what does the usc admissions like to see in a candidate?

[cyclopropane]

Hi all,

This is my first post! I've been reading some of the previous posts and have seen that some people have gotten into usc...(congrats!) Can those people give me some input into what the admissions committee likes to see in a potential candidate besides good statistics (i.e. pharmacy experience, research, etc.). What kinds of things do they ask about in the interview process also?

Thanks everyone,
Cyclopropane

"God gave us two ends. One to sit on and one to think with. Success depends on which one you use; heads you win -- tails, you lose."
~ Anonymous

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[Triangulation]

What kinds of things do they ask about in the interview process also?

The i.v. is completely blind. It's a one-shot sesh with a student and a faculty member. Mine was totally chill. I literally did all the talking. They asked me a question and i just rambled for about twenty mins with a occasional breaks so the faculty dude could explain what i was talkin about to the 2nd year student who iv'd me. She had like no experience in clinical settings so he was trying to explain to her what i was referring to. It was more like she was being iv'd.

What did I talk about?

I pretty much went over my career goals: How I'm interested in drug policy in an pshycological care/pharamacoeconomic framework and how I was excited to attend a school w/an institute for pharm policy.

I had just had a my ucsf iv the wk before, so I was pretty well rehearsed which i encourage you to do with someone. I actually had a mock iv with clinical faculty from ucsf who i worked with prior to my iv's. It was helpful. You might want to think about it.

If you can find my original post about it (i'll try and dig it out of sdn) that was a miserable day outside of the iv. I got there half hour late and was all confused n sh^t.

At any rate, I would recommend having some kind of career goal mapped and be sure to state lucidly why SC will best fulfill your needs.

Good luck. It's the best school you're making the right decision dude.

 

[Triangulation]

PS

Lizziebeth and BMBiology also were accepted so hit em up as well

 

[BMBiology]

I hate to say it but USC likes to bestow its graduates with the sense of being in an "exclusive" club. There's a lot of "Trojan pride" in Southern California which can sometimes be very annoying. I remember last month while I was walking around Balboa Harbor and Newport Beach, there were USC flags hanging everywhere! I never understand why USC graduates have so much pride in their school, but this is part of the USC culture. I remember during the interview, I emphasized on this aspect of their culture when they asked me why I want to attend USC. I talked about its rich history, renowned program and networking (over 50% of the pharmacists in Southern California graduated from USC). I even said I want to be apart of the "Trojan Family" during the interview! I believe it is very important that you have a good understanding of its program and culture. However, it is also important that you protray this in a sincere and clear manner.

The reality is that USC does take care of its students and graduates from low interest loans to discounted transportation from LAX to USC to endless congratulation from the faculty, admissions committee and students. I even received a call from USC graduating me on my acceptance! However, this comes at a price; its tuition is $29,000 a year.

 

[Triangulation]

The reality is that USC does take care of its students and graduates from low interest loans to discounted transportation from LAX to USC to endless congratulation from the faculty, admissions committee and students. I even received a call from USC graduating me on my acceptance! However, this comes at a price; its tuition is $29,000 a year.

Yeah, and don't forget about the usc gas stations.

 

[lilmk]

Originally posted by Triangulation


Good luck. It's the best school you're making the right decision dude.

hey tri,

do you really think SC is the best school??? why? i go there now and a lot of my classmates and i feel disappointed w/the quality.

 

[cyclopropane]

Originally posted by lilmk

do you really think SC is the best school??? why? i go there now and a lot of my classmates and i feel disappointed w/the quality. [/B]

Hmm..

What makes you say that lilmk? Is it the quality of the school compared with the price? Please elaborate.. Good and bad comments are welcome.

 

[Triangulation]

Are you there for pharm school or undergrad? Like he said 'elaborate da$!it!! Just playin'. I'm interested in your comments.

Yeah, it's more the best school bc i chose it, but it certainly has what i'm looking for. I'm not just pullin this out of my a$% either. i know several students there and made sure it was what i was after. I've met peeps that don't like it there, but i had friends that hated U-dub and that school was the bomb. You gotta take in as much info as you can and make your own decisions.

