Touro College of Pharmacy Interview Tips??? Please Anyone? :)

[cpharmd]

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hey, does anyone have any interview tips for Touro college?

I just received an invite for an interview .... I read about a spontaneous activity that takes place during the on site interview; no idea what they're referring to...... maybe you current students or applicants know? Any helpful hints as to what to expect?

I would really appreciate your input and advice!
Sorry for being a bother.

I hope the Pharm.D. program at Touro has been a great experience for all of you thus far 🙂

 

[aboveliquidice]

hey, does anyone have any interview tips for Touro college?

I just received an invite for an interview .... I read about a spontaneous activity that takes place during the on site interview; no idea what they're referring to...... maybe you current students or applicants know? Any helpful hints as to what to expect?

I would really appreciate your input and advice!
Sorry for being a bother.

I hope the Pharm.D. program at Touro has been a great experience for all of you thus far 🙂

Interview feedback section...

 

[cpharmd]

Interview feedback section...

it's not listed as a school in that section 🙁

 

[Sparda29]

Touro New York or Touro California?

For Touro NY what I know is that they have some scenarios. For me, I had the "Lost" scenario. You have to work with a group of people.

First I had to individually come up with 12 items that would be essential for survival and how I would rank them in terms of importance. And then you have to share your list with the group and then come up with a group ranked list as well.

This was followed by an individual short essay explaining how you came up with your choices and how you discussed it with your team.

Usually they have 8 applicants per interview session, maybe they went up, I don't know. But what happened with us was that, half of us went off for our interviews with the faculty, and the other half had a group interview/activity.

Also: be nice, don't be a jackass, and be cool with the security officers, the secretary and the student ambassadors.

Assume that you are being graded from the moment you enter the building. I can tell you for sure that the student ambassadors are grading you. (I'm probably going to be one of them.)

Finally, when we're talking to you, don't act like your whole life is about academics. If I ask you what your hobbies are, don't tell me you like doing research. If you like getting hammered and going clubbing, then tell us that, because most of us like doing that too, therefore you're likely to be picked. (Don't tell the faculty that though, even though we've seen them at the bars too .)

 

[cpharmd]

Touro New York or Touro California?

For Touro NY what I know is that they have some scenarios. For me, I had the "Lost" scenario. You have to work with a group of people.

First I had to individually come up with 12 items that would be essential for survival and how I would rank them in terms of importance. And then you have to share your list with the group and then come up with a group ranked list as well.

This was followed by an individual short essay explaining how you came up with your choices and how you discussed it with your team.

Usually they have 8 applicants per interview session, maybe they went up, I don't know. But what happened with us was that, half of us went off for our interviews with the faculty, and the other half had a group interview/activity.

Also: be nice, don't be a jackass, and be cool with the security officers, the secretary and the student ambassadors.

Assume that you are being graded from the moment you enter the building. I can tell you for sure that the student ambassadors are grading you. (I'm probably going to be one of them.)

Finally, when we're talking to you, don't act like your whole life is about academics. If I ask you what your hobbies are, don't tell me you like doing research. If you like getting hammered and going clubbing, then tell us that, because most of us like doing that too, therefore you're likely to be picked. (Don't tell the faculty that though, even though we've seen them at the bars too .)

OMG thank you sooo much for your advice. Not gonna lie, that actually does seem pretty interesting. This is my first interview (ever) for a pharmacy school since it's relatively early in the admissions process. Any idea what kind of questions I should expect during the individual interviews and panel interviews?

What would you consider the most important factors that determine whether or not Touro will accept/favor me? I heard that they interview 160 people and admit 100... do you know if that's true?

Also, do you know how many people they accept at the end of each interview month?


I'm soooo nervous about this! I'm definitely going to be myself. However, as of late, my whole life has REALLY been about academics with this entire process, lol.


oh and btw I am referring to Touro NY

 

[Sparda29]

The individual interview is you vs two faculty members. The group interview is you with the other interviewees, assistant dean, student ambassadors, etc.

