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Warning: This is a very long and detailed post.
I submitted my completed PharmCAS application on December 16, 2015. I was sent an interview invitation on January 25, 2016. I had my interview on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 9:00am. I was offered a seat for the class of 2020 on April 08, 2016. There was a $50 secondary application requirement. A $2,000 non-refundable deposit is required upon acceptance, in addition to a $1,000 tuition deposit.
First Impressions
I walked onto an empty campus and into an empty dark building (around 8:45am). There was no sign, lights, or greeter at the front entrance. I instinctively made a right turn into a dimly lit room with two other individuals - in suits - and concluded that this was the place that I needed to be at. I was very underwhelmed considering how my other interview experience went - bright, fun, and memorable. I did not expect a confetti canon or an orchestra to greet me, but a sign pointing me in the right direction would have been helpful (or a sufficiently lighted hallway). No staff member signed us in. I am going to be completely honest, I was already disappointed because every single e-mail that I had received from Touro University has had at least one misspelled word (I even received an e-mail a few days ago with my name spelled Christiana, twice). These are minor details, but when you are investing $200,000 into a program, you want the best of the best in every possible way imaginable.
The six of us were escorted into a room with a large table with our names on it. We sat according to our place card. Two of the interviewees showed up late, but were still allowed in the room (I did not agree with that, but I do not make the rules). Two of the expected interviewees did not show up, deduced by the empty seats next to their place cards.
Writing Prompt (45 min): The group was introduced to the Assistant Director of Admissions. We were given one prompt to choose from that presented an article on women who keep their maiden name when married or take their husband's last name. I was not a fan of the prompt at all. It was actually quite insulting. Sidenote: As you may know, I got married last year and have yet to legally change my name from Lei-Aloha to Sanchez. I usually refer to myself using both names. Now, back to the prompt. Why did it irk me? Because the prompt stated that women who do not take their husband's last name are selfish and tend to not be as loving, including women that use both last names. My response - your actions, not your name make the person. Also, although not customary, I touched on the fact that we do not scrutinize men for not taking their wife's name. I was glad to get it over with and move forward.
The Assistant Director of Admissions was very friendly and talked about the history of the building. Next, he jumped into expenses and a brief financial aid overview (15 min). At this point, I felt very defeated and out of place. The environment was not as welcoming as I anticipated.
We took a walk down to the lower campus and met with the Dean of the College of Pharmacy at a single table (45 min). I was mute, not enthusiastic, and maybe bitter. I did not ask a single question (IDIOT) and answered only one question that was presented - "Why I want to become a pharmacist." The Dean of the College of Pharmacy directly looked at me and asked if I had any questions." My response: "I do not have any questions at the moment."
Looking back now, I wish that I had made more of a personal mark during this meeting. Most of this time was taken up by two current Touro University students in the Masters of Public Health Program. They used every minute they could reminding the Dean of the College of Pharmacy of their loyalty to the campus, even going as far as stating something on the lines of "I noticed that the building [insert name here] is being worked on, what renovations are you doing?" Considering that they already go to this particular campus, they could have easily found the answer elsewhere at a more appropriate time.
One of the things that made me feel out of place was something so simple, a handshake. At this point, I have been on campus for two hours and have yet to shake a single persons' hand. By now, I was confident in one thing, there is no way that Touro University is going to accept me after how boring and rude I was.
The Interview (60 min): We were broken up into two groups of 4 during the group interview process. My group was taken into the interview room, two of the interviewers were already seated at the table: one P4 student, and one pharmacist/faculty member, the third interviewer had not arrived yet. My group was given a ten minute break prior to the interview. What did these people do? They left the room to prepare. What did I do? I stayed and took the opportunity to have one-on-one time with these two interviewers. I took the initiative and walked around the table, looked them straight in the eye, introduced myself and held out my hand. Finally, a handshake! Then I took my seat and proceeded to talk about the weather and if they knew if people kayaked near campus. I kept it completely casual and made sure to introduce bits of my "non-academic personality". Shout out to the other three candidates for leaving the room and allowing me to have the opportunity to speak to some of the interviewers by myself.
The third interviewer, a faculty member in the biochemistry department joined the group. I walked around the table and introduced myself and shook his hand, and then quickly went back to my seat. No one else shook hands!
We started the interview introducing ourselves: our name, major, where we went during our undergrad. The interview process is free-for-all, survival of the fittest (fun-fact: It was Herbert Spencer that first stated 'survival of the fittest', not Darwin). I answered 80% of the questions first because I did not want anyone else to take my answer. We jumped right into the questions:
Why Touro?
Touro University is my number one choice (this answer is sincere, although I was not impressed with the interview process, the program is amazing) because of its mission statement: to serve, to lead, to teach. Also, I like the location, it is close to my friends and family.
