Interview Day Preparation

Hi there, prospective Buckeyes!

It’s Victoria here with a few words on “Interview Day preparation!” For the last two years, I’ve worked in the Office of Student Affairs – the same office that coordinates and hosts interviews for our PharmD program. I’ve gotten to see the application process from start to finish, from both the student and the administrative point of view. As a result, I’d like to offer up some “Do’s” and “Do NOTs” so that you arrive in Columbus feeling confident for your interview!

DO take the time to prepare for your interview. Go to pharmacy.osu.edu and click around. What remaining questions do you have about our program? What about Ohio State is interesting to you? Consider practicing responses to common interview themes. But…

DO NOT be too rehearsed. Solid interview preparation is key, but more importantly you should be yourself! Have confidence in your own abilities and experiences, and simply be ready to tell your interviewer more about them.

DO stick to the facts. For example, I once took a cable car up a mountain in the Swiss Alps and walked around at the top. I would not want to claim I “hiked the Swiss Alps” in an attempt to impress my interviewer. What if they were an avid hiker and asked me what type of boots I wore?!

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(Notice my poor footwear choice…I know nothing about hiking and wouldn’t want to be caught in an exaggeration of the facts. Shameless plug, I was in Switzerland for a College of Pharmacy study abroad trip this past spring break!)

DO NOT skip breakfast because you don’t want to spill anything on your suit. If anything, just pass on the cream cheese and have a plain bagel if you’re worried about it. You’ll feel so much better throughout the day if you’re not on an empty stomach.

Finally, DO remember that your interview day is for you to evaluate if the College is a good fit for you. If you were on a date, you’d pay attention to if your date was a good match for you at least as much as you’d be trying to make a good impression. This applies to PharmD interviews as well! Do focus on putting your best foot forward, but take note of if the school is a good fit for you in return.

As always, please feel free to comment here or email me with any questions you might have. Interviews are intimidating, but they don’t have to be! You were invited to campus for a reason, have confidence and the rest will fall into place!

That’s all for now! Go Bucks!

-Victoria

williams.4020@osu.edu

Overview of the Profession: What is Pharmacy?

According to the Ohio Revised Code, the practice of pharmacy means…

“Providing pharmacist care requiring specialized knowledge, judgment, and skill derived from the principles of biological, chemical, behavioral, social, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences.”

Then, how is “pharmacist care” defined in the State of Ohio?

Pharmacist Care

  • Interpreting prescriptions
  • Dispensing drugs and drug therapy related devices
  • Compounding drugs
  • Counseling individuals with regard to their drug therapy, recommending drug therapy related devices
  • Assisting in the selection of drugs and appliances for treatment of common diseases and injuries
  • Providing instruction in the proper use of the drugs and appliances
  • Performing drug regimen reviews with individuals
    • Discusses all of the drugs that the individual is taking
    • Explaining interactions between drugs
  • Performing drug utilization reviews (DURs)
    • Occurs when the pharmacist determines that an individual with a prescription has a drug regimen that warrants additional discussion with the prescriber
  • Advising an individualized therapy
  • Acting pursuant to a consult agreement with a physician to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery, if an agreement has been established with the physician
  • Engaging in the administration of immunizations

What is Pharmacist Provider Status?

  • Pharmacists are currently not listed as providers in Medicare Part B
  • This limits Medicare beneficiaries from being covered for pharmacy services in outpatient pharmacy settings, and limits pharmacists from being compensated for their services
  • Achieving provider status is important because pharmacists play an important role in improving patient health outcomes and reducing overall healthcare costs
  • Without provider status, the beneficial services that pharmacists provide are less accessible to patients
  • Currently, there is a movement to win provider status for pharmacists in the US

As a Pharmacy Student, What is the Role of a Pharmacy Intern?

Assisting a pharmacist with technical functions, perform the following professional functions under the direct supervision of a pharmacist:

  • Sale of schedule V controlled substances
  • Receipt of oral prescriptions
  • Transfer of a prescription copy
  • The act of patient counseling pursuant to paragraph
  • Administration of approved immunizations
  • Documentation of informed consent to administer immunizations

Potential Career Pathways

  • Community
  • Hospital
  • Mail Order
  • Managed Care
  • Academic
  • Consultant
  • Home Infusion
  • Anticoagulation
  • Integrative
  • Nuclear
  • Federal

Board Certified Pharmacy Specialties

  • Ambulatory Care
  • Critical Care Pharmacy
  • Nuclear Pharmacy
  • Nutrition Support Pharmacy
  • Oncology Pharmacy
  • Pediatric Pharmacy
  • Pharmacotherapy
  • Psychiatric Pharmacy

The above lists aren’t comprehensive, and the opportunities for pharmacists are endless!  Contact me at zhang.1177@osu.edu with any questions! 🙂

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