Read up about the mission of the school. (Hint: service to low income populations and less affluent neighborhoods, public health, etc)

I don't know how many they interview. Its likely that its gonna go up this year. I don't know how many are accepted at the end of the month.

If you've made it to the interview, it means that your GPA and other stuff is good enough. If you don't make it in, it means that you ****ed up the interview.

 

[cpharmd]

The individual interview is you vs two faculty members. The group interview is you with the other interviewees, assistant dean, student ambassadors, etc.

Read up about the mission of the school. (Hint: service to low income populations and less affluent neighborhoods, public health, etc)

I don't know how many they interview. Its likely that its gonna go up this year. I don't know how many are accepted at the end of the month.

If you've made it to the interview, it means that your GPA and other stuff is good enough. If you don't make it in, it means that you ****ed up the interview.

You are being so helpful! Thank you so much. I hope I'm not driving you insane. Any idea what kind of questions I might be asked by the dean and faculty? Do you think I should ask them questions ?

The odds seem pretty good that I have a chance of getting in. I'm excited, but nervous; I don't wanna mess up.


How is the program at Touro? Do you like it?

 

[Its Z]

I hope Touro isn't the only school you're considering.

As nervous and anxious you are about the interview, you should also choose the school just as objectively as possible. There are 2 factors you should consider:

1. Legacy vs. New pharmacy school
2. State vs. Private - in consideration of tuition.

You'll be graduating in about 5 years. The landscape of pharmacist jobmarket will be totally different than today. Much worse I'm afraid. So the last thing you want to do is finish pharmacy school with $200,000.00 in loans.

hth.

 

[Sparda29]

You are being so helpful! Thank you so much. I hope I'm not driving you insane. Any idea what kind of questions I might be asked by the dean and faculty? Do you think I should ask them questions ?

The odds seem pretty good that I have a chance of getting in. I'm excited, but nervous; I don't wanna mess up.


How is the program at Touro? Do you like it?

The program goes by very fast...very fast. You can very easily fall way behind within the first few weeks of class. The current P1 class is crying in their sleep about medicinal chemistry.

But yeah, if you survive the first 2 years. Then you have 2 years of rotations + the capstone project.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Assume that you are being graded from the moment you enter the building. I can tell you for sure that the student ambassadors are grading you. (I'm probably going to be one of them.)

OP... I just want to point out that the person you are taking advice from said he MIGHT be one of the student ambassadors. Meaning... he's not one at the current time. I'd be very cautious accepting his advice. Caveat emptor.

For example:

Finally, when we're talking to you, don't act like your whole life is about academics. If I ask you what your hobbies are, don't tell me you like doing research. If you like getting hammered and going clubbing, then tell us that, because most of us like doing that too, therefore you're likely to be picked.

This is TERRIBLE advice. Talking about getting hammered is never appropriate in a professional interview setting, either for work or for academics. I like to have a good time as much as the next person, but if I'm interviewing you and ask about your hobbies and DRINKING is the best thing you can come up with, you aren't getting my vote. Sheesh...

 

[owlegrad]

OP... I just want to point out that the person you are taking advice from said he MIGHT be one of the student ambassadors. Meaning... he's not one at the current time. I'd be very cautious accepting his advice. Caveat emptor.

For example:



This is TERRIBLE advice. Talking about getting hammered is never appropriate in a professional interview setting, either for work or for academics. I like to have a good time as much as the next person, but if I'm interviewing you and ask about your hobbies and DRINKING is the best thing you can come up with, you aren't getting my vote. Sheesh...

Yup. One of my preceptors talked about her days as a student ambassador and this came up. She mentioned that several students talked about drinking or other non-professional type activities during the student lead activities. Those students did not get the nod. I guess they thought because they were with other students they could be more candid? Not smart.

