At the PGY1 programs below, interviews run from late January into February, before the ASHP Match rank list deadline on March 5, 2027. A residency interview day can include several panels, a presentation, and a clinical case. Here is what the ASHP Match and named PGY1 programs say about their interviews, plus ASHP’s own list of commonly asked questions.
From ASHP, the ASHP Match, and programs’ own pages2027 MatchChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:Match timelineFormats by programWhat they look forQuestionsPresentations and casesHow to prepareFAQ
2027 ASHP Match timeline
From the ASHP Resident Matching Program for positions beginning in 2027 (ASHP Match):
- December 31, 2026: “Recommended date by which applicants should register for the Match.”
- February 16, 2027: applicants and programs can start submitting rank order lists.
- March 5, 2027: Phase I rank order list deadline.
- March 17, 2027: “Results of Phase I of the Match are released to applicants and Program Directors.”
“Registering for the Match does not constitute an application to any program.” You apply through PhORCAS, and “all your interviews should be completed before” the rank list deadline (ASHP Match).
Interview formats at named PGY1 programs
These come from each program’s own page for the 2027-28 residency year. Check the page for every program you apply to.
| Program | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| UCSF | Panels plus a 10-minute presentation | “two 30-minute panel interviews, one 20-minute preceptor interview, and a personal interview with the Residency Program Director.” Applicants prepare “a 10-minute presentation on a topic of their choice (not related to pharmacy or healthcare).” In person or on Zoom. Source |
| UC Health (Cincinnati) | On site, with a clinical case | “interview sessions with preceptors, pharmacy administrators, and current residents as well as the discussion of a clinical case with preceptors (no preparation required).” Source |
| UC Davis | Virtual, full day | “Please expect to spend a full day with us for your interview.” “An interview is required (by invitation only).” Source |
| University of Utah | Virtual, February 8-12, 2027 | “competitive applicants will be invited to participate in a virtual interview.” The application includes a supplemental question. Source |
| UIC | Virtual | “PGY1 residency interviews at UIC for the 2027-2028 cycle will be conducted virtually.” Source |
UCSF interviews “approximately 50 applicants each year” for 14 PGY1 positions, on dates from January 26 to February 8, 2027 (UCSF).
What programs are looking for
UCSF lists what its screeners score: “communication skills, clinical experience (breadth, performance, scope of activity), personal/environmental factors (maturity, confidence, motivation, and adaptability), work experience, aggregate letters of recommendation, leadership/initiative, teaching (interest and/or experience), research (interest and/or experience), extracurricular involvement and academic performance” (UCSF). Expect interview questions on each of those areas.
Commonly asked residency interview questions
ASHP’s Pharmacy Student Forum publishes an interview packet, “Commonly Asked Questions of Interviewees” (ASHP). A sample:
- “Tell me about yourself” (ASHP suggests a summary of about 2 minutes)
- “What made you want to do a residency?”
- “What is your biggest strength? What is your greatest weakness?”
- “Tell me about a recommendation that was accepted by your team”
- “Give me an example of a conflict you have encountered on your rotations or at work. What did you do to resolve that conflict?”
- “What do you do to ‘keep up with the literature?’”
- “Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?”
- “If you were stranded on a deserted island, what two drugs would you take with you?”
The packet also lists questions to ask, such as “What are some of your former residents doing now?” and “How are residents evaluated during the program?” Its advice: “Always make sure to thoroughly review the website before asking any questions.”
Your interviewers may have your letter of intent and CV in front of them, so reread them before each interview. See our PharmD personal statement examples, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor, on your letter of intent.
Presentations and clinical cases
Two extras to watch for. Some programs ask for a prepared presentation: UCSF’s PGY1 asks for 10 minutes on a topic “not related to pharmacy or healthcare.” Others work through a case with you on the spot: UC Health’s clinical case discussion needs “no preparation required.” Read each invitation carefully for which one you’ll get.
For virtual days, ASHP’s student forum notes you may need to share your screen, and advises that “Lighting should be in front of you, rather than behind you” (ASHP).
How to prepare
- Make a two-minute “tell me about yourself.” Pharmacy school, the rotations that shaped you, and why residency.
- Prepare patient and team stories. A recommendation the team accepted, a difficult patient, a conflict on rotation, a mistake.
- Practice your presentation out loud and on time, including in a video call with screen sharing if the interview is virtual.
- Review common drug therapy for a case discussion: think out loud, state your assessment and plan, and say what you’d monitor.
- Know why each program. Name rotations, preceptors, and what its graduates do.
- Do a mock interview, ideally a panel, with someone who will give honest feedback.
Applying to pharmacy school instead? See our pharmacy school interview guide.
Practice with a real interviewer before the real one. My wife, Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who runs mock interviews on Zoom for pharmacy residency applicants. She coaches every format: one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video interviews such as Kira Talent. She works on how your answers come across: clear key words, pace, voice, filler words, organizing an answer so it has a point, staying steady when you're nervous, and how you look and sound on camera. It's $250 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
When are PGY1 pharmacy residency interviews?
At the programs on this page, late January and February. UCSF interviews from January 26 to February 8, 2027, and Utah from February 8 to 12, 2027. All interviews should be done before the ASHP Match rank list deadline of March 5, 2027.
Do pharmacy residency interviews include a presentation?
Some do. UCSF’s PGY1 asks applicants to prepare a 10-minute presentation on a topic not related to pharmacy or healthcare. Others, like UC Health in Cincinnati, discuss a clinical case with no preparation required.
Are pharmacy residency interviews virtual?
Several are. UC Davis, Utah, and UIC interview PGY1 applicants virtually; UCSF offers in person or Zoom; UC Health interviews on site.
What questions are asked in pharmacy residency interviews?
ASHP’s student forum lists common ones, including tell me about yourself, why residency, strengths and weaknesses, a recommendation your team accepted, a conflict on rotation, and how you keep up with the literature.
When is the 2027 ASHP Match?
Phase I rank lists are due March 5, 2027, and Phase I results are released March 17, 2027.
Related guides: Dental school, Dental residency, Pharmacy school, Vet school, Optometry school, Podiatry school, and Chiropractic school. See all interview guides by program.
Every format and quotation on this page comes from ASHP, the ASHP Resident Matching Program, or the program’s own page, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.