 

[BMBiology]

I am glad there's finally a USC pharmacy student on this board. It would be great if you could tell us what you do not like about the program, as well as what you do like. I would greatly appreciate that. Orientation is in a week. I am hoping for the best, but also preparing for the worse.

 

[BMBiology]

lilmk, I also added you to the Roll Call List.

 

[lilmk]

hi people
(sorry this is going to be real long. i'm watching tv as i write so if i'm not making sense and jumping from one thought to the next, i apologize)

i am beginning level III in the pharm program at SC this month. i don't know what i was really expecting when i started...i just have my undergrad experience to reference. I went to UCLA and majored in biology. UCLA for me was a challenge cuz there are so many amazing students and profs there who are brilliant. but i got so much out of the experience. i can't say enough about the quality of education there.

so when i got to SC, i expected the quality of the pharmD program to be really good--i don't know why. i guess i figured the med and dental schools at SC are supposed to be way good so therefore, pharm should be good too. The pass rate for the boards here at SC is good (and maybe that should be the only thing that really matters). But like i said, i have been disappointed w/the classes and some of the profs. See it all depends on your undergrad experience. if you got a lot out of your undergrad experience you may be disappointed as well. maybe not. But i have to say this, some of the worst profs i had at UCLA now seem not so bad at all compared to some of the bad profs here. it's sad. But hey, some of the crap profs have already retired or transferred so you guys don't have to worry.

A few of the classes here at SC are great and well taught for the most part. But a lot of the other classes are either a waste of time or leave a lot to be desired. I guess i'm still being vague, huh? sorry. For the amount of $$$ we pay, we should be getting a lot more out. Like i said i'm comparing SC pharm to my undergrad experience. But here's another tidbit...a lot of older pharmacists have told me that they see a huge difference between grads from UCSF and grads from USC. they feel the UCSFers are more analytical, are better at problem solving, better clinicians etc. I'm not surprised that they feel this way cuz i hear that at SF, the method of training is very different from SC method. Here at SC it's all memorizing and then guessing on the exam. But admission to SF is more difficult to obtain so maybe the difference between SF grads and SC grads could be attributed to the differences in the caliber of students ??? i don't know.

This of course is just my opinion. However, i know for sure that i'm not alone cuz a lot of my classmates b*tch about the same thing. I never hear any b*tching from any other pharm students at other schools though. So far not one person i've encountered from SF, Western, UOP has had anything bad to say about their educational experience. Yet so many SC people are feeling dissatisfied. Interesting, no?

But look, don't worry too much. don't let my dissatisfaction get you down. i'm just trying to be honest. You may have a completely different opinion and i hope that you do.

Another thing, apparently, quality of education is not everything. when you attend orientation, they will tell you, "hey, pharm school is what you make of it." maybe they're right. or maybe they're just trying to cover up all the shortcomings. whatever. They will also say that in the pharm field, networking is everything...this i think is actually true. so if you get here and realize i'm right and that the quality is crap...relax. if you seriously network, you will get far in your career. networking is key. it's weird...it's not so much what you know or what your grades and scores are or what school you went to, it's WHO you know. so i gave you my opinion about this school cuz you all asked but in the end i guess it doesn't really matter as they will tell you at orientation.

sorry this was soooooo long and i probably didn't make much sense since i'm also watching tv right now, but if you have anymore questions at all, just let me know and i promise to try to be way more concise next time. i can let you know about specific classes, etc.

 

[lilmk]

p.s.

some of the good things about SC:

lots of opportunities to network (you should do this...i haven't and i should practice what i preach but i'm just so not the networking type--whatever)

dual degree programs available which i think is a great way to set yourself apart from all the rest if you're willing to put in 1 or 2 more years:
pharmD/JD, pharmD/phD, pharmD/MBA


and that's all i can think of right now.

oh ya, some classes have been taken out of the curriculum and some new ones have been added. so maybe things will be better for you guys or maybe it will just be different. there will be a compounding class starting this year which will probably be very cool. so hopefully your experience will be better than mine.

cyclopropane, i will try to get back to you on admissions stuff. things may have changed a lot since i got in. but what BMbio said was very true. this person is smart to B.S. about trojan family and all that...they love it. my interviewer, however, was from UCLA so i B.S.ed about bruin stuff. but as BMbio said, knowing about the school's programs and culture helps a lot. they like it when it seems like the applicant has researched the school and knows a lot about it.

i'll try and think of more stuff for you later. but yes, the more crap you have on your application, the more you have to talk about, the better your grades are, the better your chances are of getting in. anything helps: pharmacy experience, research, working at pharmaceutical company is good--anything.

the rest of you...enjoy orientation. it's kind of lame, though. bring something to read.

