what kinds of questions can u ask when they ask u "do u have any questions?"

[cfab]

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i've read in pharmacy school interviews, when they ask you at the end of your interview "do you have any questions?", just like a job interview for anything, your answer should be yes. the thing that makes it hard is that almost all information you can find out on pharmcas or the school website these days. i've read it should be a question you can't find through researching, but everything's on the internet these days. for those who have had pharmacy school interviews, what are examples of questions you can ask? thanks

 

[kashkow]

I usually ask about the interviewer, like what do they teach. And if it is out of state, I will ask about the town, school, etc. About 3 questions because by then, the interview time is up and they really want to get to the next person.

My worst Q from the interviewer was: What kind of questions do you have that you would want me to ask you right now?

I was like, 😱 😕 because first of all, the interview was already 55 mins long and I have 5 mins to get back to my group for the next session. And, it's like an out of no where question b/c the dude had my file open in front of him and he has pretty much asked me all the questions I can think of.

 

[Filler]

Good questions to ask could be

• The interviewers opinion on the strengths and/or weakness of the program
• Any questions about the rotation sites
• Relationship between the students and professors (ie face-time vs email)
• Any questions about the profession in general and how it may evolve in the next 10-15 years.

Bad questions to ask would be

• Where is the closest bar?
• What time are the bars open till?
• Do the students receive any discounts at these bars?
• When should I be expecting my acceptance letter?

To be honest, if you employ common sense, keep the questions relative to the profession/program, and word them properly you'll be fine. If your lucky you might be able to do a campus tour BEFORE the interview, in which case something might catch your attention that you can eventually bring up.

 

[diastole]

I was applying to a three year school and I asked them some pointed questions. The first was something along the lines of "I've seen people say that students who attend three year schools aren't as well prepared as students who attend four year school. How would you respond to that?" Another one was about how the lack of grades affects competiveness for residency and another was how well the students are able to retain the information in the accelerated program. None of the questions were ones that I could just look up on their website and they weren't exactly softballs on my part.

If I had applied to more than one school, I would have asked, "I've applied to several schools. Why should I choose your school over the others?" This one gives them a chance to talk about the good things about their school and if they can't give a compelling answer, it's a tip off that maybe you should go somewhere else.

 

[PharmOl]

Wow, I like this thread (-: Glad someone asked that.

 

[avuong]

Mediocre questions:
What do students eat for lunch?
Do you teach P3 students?
Whats your school's attrition rate?

Better questions:
Do students have opportunities for professional development?
(shows you have interest in professional development)

Do students have opportunities to do community service?
(shows you have a service-oriented mindset)

Ive asked all those questions, even the mediocre ones. THats why Im still a garbage man, surfing the web everyday.

 

[docss26]

I was heavily involved in research as an undergrad, so I asked them about research opportunities for pharmacy students at their institution.

 

[medicalCPA]

I found this question on these forums when I was interviewing: If there was one piece of advice you could give to entering students, what would it be?

But I like diastole's question about why one should choose a particular school above others. Interviewees are asked this question in some form or other, so it's nice to turn the tables a bit.