Every pharmacy school interviews the applicants it is seriously considering, but schools run the interview in very different ways: a circuit of MMI stations, a 45-minute conversation with two people, a recorded video round followed by a live one, sometimes a timed essay on the same day. Here is what named schools say about their own interviews, what they say they are looking for, and how to prepare.
From PharmCAS, ACPE, and schools' own admissions pages2026-27 cycleChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:Do all schools interview?Formats by schoolWhat they look forWhat they askWriting samplesHow to prepareFAQ
Do all pharmacy schools interview?
Yes. PharmCAS, the application most PharmD programs use, says so plainly:
“All pharmacy schools require competitive applicants to participate in an interview as part of the admissions process.”PharmCAS, Interview Type
The interview has to be live. In a 2022 letter to pharmacy school deans, the accrediting body, ACPE, said interviews can be held in person or by video, but “a pre-recorded video would not meet the expectations outlined in the Standard,” because “an admission interview must be an interactive exchange between the applicant and the interviewer.” (ACPE letter to deans, April 2022) That is why schools that use a recorded round also hold a live interview.
Interview formats by school
These come from each school's own admissions page. Formats change from year to year, so check the page for every school that invites you.
| School | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| UT Austin | Virtual MMI | Six stations, “Each station will last 7 minutes.” Source |
| University of New Mexico | Recorded MMI plus live interview | “an asynchronous Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) completed before coming to campus” and “a synchronous 2:1 interview on campus.” Source |
| UTEP | Recorded round plus live Zoom | Part I on Kira: “45 seconds of preparation time” and “two minutes to record their response.” Part II is a live Zoom interview with an Admissions Committee member. Source |
| UCSF | Traditional, by Zoom, plus essay | A “45-minute traditional format” with two UCSF community members, plus 45 minutes to write on “a non-academic topic.” Source |
| Binghamton University | Two interviews plus writing sample | “Two 20-minute interviews” with faculty or staff, and a proctored 10-minute writing sample. Source |
| UC San Diego | Interview plus 2-on-1 blind interview | A 30-minute interview and a “2-on-1 blind interview” with faculty, alumni, students, or others. Source |
| University of Minnesota | Two one-on-one interviews | “two one-on-one 25-minute interviews with College representatives,” virtual or in person. Source |
For how MMI stations work in general, see our page on the MMI interview.
What interviewers are looking for
Schools are clear that the interview is about you, not about pharmacology. UT Austin lists the qualities its MMI is built to assess, including compassion, communication skills, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, integrity, leadership, and motivation to become a pharmacist. It adds:
“MMIs are NOT designed to evaluate specific knowledge about pharmacy or medications.”UT Austin College of Pharmacy
“The interview assesses communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking.”UCSF School of Pharmacy
What they ask about
Most schools don't publish their questions, and MMI prompts are kept confidential. Two schools do say what their questions cover:
- UC San Diego: questions “will generally be related to motivation for the profession of pharmacy, leadership qualities,” and “work/life balance, soft skills, and more” (UC San Diego).
- Binghamton tells applicants to prepare for “Why Binghamton?/Why the field of Pharmacy?,” “Healthcare or pharmacy work experience,” “Evidence of ethical decision making,” and “Evidence of resilience and/or conflict management” (Binghamton).
Put those together and you can practice with prompts like these. They are my practice prompts, built from what schools say they cover, not questions any school has published:
- Why pharmacy, and not medicine or nursing?
- Why our school?
- Tell me about your pharmacy or healthcare experience.
- Describe a time you had to make an ethical decision.
- Tell me about a conflict on a team and what you did.
- Tell me about a setback and how you recovered.
- How do you keep school, work, and the rest of your life in balance?
Your interviewers may have your application in front of them, so reread your own PharmCAS personal essay before the interview. If you haven't submitted yet, see our PharmCAS personal essay examples, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor.
Writing samples on interview day
Some schools add a timed essay. UCSF gives 45 minutes on a non-academic topic and says the essay assesses “your ability to organize and express ideas clearly” (UCSF). Binghamton's is a proctored 10-minute writing sample, with the prompt delivered on a Google Form on the day (Binghamton). Practice writing a clear, organized answer to an opinion question in 10 and in 45 minutes, by hand or on a laptop, so the format isn't new on the day.
How to prepare
- Find your school's format. Use the table above and the school's own page. An MMI, a recorded round, and a 45-minute conversation each need different practice.
- Reread your application. Your interviewers may have it. Know every experience on it well enough to tell a short story about it.
- Prepare five or six stories, not scripts. A patient interaction, a team conflict, a mistake, a leadership moment, and why pharmacy. Most behavioral questions can be answered with one of them.
- Practice out loud, on a timer. UT Austin's stations are 7 minutes; UTEP's recorded answers are 2 minutes with 45 seconds to think. Practicing silently in your head won't tell you how long your answers run.
- Get feedback from a person. You can't hear your own filler words or see yourself look away from the camera. A mock interview shows you both.
- Don't miss the interview. PharmCAS says a late cancellation or no-show gets a note in its system, “viewable by your selected programs,” reading “Unprofessional behavior – Interview No-Show” (PharmCAS Code of Conduct). Cancel at least two business days ahead if you have to.
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 school 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
Do all pharmacy schools require an interview?
Yes. PharmCAS says, “All pharmacy schools require competitive applicants to participate in an interview as part of the admissions process.”
Is the pharmacy school interview an MMI?
At some schools. UT Austin and New Mexico use MMI stations. UCSF, Minnesota, and Binghamton use traditional interviews with one or two people. Check each school's own admissions page.
Will they ask me pharmacy or drug questions?
Schools say no. UT Austin says its MMIs are “NOT designed to evaluate specific knowledge about pharmacy or medications.” Expect questions about your motivation, experience, ethics, and teamwork.
Is there a writing sample?
At some schools. UCSF gives 45 minutes for an essay on a non-academic topic, and Binghamton has a proctored 10-minute writing sample.
Can a pharmacy school interview be recorded instead of live?
Not entirely. ACPE told deans in 2022 that a pre-recorded video doesn't meet its standard, so schools with a recorded round, such as New Mexico and UTEP, also hold a live interview.
What happens if I miss my interview?
PharmCAS records late cancellations and no-shows with a note that your programs can see. Cancel at least two business days before the interview.
Every format and quotation on this page comes from PharmCAS, ACPE, or the school's own admissions page, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.