 

[BMBiology]

Thank you for your detailed reply.

USC has "significantly modified" its PharmD curriculum with a lot more emphasis on clinical experiences. Do you think this change is as a result of students being dissatified with the program in general? What is your opinion about its new curriculum?

I have to say that I am surprised to hear USC pharmacy students being dissatified with the program because of the following reasons:

(1) I have talked to several USC pharmacy graduates and they seem to be fully satisfied with their education. As a matter of fact, they even mentioned many USC pharmacy graduates return to USC and volunteer their time.

(2) The passage on the California pharmacy board exam seems to be very competitive.

(3) The American Association of College of Pharmacy (AACP) describes USC curriculum as "proudly continues to serve as a model for other pharmacy schools across the nation and worldwide."

http://www.aacp.org/Docs/MainNavigation/ForStudentsApplicants/5402_Section2.pdf

Perhaps, I am being too optimistic. But I do appreciate your frank insights. I guess I will face reality within 2 weeks. I am hoping for the best, but I am also preparing for the worse.

 

[LVPharm]

Originally posted by BMBiology

(1) I have talked to several USC pharmacy graduates and they seem to be fully satisfied with their education. As a matter of fact, they even mentioned many USC pharmacy graduates return to USC and volunteer their time.

Dr. Charles Lacy, a member of my school's administration and pharmacy practice professor and author of Lexi-Comp's "Drug Information Handbook" is a graduate of USC SOP. He still maintains teaching affiliation with USC, and still works with USC "as a member of their alumni board to advance the curriculum of pharmacy students in the Southern California area" (from his bio).

...Seems to be a lot of "Trojan Pride" in that USC alum!
He's a brilliant and funny guy...did he teach any of your courses, lilmk?

 

[player0917]

Well,

USC was one of my later interviews since I turned the app in right on the deadline...I think my iv date was second to last. hehe But I still got accepted, so I am proof that turning it in/iv-ing early doesn't mean you have a better chance of getting in. Anyways, my take was that they wanted to be sure that you know what you want out of the PharmD education, that you know the field and what lies ahead for it, and that you know why USC would be the best match for you (know their available opps!).

It's definitely more hyped up than it truly is. You see all these nervous people waiting for the interview. Just relax. Talk to people. Meet some of the students there, both current students and applicants. The more you go in there confident, the more clearly you can answer the questions. BTW, at least for me, the interviewers asked a standard of questions...so it was pretty basic stuff from my resume and app questions. Just provide as many pertinent details as you can so that they know you are not just BSing. It also doesn't hurt to laugh at the interviewers' jokes or agree with their insights on your answers.

However, I do know of several people who were grilled about their experiences, especially if you bring up research, by the faculty interviewer. While they do have a standard set of questions to ask, some may choose to brush them over just to get thru them and then focus in on some iffy or unclear answers you may have given. One faculty member apparently ridiculed my friend's answer about her research because it didn't sound 'viable.' He literally laughed and asked if she really thought that was what her lab did. Unfortunately, she was so shaken up by how blunt this interviewer was that she failed to provide a good retort. I wish I had that interviewer. Anyways, bottom line is KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT AND BE ABLE TO BACK IT UP! Don't let them scare you as you are the expert of what you have done...not them!

Finally, I think they liked it that I had many questions at the end. These ranged from what opportunities the student interviewer took advantage of as a student to whether the faculty interviewer would do pharmacy again if he/she had a chance to do it all over. It shows personal interest in their experiences as well as expresses your sincere desire about getting into USC and the field of pharmacy.

Hope this helps. I would also be happy to provide insight into iv-ing at SF, SD, or UW, all of which I received acceptances from as well. Just let me know!

