Worried about interview

[mouse2562]

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I have an interview at A&M Kingsville next week, and I'm worried about it.

Most of my free time is spent volunteering, but it is fairly unrelated to pharmacy. I volunteer with a couple of empowerment groups, and I am very involved with politics (as in, all my local and state representative know me by name, as do a couple of state HHSC officials...).

One of the interview questions listed on the school website is "tell us about yourself", and another one mentioned several times on SDN has been "What news article have you read recently that you feel is the most important and why?"

One of the more important things about me is my involvement with politics and lobbying, and most of what I consider important news is political in nature.
Talking politics does NOT seem like a good idea, however, especially since it is almost guaranteed the interviewers will not agree with me (I don't have the typical South Texan view on most things).
I don't really see how to avoid mentioning my political involvement, and it seems natural/likely that if I mention it, they will ask more about it. Does anyone have tips on how to either avoid the topic or phrase it in such a way that further questions are unlikely?

Also, I understand that many of you may not understand my concern. Hold a minority political opinion in south Texas for a while, and you will. 😛

 

[Pojman]

Nah - you'll be fine.. My biggest advice to anyone that is going in for an interview is to get some early morning exercise and a good breakfast.

Don't get all wrapped up with the questions you see on SDN. Just know your strengths/weaknesses, know your accomplishments, and be able to speak to who you are and why you are being interviewed.

Good luck.

 

[p0lo]

I was worried for my first one. At the second one I was very relaxed, maybe even too much haha.
My advice is do not worry! Just be yourself and act professional, thats all there is to it.

 

[NoPlanB]

I have an interview at A&M Kingsville next week, and I'm worried about it.

Most of my free time is spent volunteering, but it is fairly unrelated to pharmacy. I volunteer with a couple of empowerment groups, and I am very involved with politics (as in, all my local and state representative know me by name, as do a couple of state HHSC officials...).

One of the interview questions listed on the school website is "tell us about yourself", and another one mentioned several times on SDN has been "What news article have you read recently that you feel is the most important and why?"

One of the more important things about me is my involvement with politics and lobbying, and most of what I consider important news is political in nature.
Talking politics does NOT seem like a good idea, however, especially since it is almost guaranteed the interviewers will not agree with me (I don't have the typical South Texan view on most things).
I don't really see how to avoid mentioning my political involvement, and it seems natural/likely that if I mention it, they will ask more about it. Does anyone have tips on how to either avoid the topic or phrase it in such a way that further questions are unlikely?

Also, I understand that many of you may not understand my concern. Hold a minority political opinion in south Texas for a while, and you will. 😛

All college campus are liberal, even the ones in bible belt

 

[DrDrugs2012]

All college campus are liberal, even the ones in bible belt

Horrible advice.

Never talk religion or politics, EVER. If you are asked to give your specific position on a policy, do not think liberal or conservative, carefully word your answer to be whatever benefits the profession of pharmacy and why you believe such. If you are asked point blank if you are a Republican or Democrat or anything equally polarizing, it is perfectly okay to state "I am uncomfortable providing a response. My political affiliation is a private personal matter, however, I am willing to discuss policy proposals which elevate the profession and promote the practice of pharmacy during its evolution from product delivery to service delivery."

But you can parlay your political involvement into a very positive strength. For example, the profession of pharmacy is poorly developing in part due to a failure of government to recognize pharmacists as health care providers. Most if not all states have "legislative days" when pharmacists descend on their state capital to lobby their legislators. Few students are effective at doing so. A rare trait among health care workers is the ability and willingness to be politically engaged beyond the ballot box.

 

[NoPlanB]

Trust me, I went to college in a deep south county that's 80% republican and they had Clubs for Gay, Atheist and BDSM lovers. Our professors came from all over the world. My chem professor was a hardcore liberal and most of our student seems to be on the same boat as him.

 

[DrDrugs2012]

Trust me, I went to college in a deep south county that's 80% republican and they had Clubs for Gay, Atheist and BDSM lovers. Our professors came from all over the world. My chem professor was a hardcore liberal and most of our student seems to be on the same boat as him.

You miss the point... very, very badly.

The existence of LGBT clubs and other "liberal" entities on a college campus is hardly an indicator that it is acceptable to discuss politics in an interview. It is NEVER acceptable to ask one's political philosophy in an interview. In some states it is illegal to discuss political affiliation in an interview unless such affiliation has material value to the position (e.g. applying for job with the Democratic/Republican National Committee).

