alright ones.
Lucky you! Looking back on my Manc interview though, it was quite fun and definitely an experience! Especially seeings as they did make me an offer.
--------------
D123
Well done with the interview my Manchester's this wednesday and Nottingham's in feb, do Notts ask for any kind of mini essay thing?
my Manchester's this wednesday and Nottingham's in feb, do Notts ask for any kind of mini essay thing?Nottingham dont ask for any type of written thing. Just an empty belly to eat that scrumptious food! Haha. I want another interview there...
--------------
ajcool
I got my nottingham interview coming up , kind of worried, So they only asked you one question 'Why Pharmacy' did he ask any other questions? , the interviewee must be really friendly from the talk you had with him. he offered you a place right there and then, what do you mean? sounds unbelievable, did he tell you the conditions? sounds like you got a really nice interviewee. ur lucky . Any other tips you can give for the interview?
Thanks
. Any other tips you can give for the interview?Thanks
Good luck with the interview. Be yourself, friendly and confident.
When you dont kow something, just say! Be honest! But tell them 'i dont know, but if i was to make an educated guess i would say....'
He didnt ask any other questions after 'Why Pharmacy?'
He made me an offer of ABB, right after we had finished talking.
Once again good luck!
hey im really scared about my nottingham interview its next week and well i havnt done much prep for it as iv got my exams at d mo.
jus wanted 2 knw if i need 2 take anything with me 2 the interview and also ive read dat some of u gt askd to tel the guy bout 5 pescribed drugs...well what kinda drugs would u talk about? plz cud ya get back 2 me thanx 4 ya help!
jus wanted 2 knw if i need 2 take anything with me 2 the interview and also ive read dat some of u gt askd to tel the guy bout 5 pescribed drugs...well what kinda drugs would u talk about? plz cud ya get back 2 me thanx 4 ya help!
hey i got an interview at nottingham on 22nd feb...wz ma last choice and apparently its become ma first lol..newe it wud b great help if ne1 cud help by tellin me wot kinda questions dey ask?..do dey give som sort of questions ul hav to ansa like manchester..etc...wot do i need to know?..bacially..thnx.
x_shabba_x
hey i got an interview at nottingham on 22nd feb...wz ma last choice and apparently its become ma first lol..newe it wud b great help if ne1 cud help by tellin me wot kinda questions dey ask?..do dey give som sort of questions ul hav to ansa like manchester..etc...wot do i need to know?..bacially..thnx.
woteva thay asc, maik shure u akchooally yoose inglish
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