T^3

PS, at my USC iv, not once did I mention Bruin/Trojan pride...to me, it didn't seem relevant to them. go figure. guess, my interviewers were not full of pride or just weren't perky at 8AM! ;-P

 

[BMBiology]

Originally posted by lilmk
This of course is just my opinion. However, i know for sure that i'm not alone cuz a lot of my classmates b*tch about the same thing. I never hear any b*tching from any other pharm students at other schools though. So far not one person i've encountered from SF, Western, UOP has had anything bad to say about their educational experience. Yet so many SC people are feeling dissatisfied. Interesting, no?

I hate to point this out, but the above statement is misleading. A fellow SNDer, an upcoming 2nd year UCSF pharmacy student, stated the following statements:

"Now to answer your question about the instructors...Personally I feel that out of all the classes I've had so far, I've only had "3" really great professors. Some of the work/classes is irrelevant to our profession and unfortunately you will have to experience that next year"

"This last question is tough. Since with my curriculum thus far, I don't believe that the program really has prepared me for the pharmacy profession. Like I said before....some of the classes we took I feel (and majority of my classmates would agree with me) are irrelevant to our profession. I heard from 2nd year students that as a 2nd year you would get into classes that actually pertain to our profession."

Please see UCSF SOP CO 2007 thread: http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65856

I am sure when I start pharmacy school, I too will have some complains about USC and not try to mislead future pharmacy students about the university as well. In retrospect, I wish honest SDNers such as UCSFpharmgirl8 and Lilmk were posting when I made my decision on my acceptances.

 

[lilmk]

Originally posted by BMBiology
Thank you for your detailed reply.

USC has "significantly modified" its PharmD curriculum with a lot more emphasis on clinical experiences. Do you think this change is as a result of students being dissatified with the program in general? What is your opinion about its new curriculum?

I have to say that I am surprised to hear USC pharmacy students being dissatified with the program because of the following reasons:

(1) I have talked to several USC pharmacy graduates and they seem to be fully satisfied with their education. As a matter of fact, they even mentioned many USC pharmacy graduates return to USC and volunteer their time.

(2) The passage on the California pharmacy board exam seems to be very competitive.

(3) The American Association of College of Pharmacy (AACP) describes USC curriculum as "proudly continues to serve as a model for other pharmacy schools across the nation and worldwide."

http://www.aacp.org/Docs/MainNavigation/ForStudentsApplicants/5402_Section2.pdf

Perhaps, I am being too optimistic. But I do appreciate your frank insights. I guess I will face reality within 2 weeks. I am hoping for the best, but I am also preparing for the worse.

hopefully the modified curriculum will be better. maybe they did change it cuz of student dissatisfaction. but i also hear that SC keeps modifying it's curriculum to keep up the high pass rate on the boards. so ya, it's really good that we have a high pass rate (cuz SC in essence tailors it's curriculum to the board exam)--i mentioned this in my post. but i don't feel the education i've received so far will help in a clinical setting. remember, high pass rate on board doesn't necessarily mean that the students are well prepared for clinical setting. SF for the last several years (i think) has had lower pass rate than SC. but the grads are still top notch. funny, huh? it's not that SF people are stupid cuz they certainly are not, it's that SC teaches specifically w/boards in mind. now that may be a good or bad thing. or good and bad. you decide.

but anyway, what do i know, really, right? i'm just giving opinion here. plus i've only done 2 years. i hear all the good stuff is in the third year. actually 3rd year is supposed to be best so maybe i'll have a totally different opinion next summer. i just feel (and so do a lot of others) that the first 2 years were so wasteful. and the classes that i think are very very important like the infectious disease module (antibiotics)... this class was too brief and skimmed over. you guys this is a very important module that was only half a semester long. it is such a good class but it went too fast. this is stuff we really need to know well. even the residents who helped T.A. this course felt that it was too important to be just an 8wk course. and they too were trying to get the administrators to change that.

but everyone has a different opinion. many agree w/me and many don't and many don't give a damn.

so i don't know what the new curriculum looks like but hopefully it will be better and you will come out smarter than i am feeling.

like i said, some feel dissatisfied and frustrated while others feel just fine about it. the thing is the curriculum has been changing a lot over the years so everyone will certainly have a different opinion depending on when they graduated.

