When should you start interview prep

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Hi! I’ve just sent my Pharmacy applications to Bath, UEA, Keele, Nottingham, and Birmingham. Should I start my interview prep now, or wait until I get an offer? Also, do you have any tips or advice from your own interview experiences? How many mock interviews did you do, and who with teachers friends ect?

Reply 1

McGinger

20

See - Useful resources for MPharm PS and Interviews - The Student Room

Reply 2

UEA Rep Daniel

Official Rep

12

Original post

by Florence—-

Hi! I’ve just sent my Pharmacy applications to Bath, UEA, Keele, Nottingham, and Birmingham. Should I start my interview prep now, or wait until I get an offer? Also, do you have any tips or advice from your own interview experiences? How many mock interviews did you do, and who with teachers friends ect?

Hi Florence,

Well done on sending your Pharmacy applications. I’d begin light prep now so you are warmed up when invitations arrive, then step it up once you have a date. Start by shaping a clear story about why Pharmacy suits you and why each course fits your goals, then gather a handful of real examples that show teamwork, communication, ethics, resilience and problem solving using the STAR approach. Most use MMIs with a mix of motivation, scenario, ethics and a short calculation station, so get comfortable speaking out loud for 5 to 8 minutes at a time and timing yourself.

Best of luck!
Daniel
PhD Biology

Reply 3

McGinger

20

Most interview questions are predictable - why do you want to do Pharmacy (and not Chemistry or whatever), what is the role of pharmacy within the NHS, how is the role of pharmacists changing (and why), simple maths test, some organic chem questions, 'what would you do if...' type questions. Etc etc.

Reply 4

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

18

Original post

by Florence—-

Hi! I’ve just sent my Pharmacy applications to Bath, UEA, Keele, Nottingham, and Birmingham. Should I start my interview prep now, or wait until I get an offer? Also, do you have any tips or advice from your own interview experiences? How many mock interviews did you do, and who with teachers friends ect?

Hi,

I don’t think you’ll need extensive prep just yet, but it’s a good idea to start thinking about your answers. Each pharmacy school can have quite a different interview style, e.g. Nottingham had an MMI and I believe UCL has an essay.

It’s worth going over common questions such as why you want to study pharmacy, why you’ve chosen that specific university, your strengths and weaknesses, and brushing up on simple calculations, unit conversions, and some basic chemistry.

I’d also recommend practising with friends or family to build confidence. For me, I practised twice with my mum before my first interview.

Hope this helps, wishing you all the best with your applications!

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 5

UoNstudents

Official Rep

12

Original post

by Florence—-

Hi! I’ve just sent my Pharmacy applications to Bath, UEA, Keele, Nottingham, and Birmingham. Should I start my interview prep now, or wait until I get an offer? Also, do you have any tips or advice from your own interview experiences? How many mock interviews did you do, and who with teachers friends ect?

Hi there! 👋
That’s fantastic — well done on getting your Pharmacy applications sent off! I’m a current student ambassador at the University of Nottingham, and my advice would be to start preparing for interviews now, but don’t stress about it too much yet.
Interview invites can come through quite quickly, and having a bit of early prep will really help you feel confident when the time comes. I’d recommend starting with some light preparation — get comfortable answering questions like:

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Why Pharmacy?

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Why the University of Nottingham (or whichever uni you’re applying to)?

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What qualities make a good pharmacist?

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Tell us about a time you worked in a team or helped someone.

It’s also worth reviewing your personal statement, since interviewers often ask follow-up questions based on what you wrote.
From experience, the best thing you can do is be yourself and show genuine enthusiasm for studying Pharmacy and working with patients. Interviewers aren’t expecting perfect answers — they just want to see your motivation, communication skills, and understanding of what the profession involves.

Best of luck with your applications 💚
# UoN Student Rep Leena

When should you start interview prep

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