Phone Interviewing

[Sparda29]

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Why is it that a lot of schools do not want to use phone interviews or webcam interviews?

Generally, I'm a lot more confident, less nervous, can plan what I want to say, when I'm talking to someone on the phone or through a webcam.

It isn't cheap to get to a school hundreds of miles away for an interview, especially since the school isn't paying for your transportation. Then you gotta spend money on a hotel, and clothing.

 

[genesis09]

I don't think the new accreditation standards allow for non-face to face interviewing.

 

[RobertZimmerman]

That and the interview is about seeing if you will be capable of counseling patients. Can't always do that by phone or webcam... sometimes you have to actually be in the same room with them... without a script... making eye contact... scary huh?

You say you are "more confident, less nervous, can plan what you say" better on phone/cam... this is exactly what they don't like about your multimedia notion.

If they really were just about asking you questions... they'd send you a questionnaire... its about seeing if you are socially capable.

Plus if you cant make the effort to go interview at their school... they assume you aren't truly interested in actually attending/living there.

 

[Sparda29]

Well of course I can interact with patients, I interact with patients more than the pharmacist does where I work.

Let me clarify. I do better interacting with someone who is on the same level, or lower.

If I have to talk to someone superior, like an admissions officer or professor, I get nervous.

 

[nehe87]

An important part about being a pharmacist is being able to work/interact capably with both subordinates AND superiors, because there's almost always someone you have to answer to. Also, personality is a big deal in admissions these days, because there are so many applicants that are qualified on paper, and you can't always get a good perception of someone's personality if they're not right in front of you.

 

[naseuy]

Well of course I can interact with patients, I interact with patients more than the pharmacist does where I work.

Let me clarify. I do better interacting with someone who is on the same level, or lower.

If I have to talk to someone superior, like an admissions officer or professor, I get nervous.

How would they know whether or not you are good at interacting if they do not interact with you? They expect you to be nervous, the pressure is part of equation.

 

[PharmDnewb]

Besides what everyone else said, I think that they want to see how you answer questions on the spot. If you're on the phone there's nothing to stop you from reading off of a "cheat sheet" to answer questions. It's harder to tell whether your responses are genuine over the phone.

Northeastern U. offered me a phone interview or a regular interview. I choose the regular one.

 

[goinkhead]

That and the interview is about seeing if you will be capable of counseling patients. Can't always do that by phone or webcam... sometimes you have to actually be in the same room with them... without a script... making eye contact... scary huh?

You say you are "more confident, less nervous, can plan what you say" better on phone/cam... this is exactly what they don't like about your multimedia notion.

If they really were just about asking you questions... they'd send you a questionnaire... its about seeing if you are socially capable.

Plus if you cant make the effort to go interview at their school... they assume you aren't truly interested in actually attending/living there.

thread over.

 

[RobertZimmerman]

Well of course I can interact with patients, I interact with patients more than the pharmacist does where I work.

Let me clarify. I do better interacting with someone who is on the same level, or lower.

If I have to talk to someone superior, like an admissions officer or professor, I get nervous.

1. How are they supposed to know you can interact with the patients at work... you want them to pay for travel expenses to come observe you on the job or what? Virtually every good LOR is the same... if that's what your banking on.

2. Yeah so you get nervous interacting with your future professors and faculty (who apparently is who you want to avoid by sidestepping the personal interview), yeah so you get nervous interacting with a physician who may or may not be superior (but may well think he is), yeah so you get nervous when your filling scripts for the city mayor or other superior patient,

A poet once said "You Gotta Serve Somebody" ... get used to talking to them I guess.

P.S. Who doesn't get nervous talking to superiors and interviewing in person... its how you deal with it that makes the difference... and that is best observed face to face.

 

[eelo]

Why is it that a lot of schools do not want to use phone interviews or webcam interviews?

Generally, I'm a lot more confident, less nervous, can plan what I want to say, when I'm talking to someone on the phone or through a webcam.

It isn't cheap to get to a school hundreds of miles away for an interview, especially since the school isn't paying for your transportation. Then you gotta spend money on a hotel, and clothing.

Are you aware that pharmacy school is graduate/professional school, and not middle school social studies? How many accommodations do you expect schools to make for you? You whine about others getting interview invites and you not getting them ("Weh, my GPA is average, theirs is good, my PCAT is average, theirs sucks, how come they're getting called and I'm not?"), you whine about what you perceive is an unfair emphasis on GPA (um, hello, 2.75 GPA sucks on a grad/prof school application), you whine about having to do a face-to-face interview......

Tell me: what is it about you that's so wonderful that adcoms should overlook ALL these major shortcomings and still consider you? Why should they bypass someone else who doesn't have these personal failings, in favor of you? Other applicants are not as needy as you appear to be. They're your competition- you have to demonstrate why you're a better candidate than they are. So far, I'm not seeing that. I see you as nothing but a series of liabilities, as far as a school is concerned. Why should any school accept you, with all this baggage that you expect accommodations for?