What made you want to become a pharmacist?
One of the main things that got me interested in pharmaceuticals was the book Shaman's Apprentice by Mark Plotkin, an ethnobotanist that discovered natural pharmaceuticals in the amazon rainforest. In addition, the biochemistry series in my undergrad, particularly my enzyme kinetics course got me interested in pharmacy. The name of the book is Shaman's Apprentice, and I highly recommend that you all read it. I am sure you will love it.
How would you explain to a five year old what a pharmacist is?
A pharmacist is a good friend of your doctor; he will give you something to make you feel better.
What do you do for fun?
I have a personal website The Chemistry of Pink, where I post about fashion, beauty, and science. In addition, I recently started a YouTube channel where I would like to incorporate beauty and science. For example, micellar water is all the rage right now in the beauty community. I would like to talk about the structure of the micelle and why it is good at removing makeup. I also enjoy kayaking and paddle boarding.
What do you do to relieve stress?
To relieve stress, I started kickboxing during my undergrad. Some days are rough, and it is nice taking it out on the bag.
Everyone else stated that they whip out their calendar and regroup their thoughts.
What current news in pharmacy do you know of?
I read an article stating that the FDA approved a monoclonal antibody that can successfully treat anthrax inhalation.
The faculty member then asked me if I knew what anthrax was (No, he did not ask any of the other interviewees a question). I was honest and said that I do not know exactly what anthrax it, I just know that is a biological agent used as a poison. I am guessing that is inhibits a protein and blocks a pathway. I was sure that I was done for.
What did you want to be when you were growing up? What would you want to be doing if you were not a pharmacist?
I took two years off after my undergrad to pursue my other dreams and interests. I took the time to make sure that I wanted to become a pharmacist. i.e. fashion marketing, optical technician, personal stylist, tutoring. I did not think this one through and should have also stated what I wanted to be when I was growing up, a fashion designer.
Name three traits a pharmacist should have?
Caring, Integrity, Team Work
Everyone copied my answer, yay for going first. The faculty even stated to the others "So, the same thing?"
Describe an experience at work that you believe had an impact?
I spoke about my experience tutoring underserved youth. I talked about one of my second grade students not being able to read when I first met her, but now she is able to read basic text to me.
If you could be doing anything in five years, what would you be doing?
I would love to go on an adventure in the Amazon rainforest and discover and develop new natural pharmaceuticals, just like Mark Plotkin in the book I was talking about. It would be great to have fun and learn while on an adventure.
The faculty member responded: "Aren't you scared that you will be taken?"
Me: "No."
What class do you think will prepare you most for pharmacy school?
The biochemistry series, especially enzyme kinetics. I should have stated why.
Sidenote: Biochemistry is not a pre-requisite for the Touro University College of Pharmacy Program
We were open to asking questions:
I asked "In your own words, what do you believe Touro's mission statement is?"
Response: "You already stated Touro's mission statement in one of you answers."
Me: " I would like to know how you feel about Touro in your own words."
I asked "Why did you choose Touro University" to the P4 student.
At the end of the interview: The faculty member that arrived last dashed out the door the second the interview was over. The rest of the interviewees followed suit. I stayed behind and thanked the remaining interviewers for taking the time to interview us and wished the P4 student good luck on the rest of his studies.
Tour of campus (30 mins): two current Touro students gave a tour of the campus
Lunch and Masters of Public Health Presentation (20 mins): We were given a sandwich, water bottle, apple, and a bag of chips. During our lunch, the Financial Aid Assistant went over the MPH dual program option.
The Assistant Director of Admissions returned for a brief Q&A (15 mins) and escorted us back to the upper campus. He placed out his hand for each individual as we left the building. It was nice having someone reach out to me, literally.
As you may know, I withdrew my acceptance from CHSU and formally accepted a position at Touro University. Although my interview was not filled with rainbows and unicorns, every single individual that has graduated from the Touro University College of Pharmacy is amazing. I worked in retail pharmacy for quite a long time and really enjoyed working with the Touro interns the most - they are knowledgeable, efficient, and so detail oriented. Touro Unversity PharmD students are on another level. In addition, their 2+2 program with eleven rotations cannot be beat. To top it off, they accept financial aid through FAFSA. I cannot wait to see what Touro University has in store for me and I am very grateful that the Touro interview panel chose me. I am very proud to be part of the Touro University family.
Sidenote: I made sure to dress outside the standard interview attire, and it paid off. I stood out, but in a good way. I was able to showcase my unique personality, as well as reinforce my interest in fashion. Tip: Don not wear heels, it is completely impractical and frankly, makes you look inefficient. I wore flats.
