Preparing for Informational Interview with Pharmacists

[ambs01]

Hello!

I'm a fourth-year Psych major intending on going into pre-Pharmacy (and eventually getting my PharmD). I've been doing research on potential pharmacy clinics and hospitals around my area that I would like to volunteer at in order to gain some experience, but I know my chances are slim to none if I were to just submit all my applications online and I'd rather be actively going out to find information about pharmacy and making a good impression. I'm planning on asking some of the local pharmacists for informational interviews, but I wanted some advice on questions to ask them when I see them in person.

I want to go into the offices with at least some knowledge and professional preparation, rather than be all casual about it, so my question is- what are some good questions to ask pharmacists in an informational interview? So far on my list, the questions I really want to know about is the daily routines that they do and the level of difficulty in the work area and what are ideal qualities a clinic/hospital/retail look for if they are applying for a position? (Are these okay questions to ask?)

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[Sugoi Travis]

Your college doesn't have some sort of Internship/Career Center?

 

[ambs01]

I talked to the Career Center at my school and the counselor was not helpful at all. If anything, she was the one who suggested that I come up with prepared questions to ask during an informational interview, but when I ask what sort of questions to ask pertaining Pharmacy, she said I had to figure that out myself because they're not familiar with Pharmacy :/

 

[Sugoi Travis]

Hmm interesting. How about going up to a pharmacist, introduce yourself and say stuff like you're interested in pharmacy and would like to gain experience through volunteering; like if your parents/family members go to a specific pharmacist, maybe you could start there?

Literally minutes before starting my internship in retail pharmacy, I asked questions about what it's like, similar to what you're planning to do. What my pharmacist told me was right on line with what was going on when I experienced it, but it's kind of a "you have to be there" scenario in order to really get what is going on; it's something you can't really experience through an interview. However, a little interview is a good step if you want to consider pharmacy; you'll just get more out of it if you physically experience being in a pharmacy.

 

[The Recoverer]

I talked to the Career Center at my school and the counselor was not helpful at all. If anything, she was the one who suggested that I come up with prepared questions to ask during an informational interview, but when I ask what sort of questions to ask pertaining Pharmacy, she said I had to figure that out myself because they're not familiar with Pharmacy :/

Your counselor is right. You need to be more proactive. it's not that they are NOT being helpful. Your career counselor doesn't know why your reason for going into pharmacy. only YOU do, therefore it is YOUR responsibility to come up with questions to ask the pharmacist pertaining to your goals.