Worse still, it is certainly even less appropriate to broach the subject as an applicant. You have absolutely NO idea who is interviewing you and what their beliefs are and risking offending that individual is a risk an applicant should never take. Considering that half the citizens of this country don't vote purely out of apathy or disregard for politics, opening with politics with them is even worse as they are likely to dismiss an applicant as a proselytizing buffoon.

Talk politics at your own peril.

 

[kcha90]

Talk politics at your own peril.

I totally agree. Want to ruin your chances? Talk about politics in your interview.

 

[The Recoverer]

You miss the point... very, very badly.

The existence of LGBT clubs and other "liberal" entities on a college campus is hardly an indicator that it is acceptable to discuss politics in an interview. It is NEVER acceptable to ask one's political philosophy in an interview. In some states it is illegal to discuss political affiliation in an interview unless such affiliation has material value to the position (e.g. applying for job with the Democratic/Republican National Committee).

Worse still, it is certainly even less appropriate to broach the subject as an applicant. You have absolutely NO idea who is interviewing you and what their beliefs are and risking offending that individual is a risk an applicant should never take. Considering that half the citizens of this country don't vote purely out of apathy or disregard for politics, opening with politics with them is even worse as they are likely to dismiss an applicant as a proselytizing buffoon.

Talk politics at your own peril.

um actually you are partially wrong. In the past 4 of my 7 interviews. They asked me questions concerning my thoughts on the new healthcare bill and also my stance on legislature regarding Plan B. Also there are many religion based pharmacy schools such as prebyterian college of pharmacy and St. johns. In fact, prebyterians supp app actually asks you about your religious affiliation.

 

[DrDrugs2012]

um actually you are partially wrong. In the past 4 of my 7 interviews. They asked me questions concerning my thoughts on the new healthcare bill and also my stance on legislature regarding Plan B. Also there are many religion based pharmacy schools such as prebyterian college of pharmacy and St. johns. In fact, prebyterians supp app actually asks you about your religious affiliation.

There is precisely ZERO part of my statement which was wrong. I specifically said" ... in SOME states...

Do people on this site actually read and comprehend or just spout nonsense? As I went into specific detail, discussing your viewpoint on a specific piece of legislation and how it influences the practice of pharmacy is one-hundred percent unrelated to one's political philosophy and whether one is "liberal or conservative", "republican or democrat" etc. If you are answering it politically, you are answering a different question than the one most certainly asked. Believe me when I say that I am intimately familiar with situations in which such questions are asked - and never was the intention of the interviewer to ascertain political identity but to evaluate the applicant's familiarity with current events in pharmacy and their critical thinking skills as it pertains to legislation.

 

[kcha90]

There is precisely ZERO part of my statement which was wrong. I specifically said" ... in SOME states...

Do people on this site actually read and comprehend or just spout nonsense? As I went into specific detail, discussing your viewpoint on a specific piece of legislation and how it influences the practice of pharmacy is one-hundred percent unrelated to one's political philosophy and whether one is "liberal or conservative", "republican or democrat" etc. If you are answering it politically, you are answering a different question than the one most certainly asked. Believe me when I say that I am intimately familiar with situations in which such questions are asked - and never was the intention of the interviewer to ascertain political identity but to evaluate the applicant's familiarity with current events in pharmacy and their critical thinking skills as it pertains to legislation.

Actually I would argue that it's sad that people actually take this forum seriously! Good grief. Talk about a dubious source of information

 

[Gaiya]

Actually I think knowing politics around the pharmacy field is a VERY good idea. Sure, talking about whether you support the Republican party or the Democratic party might not be the most smartest decision ever (because that means less time for you to talk about how much you want to be a pharmacist). However, pharmacy does have to operate in the midst of politics and laws so we can't really live in happyville where all we have to worry about is taking care of patients. Not a whole lot of pharmacy school applicant are into politics so I think you can turn this into your advantage if you can present it right. Good luck. Maybe I'll see you at Kingsville. haha.

 

[AlexSC]

um actually you are partially wrong. In the past 4 of my 7 interviews. They asked me questions concerning my thoughts on the new healthcare bill and also my stance on legislature regarding Plan B. Also there are many religion based pharmacy schools such as prebyterian college of pharmacy and St. johns. In fact, prebyterians supp app actually asks you about your religious affiliation.

When an interviewer asks questions about the healthcare bill or Plan B legislation they are not asking you about your political or religious beliefs lol. I think an applicant who answeres it in such a way obviously missed the point of the question.