I submitted my completed PharmCAS application on December 16, 2015. I was sent an interview invitation on January 25, 2016. I had my interview on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 9:00am. I was offered a seat for the class of 2020 on April 08, 2016. There was a $50 secondary application requirement. A $2,000 non-refundable deposit is required upon acceptance, in addition to a $1,000 tuition deposit.
First Impressions
I walked onto an empty campus and into an empty dark building (around 8:45am). There was no sign, lights, or greeter at the front entrance. I instinctively made a right turn into a dimly lit room with two other individuals - in suits - and concluded that this was the place that I needed to be at. I was very underwhelmed considering how my other interview experience went - bright, fun, and memorable. I did not expect a confetti canon or an orchestra to greet me, but a sign pointing me in the right direction would have been helpful (or a sufficiently lighted hallway). No staff member signed us in. I am going to be completely honest, I was already disappointed because every single e-mail that I had received from Touro University has had at least one misspelled word (I even received an e-mail a few days ago with my name spelled Christiana, twice). These are minor details, but when you are investing $200,000 into a program, you want the best of the best in every possible way imaginable.
The six of us were escorted into a room with a large table with our names on it. We sat according to our place card. Two of the interviewees showed up late, but were still allowed in the room (I did not agree with that, but I do not make the rules). Two of the expected interviewees did not show up, deduced by the empty seats next to their place cards.
Writing Prompt (45 min): The group was introduced to the Assistant Director of Admissions. We were given one prompt to choose from that presented an article on women who keep their maiden name when married or take their husband's last name. I was not a fan of the prompt at all. It was actually quite insulting. Sidenote: As you may know, I got married last year and have yet to legally change my name from Lei-Aloha to Sanchez. I usually refer to myself using both names. Now, back to the prompt. Why did it irk me? Because the prompt stated that women who do not take their husband's last name are selfish and tend to not be as loving, including women that use both last names. My response - your actions, not your name make the person. Also, although not customary, I touched on the fact that we do not scrutinize men for not taking their wife's name. I was glad to get it over with and move forward.
The Assistant Director of Admissions was very friendly and talked about the history of the building. Next, he jumped into expenses and a brief financial aid overview (15 min). At this point, I felt very defeated and out of place. The environment was not as welcoming as I anticipated.
We took a walk down to the lower campus and met with the Dean of the College of Pharmacy at a single table (45 min). I was mute, not enthusiastic, and maybe bitter. I did not ask a single question (IDIOT) and answered only one question that was presented - "Why I want to become a pharmacist." The Dean of the College of Pharmacy directly looked at me and asked if I had any questions." My response: "I do not have any questions at the moment."
Looking back now, I wish that I had made more of a personal mark during this meeting. Most of this time was taken up by two current Touro University students in the Masters of Public Health Program. They used every minute they could reminding the Dean of the College of Pharmacy of their loyalty to the campus, even going as far as stating something on the lines of "I noticed that the building [insert name here] is being worked on, what renovations are you doing?" Considering that they already go to this particular campus, they could have easily found the answer elsewhere at a more appropriate time.
One of the things that made me feel out of place was something so simple, a handshake. At this point, I have been on campus for two hours and have yet to shake a single persons' hand. By now, I was confident in one thing, there is no way that Touro University is going to accept me after how boring and rude I was.
The Interview (60 min): We were broken up into two groups of 4 during the group interview process. My group was taken into the interview room, two of the interviewers were already seated at the table: one P4 student, and one pharmacist/faculty member, the third interviewer had not arrived yet. My group was given a ten minute break prior to the interview. What did these people do? They left the room to prepare. What did I do? I stayed and took the opportunity to have one-on-one time with these two interviewers. I took the initiative and walked around the table, looked them straight in the eye, introduced myself and held out my hand. Finally, a handshake! Then I took my seat and proceeded to talk about the weather and if they knew if people kayaked near campus. I kept it completely casual and made sure to introduce bits of my "non-academic personality". Shout out to the other three candidates for leaving the room and allowing me to have the opportunity to speak to some of the interviewers by myself.
The third interviewer, a faculty member in the biochemistry department joined the group. I walked around the table and introduced myself and shook his hand, and then quickly went back to my seat. No one else shook hands!
We started the interview introducing ourselves: our name, major, where we went during our undergrad. The interview process is free-for-all, survival of the fittest (fun-fact: It was Herbert Spencer that first stated 'survival of the fittest', not Darwin). I answered 80% of the questions first because I did not want anyone else to take my answer. We jumped right into the questions:
Why Touro?
Touro University is my number one choice (this answer is sincere, although I was not impressed with the interview process, the program is amazing) because of its mission statement: to serve, to lead, to teach. Also, I like the location, it is close to my friends and family.