Are you aware that this is not an entitlement; that admission to graduate/professional school must be earned? How have you earned it? What have you done that sets you apart from others who have a higher GPA, did better on the PCAT, and aren't whining about the interview?

 

[RobertZimmerman]

Are you aware that pharmacy school is graduate/professional school, and not middle school social studies? How many accommodations do you expect schools to make for you? You whine about others getting interview invites and you not getting them ("Weh, my GPA is average, theirs is good, my PCAT is average, theirs sucks, how come they're getting called and I'm not?"), you whine about what you perceive is an unfair emphasis on GPA (um, hello, 2.75 GPA sucks on a grad/prof school application), you whine about having to do a face-to-face interview......

Tell me: what is it about you that's so wonderful that adcoms should overlook ALL these major shortcomings and still consider you? Why should they bypass someone else who doesn't have these personal failings, in favor of you? Other applicants are not as needy as you appear to be. They're your competition- you have to demonstrate why you're a better candidate than they are. So far, I'm not seeing that. I see you as nothing but a series of liabilities, as far as a school is concerned. Why should any school accept you, with all this baggage that you expect accommodations for?

Are you aware that this is not an entitlement; that admission to graduate/professional school must be earned? How have you earned it? What have you done that sets you apart from others who have a higher GPA, did better on the PCAT, and aren't whining about the interview?

wow eelo... I had no idea about the stats of the OP...

If this is true, with those kind of issues... a face to face interview is like a dream come true for him/her.

For some reason they are giving him/her a shot... to complain about that is just... words can't express (actually they can but I'm in no mood for picking up an infraction)

My stats are good... really good... but I still wasn't arrogant enough to refuse to drive 6-7 hrs and pay for a hotel room to interview at a school I've known all along wasn't my first choice (despite my own admittedly tight habits with money). It's just what you do... a part of the process.

OP, you applied to a number of schools, bit the bullet for far more application fees than I was willing to.

If you aren't humble, serious, and grateful enough about the opportunity to interview for a spot hundreds of rejected applicants would die for... let someone else go who is.

 

[Sparda29]

Well, I'm not whining about the PCAT because only about 10 Pre-Pharm Students at LIU got above 80 percentile, and this was the 2nd time around on it, I got a 74 the first time around, if I didn't blow it on the Reading Comprehension section, could have been much better.

And people who submitted a lot later than me are getting their interviews. I'm technically a junior at LIU, applied last year, did not get in so I retook classes to get in this year. I'm seeing this with a lot of the other juniors at my school who re-applied, they are not getting interviews while the sophomores are. And that is what I'm worried about.

 

[mrblah]

Are you aware that pharmacy school is graduate/professional school, and not middle school social studies? How many accommodations do you expect schools to make for you? You whine about others getting interview invites and you not getting them ("Weh, my GPA is average, theirs is good, my PCAT is average, theirs sucks, how come they're getting called and I'm not?"), you whine about what you perceive is an unfair emphasis on GPA (um, hello, 2.75 GPA sucks on a grad/prof school application), you whine about having to do a face-to-face interview......

Tell me: what is it about you that's so wonderful that adcoms should overlook ALL these major shortcomings and still consider you? Why should they bypass someone else who doesn't have these personal failings, in favor of you? Other applicants are not as needy as you appear to be. They're your competition- you have to demonstrate why you're a better candidate than they are. So far, I'm not seeing that. I see you as nothing but a series of liabilities, as far as a school is concerned. Why should any school accept you, with all this baggage that you expect accommodations for?

Are you aware that this is not an entitlement; that admission to graduate/professional school must be earned? How have you earned it? What have you done that sets you apart from others who have a higher GPA, did better on the PCAT, and aren't whining about the interview?

Or quite simply, "not everyone is cut out for pharmacy school".

I do love it when someone says they think the application process is unfair, or the gpa requirement is too high, or interview process is too expensive and time consuming.

Its only unfair to the person with the low gpa, to the person who doesn't want to go through the application process, and who doesn't want to spend the time to prepare for the interview.

 

[patmcd]

Why is it that a lot of schools do not want to use phone interviews or webcam interviews?

Generally, I'm a lot more confident, less nervous, can plan what I want to say, when I'm talking to someone on the phone or through a webcam.

You answered your own question right there. Being able to plan out exactly what your going to say sort of defeats the purpose of an interview. Being comfortable talking to your superiors is a fact of life.

/Thread

 

[Hels2007]

It is actually a lot harder to have a good phone interview vs. in-person interview if you are a candidate. Being given a chance to show up is a favor to the candidates, more than half the message is non-verbal - and too many people forget it's interview and not chit-chat with their buddies if it is over the phone. 🙄

And what others said is right, too.