 

[Sparda29]

OP... I just want to point out that the person you are taking advice from said he MIGHT be one of the student ambassadors. Meaning... he's not one at the current time. I'd be very cautious accepting his advice. Caveat emptor.

For example:



This is TERRIBLE advice. Talking about getting hammered is never appropriate in a professional interview setting, either for work or for academics. I like to have a good time as much as the next person, but if I'm interviewing you and ask about your hobbies and DRINKING is the best thing you can come up with, you aren't getting my vote. Sheesh...

I might be one of the student ambassadors because I don't know if I'm going to be able to because of rotations and work. Albeit, my rotation site this month is 1 block away from Touro, so I could easily do the student ambassador stuff and then go for rotations when I'm done or vice versa.

But I am serious about the hobbies part. If someone says they like to do research and study all the time, they are getting a ZERO. A ZERO! If you say you play World of Warcraft and Starcraft II, snowboarding, paintball, go to baseball games, that's instantaneous points from me.

We want smart people but we want smart people who know how to have fun. (The person with the 4.0 in our class also parties a lot.)

Also, dress code for the interview is graded by the students so dress up. (If the weather is ****ty that day, we'll cut you some slack.)

Yup. One of my preceptors talked about her days as a student ambassador and this came up. She mentioned that several students talked about drinking or other non-professional type activities during the student lead activities. Those students did not get the nod. I guess they thought because they were with other students they could be more candid? Not smart.

It's the opposite with us. We want them to be candid.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

But I am serious about the hobbies part. If someone says they like to do research and study all the time, they are getting a ZERO. A ZERO! If you say you play World of Warcraft and Starcraft II, snowboarding, paintball, go to baseball games, that's instantaneous points from me.

The underlined items are appropriate hobbies to talk about in interviews. "Getting hammered" is not. I would be cautious about hiring/accepting someone who talks a lot about video games because I associate them with a slacker/lazy/sloppy mindset and mentality. That's just my opinion.

I'd much rather hear about what a person likes to read (books, please), what sports they like to play/spectate, their interests in traveling, their volunteer work, involvement with church/clubs/Scouts etc, if they play a musical instrument, their pets, gardening, arts/crafts they enjoy and just about anything else besides how much they like to drink and play video games... I'd be the opposite of impressed with someone who brought that up in an interview. It's just not appropriate.

 

[Sparda29]

Anyway, shouldn't this theead be in pre-pharmacy?

 

[Ackj]

I guess they thought because they were with other students they could be more candid?

I'm pretty sure that's the whole point. You're obviously going to feign innocence and absolutely love academics when talking to a professor. With other students, you don't think you're being graded, so you ask for the inside scoop on the school.

 

[aboveliquidice]

I'm pretty sure that's the whole point. You're obviously going to feign innocence and absolutely love academics when talking to a professor. With other students, you don't think you're being graded, so you ask for the inside scoop on the school.

You ask for their perspective / opinion. You absolutely portray the perfect student or future professional persona. At no time during the interview, at any time, should you let your guard down.

It isn't hiding yourself... You will have plenty of time later to show your true personality. Interview day is for showing what your best can be.

 

[Skrishna]

Dear SPARDA,

Thanks alot for the advice.......Can you help me for the Interview practice site or tips........Every time I speak looks like I memorized and speaking out the things.....Actually that is abit true but dont know how to improve myself........I am really thankful to you if you guide me for the interview process. I have not got interview call but want to practice from the beginning.,....You help would change my career and life....thanks

 

[Sparda29]

Dear SPARDA,

Thanks alot for the advice.......Can you help me for the Interview practice site or tips........Every time I speak looks like I memorized and speaking out the things.....Actually that is abit true but dont know how to improve myself........I am really thankful to you if you guide me for the interview process. I have not got interview call but want to practice from the beginning.,....You help would change my career and life....thanks

There is a thread in the pre-pharmacy section with a lot of hints.