also pharm school experience isn't just about the classes. lots of people here get very involved in stuff and get to know profs and network, etc. so all that stuff is part of their SC experience and education. what i am referring to is strictly the coursework. but again, no matter how good, bad, or mediocre you feel the curriculum is, it won't really affect your career at all. in this field as they will tell you, it's what you make of it and who you know.

if you feel somewhat shortchanged as i do, you can always read up yourself. i plan to do that some day when i'm not feeling so lazy. the information is always out there for you to brush up on if you are not satisfied like me. i just felt that for the $$$ we pay, i shouldn't have to do that, but that's ok. that's life, right? And this is USC not UCSF. if i really wanted a more solid education, i should have gone there, right? ok now i'm just rambling. sorry.

anyway, i don't have any facts or figures to site, just my opinion.
don't worry BMbio about the worst. there will be no worst. you will be just fine. at worst you will be rolling your eyes like me . at best, you will do very well here, you will have lots of fun, and you will network and make a wonderful career for yourself. i'm sure it will be the latter, so don't freak out. just relax. it's not too bad here at all and i'm sure UCI has prepared you well.

 

[lilmk]

Originally posted by BMBiology
I hate to point this out, but the above statement is misleading. A fellow SNDer, an upcoming 2nd year UCSF pharmacy student, stated the following statements:

"Now to answer your question about the instructors...Personally I feel that out of all the classes I've had so far, I've only had "3" really great professors. Some of the work/classes is irrelevant to our profession and unfortunately you will have to experience that next year"

"This last question is tough. Since with my curriculum thus far, I don't believe that the program really has prepared me for the pharmacy profession. Like I said before....some of the classes we took I feel (and majority of my classmates would agree with me) are irrelevant to our profession. I heard from 2nd year students that as a 2nd year you would get into classes that actually pertain to our profession."

Please see UCSF SOP CO 2007 thread: http://www.studentdoctor.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65856

I am sure when I start pharmacy school, I too will have some complains about USC and would not try to mislead future pharmacy students about the university as well. In retrospect, I wish honest SDNers such as UCSFpharmgirl8 and Lilmk were posting when I made my decision on my acceptances.

i didn't mean to be misleading...the people i have spoken to have never said anything bad about their schools. in fact they were all extremely enthusiastic about their experiences. but i never said that all the students at SF, UOP, Western have nothing bad to say...just the ones i've spoken to. but of course i didn't do nearly as much research as you have, BMbio. i have just casually asked pharmacists and interns i've worked with. that's all.

sorry, i wasn't a member of this forum sooner to give you my opinion but i only discovered this forum like last week. but like i said, don't freak. you will be fine. i'm sorry to scare you. you will be a fine pharmacist wherever you go and you will have a successful career--i can assure you of this. and there's a very good chance that you will feel completely differently about this than i do.

 

[BMBiology]

This is off topic but how are the pharmacy girls at USC? I didn't have the opportunity to see too many USC pharmacy girls. To my surprise, I was impressed with the girls at UCSF when I interviewed there: smart, ambitious, and cute!

 

[lilmk]

very pretty, in my opinion. i think you'll be pleased. but not too many boys here.

 

[BMBiology]

Originally posted by lilmk
very pretty, in my opinion. i think you'll be pleased. but not too many boys here.

hehe I am actually gald there aren't too many guys in pharmacy school. But then again, there are med and dental male students for the girls.

 

[lilmk]

ya the med boys are gonna be the only real competition. but other than that, you're good to go--they are so few boys in pharm school.

 

[lilmk]

Originally posted by LVPharm
Dr. Charles Lacy, a member of my school's administration and pharmacy practice professor and author of Lexi-Comp's "Drug Information Handbook" is a graduate of USC SOP. He still maintains teaching affiliation with USC, and still works with USC "as a member of their alumni board to advance the curriculum of pharmacy students in the Southern California area" (from his bio).

...Seems to be a lot of "Trojan Pride" in that USC alum!
He's a brilliant and funny guy...did he teach any of your courses, lilmk?

Dr. Lacy...hmmm. so far he hasn't taught anything major, LV. maybe during the coming year. he may have guest lectured but i don't remember. if he's brilliant and funny as you say, hopefully he'll be teaching us soon.