 

[kcha90]

When an interviewer asks questions about the healthcare bill or Plan B legislation they are not asking you about your political or religious beliefs lol. I think an applicant who answeres it in such a way obviously missed the point of the question.

Absolutely. 👍

 

[Sugoi Travis]

Actually I would argue that it's sad that people actually take this forum seriously! Good grief. Talk about a dubious source of information

I made an account here because I thought there were very knowledgeable pharmacists, pharm techs, and pharmacy students who are willing to share what they know about the field. Am I wrong to have thought that? If not, then please kindly direct me to a better forum that has better information for pre-pharmacy students like me who are serious about going into the field.

I really hope either you didn't truly mean what you were trying to say or I misinterpreted what you wrote, but that first sentence left a horrendous taste in my mouth.

 

[ForumHangout]

I made an account here because I thought there were very knowledgeable pharmacists, pharm techs, and pharmacy students who are willing to share what they know about the field. Am I wrong to have thought that? If not, then please kindly direct me to a better forum that has better information for pre-pharmacy students like me who are serious about going into the field.

I really hope either you didn't truly mean what you were trying to say or I misinterpreted what you wrote, but that first sentence left a horrendous taste in my mouth.

Answer this man here.

 

[kcha90]

I made an account here because I thought there were very knowledgeable pharmacists, pharm techs, and pharmacy students who are willing to share what they know about the field. Am I wrong to have thought that? If not, then please kindly direct me to a better forum that has better information for pre-pharmacy students like me who are serious about going into the field.

I really hope either you didn't truly mean what you were trying to say or I misinterpreted what you wrote, but that first sentence left a horrendous taste in my mouth.

I think interview feedback is a great resource, but otherwise I don't put much stock in what people say here. The best way to get information is to talk to professionals and pharmacy schools, without the shroud of anonymity. There are certainly good posts on here, but you need to use good judgment to sift through it all.

 

[ForumHangout]

I think interview feedback is a great resource, but otherwise I don't put much stock in what people say here. The best way to get information is to talk to professionals and pharmacy schools, without the shroud of anonymity. There are certainly good posts on here, but you need to use good judgment to sift through it all.

Can you clarify what you see are bad post or "trash" or "filth" or trolling thread? just some general examples are fine.

 

[The Recoverer]

There is precisely ZERO part of my statement which was wrong. I specifically said" ... in SOME states...

Do people on this site actually read and comprehend or just spout nonsense? As I went into specific detail, discussing your viewpoint on a specific piece of legislation and how it influences the practice of pharmacy is one-hundred percent unrelated to one's political philosophy and whether one is "liberal or conservative", "republican or democrat" etc. If you are answering it politically, you are answering a different question than the one most certainly asked. Believe me when I say that I am intimately familiar with situations in which such questions are asked - and never was the intention of the interviewer to ascertain political identity but to evaluate the applicant's familiarity with current events in pharmacy and their critical thinking skills as it pertains to legislation.

How are these non related? Like other ethical issues such as illegal immigration and abortion, Plan B is 100% related to political and lib/conser. philosophy.

you also need to chill bro, we know you are the expert in these issues. you are absolutely correct in everything.
not here to start arguments, apparently some people are.

 

[kcha90]

Can you clarify what you see are bad post or "trash" or "filth" or trolling thread? just some general examples are fine.

Who are you quoting?

 

[ForumHangout]

Who are you quoting?

I meant to quote you but I miss quoted by accident.

 

[mouse2562]

I had to mention my political activism simply because it is such a large component of my experience, leadership, etc. The student asked me to go more in depth about what I was talking to legislators about, but I managed to focus on one of the topics that I considered safer- education. I decided that even very conservative pharmacists/proffs would appreciate the trouble we're experiencing at the moment and the potential impact that will have on the rest of the country as well.
Thank you for your input everyone. It was helpful, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

I think the interview went well, but I guess I'll find out in a couple of months!

 

[beargirl200308]

Trust me, I went to college in a deep south county that's 80% republican and they had Clubs for Gay, Atheist and BDSM lovers. Our professors came from all over the world. My chem professor was a hardcore liberal and most of our student seems to be on the same boat as him.

In south Texas everyone is a democrat. Being a republican there is a minority. I'm a registered independent so that I can vote in either of the primary races b/c there is where the real election happens. It's a Hispanic thing. I have no idea why Hispanics have to vote only the way that their grandfathers did even though most of them have conservative values but it is what it is. Btw I am Hispanic & from that area.

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