What made you want to become a pharmacist?
One of the main things that got me interested in pharmaceuticals was the book Shaman's Apprentice by Mark Plotkin, an ethnobotanist that discovered natural pharmaceuticals in the amazon rainforest. In addition, the biochemistry series in my undergrad, particularly my enzyme kinetics course got me interested in pharmacy. The name of the book is Shaman's Apprentice, and I highly recommend that you all read it. I am sure you will love it.
How would you explain to a five year old what a pharmacist is?
A pharmacist is a good friend of your doctor; he will give you something to make you feel better.
What do you do for fun?
I have a personal website The Chemistry of Pink, where I post about fashion, beauty, and science. In addition, I recently started a YouTube channel where I would like to incorporate beauty and science. For example, micellar water is all the rage right now in the beauty community. I would like to talk about the structure of the micelle and why it is good at removing makeup. I also enjoy kayaking and paddle boarding.
What do you do to relieve stress?
To relieve stress, I started kickboxing during my undergrad. Some days are rough, and it is nice taking it out on the bag.
Everyone else stated that they whip out their calendar and regroup their thoughts.
What current news in pharmacy do you know of?
I read an article stating that the FDA approved a monoclonal antibody that can successfully treat anthrax inhalation.
The faculty member then asked me if I knew what anthrax was (No, he did not ask any of the other interviewees a question). I was honest and said that I do not know exactly what anthrax it, I just know that is a biological agent used as a poison. I am guessing that is inhibits a protein and blocks a pathway. I was sure that I was done for.
What did you want to be when you were growing up? What would you want to be doing if you were not a pharmacist?
I took two years off after my undergrad to pursue my other dreams and interests. I took the time to make sure that I wanted to become a pharmacist. i.e. fashion marketing, optical technician, personal stylist, tutoring. I did not think this one through and should have also stated what I wanted to be when I was growing up, a fashion designer.
Name three traits a pharmacist should have?
Caring, Integrity, Team Work
Everyone copied my answer, yay for going first. The faculty even stated to the others "So, the same thing?"
Describe an experience at work that you believe had an impact?
I spoke about my experience tutoring underserved youth. I talked about one of my second grade students not being able to read when I first met her, but now she is able to read basic text to me.
If you could be doing anything in five years, what would you be doing?
I would love to go on an adventure in the Amazon rainforest and discover and develop new natural pharmaceuticals, just like Mark Plotkin in the book I was talking about. It would be great to have fun and learn while on an adventure.
The faculty member responded: "Aren't you scared that you will be taken?"
Me: "No."
What class do you think will prepare you most for pharmacy school?
The biochemistry series, especially enzyme kinetics. I should have stated why.
Sidenote: Biochemistry is not a pre-requisite for the Touro University College of Pharmacy Program
We were open to asking questions:
I asked "In your own words, what do you believe Touro's mission statement is?"
Response: "You already stated Touro's mission statement in one of you answers."
Me: " I would like to know how you feel about Touro in your own words."
I asked "Why did you choose Touro University" to the P4 student.
At the end of the interview: The faculty member that arrived last dashed out the door the second the interview was over. The rest of the interviewees followed suit. I stayed behind and thanked the remaining interviewers for taking the time to interview us and wished the P4 student good luck on the rest of his studies.
Tour of campus (30 mins): two current Touro students gave a tour of the campus
Lunch and Masters of Public Health Presentation (20 mins): We were given a sandwich, water bottle, apple, and a bag of chips. During our lunch, the Financial Aid Assistant went over the MPH dual program option.
The Assistant Director of Admissions returned for a brief Q&A (15 mins) and escorted us back to the upper campus. He placed out his hand for each individual as we left the building. It was nice having someone reach out to me, literally.
As you may know, I withdrew my acceptance from CHSU and formally accepted a position at Touro University. Although my interview was not filled with rainbows and unicorns, every single individual that has graduated from the Touro University College of Pharmacy is amazing. I worked in retail pharmacy for quite a long time and really enjoyed working with the Touro interns the most - they are knowledgeable, efficient, and so detail oriented. Touro Unversity PharmD students are on another level. In addition, their 2+2 program with eleven rotations cannot be beat. To top it off, they accept financial aid through FAFSA. I cannot wait to see what Touro University has in store for me and I am very grateful that the Touro interview panel chose me. I am very proud to be part of the Touro University family.
Sidenote: I made sure to dress outside the standard interview attire, and it paid off. I stood out, but in a good way. I was able to showcase my unique personality, as well as reinforce my interest in fashion. Tip: Don not wear heels, it is completely impractical and frankly, makes you look inefficient. I wore flats.
