University of Toronto Pharmacy Class of 2017

[Epona]

It also might be some sort of algorithm to try to maximize first choices and minimize last choices. May 11th was probably just a popular interview day.

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[Synergist]

Ah, I'm starting to feel really anxious about this whole process. I'm going to feel really dejected if I don't get in this year (I know, we still haven't even gone through the interview stage yet, but still, I can't shake off this feeling)

Edit: I'm also in danger of failing one of my courses, which I think would automatically get my application rejected (since this is the only year I'm taking a full course load). Needless to say, I've been pretty depressed lately. Does anyone know if it's an absolute requirement to have a full course load?

 

[azazello2012]

Ah, I'm starting to feel really anxious about this whole process. I'm going to feel really dejected if I don't get in this year (I know, we still haven't even gone through the interview stage yet, but still, I can't shake off this feeling)

Edit: I'm also in danger of failing one of my courses, which I think would automatically get my application rejected (since this is the only year I'm taking a full course load). Needless to say, I've been pretty depressed lately. Does anyone know if it's an absolute requirement to have a full course load?

you gotta have at least one year of full course load so that they can see if you can handle it

 

[Synergist]

I now completely regret only taking 4.5/5 credits during first year, lol. I'll just have to try my best to pass the course then.

 

[Zichen]

I've PM-ed you my Skype.

Okay, I just want to know how many people are interested in this. From there we can decide on what time and where. I'm assuming most of us are from the GTA or Toronto area?

Please let me know quickly. Either here or PM. Thank you!

 

[03748]

just wondering, is there anyone here living in Toronto who had to travel to write the PCAT somewhere else since there were no more seats left at the Test Centre in Toronto?

 

[01love]

Psst, tips from a 1T6:

1. Go business casual. It doesn't need to be black-on-black; I didn't wear black-on-black. Just make sure you dress neatly and more on the conservative side. I saw one girl in a flannel shirt & jeans at the last year's MMI, and I never saw her again...

2. Relaaaax and don't stress about the MMI. Once you finish your first station, you'll be having so much fun. If you're really worried, review some common MMI situations & practice answering them. Difficult ethical dilemmas are always fun to think about

My experience last year - I liked the MMI process. I was done most of my stations pretty early, so I actually asked the interviewers if they had any prompts for me haha They replied with either "yes, (prompt here)", "no, but could you elaborate on (whatever I previously said)?" or "no, you covered everything". Most of the interviewers smiled, so no worries there too lol

Feel free to msg me with questions. I'm volunteering on May 11; I'll see some of you there

 

[pharm1616]

Psst, tips from a 1T6:

1. Go business casual. It doesn't need to be black-on-black; I didn't wear black-on-black. Just make sure you dress neatly and more on the conservative side. I saw one girl in a flannel shirt & jeans at the last year's MMI, and I never saw her again...

2. Relaaaax and don't stress about the MMI. Once you finish your first station, you'll be having so much fun. If you're really worried, review some common MMI situations & practice answering them. Difficult ethical dilemmas are always fun to think about

My experience last year - I liked the MMI process. I was done most of my stations pretty early, so I actually asked the interviewers if they had any prompts for me haha They replied with either "yes, (prompt here)", "no, but could you elaborate on (whatever I previously said)?" or "no, you covered everything". Most of the interviewers smiled, so no worries there too lol

Feel free to msg me with questions. I'm volunteering on May 11; I'll see some of you there

This makes me feel better, thank you You make it sound so easy!!

 

[minzo]

Hey all! Just stumbled across this thread. Was wondering if you guys are still practicing over Skype? my interview is on March 24 at 11am!

 

[PockyDragon]

Hey all! Just stumbled across this thread. Was wondering if you guys are still practicing over Skype? my interview is on March 24 at 11am!

Awesome! I have mine then as well, cya there!
OnionStench is setting it up so just PM her your skype name

 

[03748]

for people who have written the PCAT, were you allowed to have scrap paper with you during the test, or were given scrap paper, to work out the math problems?

 

[apedicelli]

for people who have written the PCAT, were you allowed to have scrap paper with you during the test, or were given scrap paper, to work out the math problems?

They give you an erasable white board and a marker. You're actually not allowed to bring anything into the testing room.

 

[jennyfish]

Hi guys, my interview in on May 11th section D, the last slot! I would really appreciate any tips from those whose interviews are this weekend! Good luck to all!

 

[apedicelli]

Hey Guys!

I'm not sure if any of you already have this but it's a great PDF provided by McGill with a couple of sample MMI questions. It also states the general question subjects so it gives you an idea of the testing qualities.

Good luck to everyone this weekend !

 

[apedicelli]

Are we provided with any type of writing material for quick notes during the MMI?

 

[03748]

I'm looking to buy a copy of the latest version of Dr Collins PCAT guide. If you are interested in selling your copy, please PM with the condition of the book (e.g. if there is any handwriting in it), the year of the version, and the selling price.
thanks

 

[Luveberry34]

Hey guys!

My interview is this Sunday, March 24th and I can't help but feel super nervous about it

I've been going to the 2016 and 2015 forums and I wonder how people do well and feel good about the interview?

I've been practicing by going over some of the sample MMI types questions while timing myself. My brother would sit in front of me and judge my performances

I've been following some essay-style guidelines for my responses but I can't help but think of the situations where I may not be able to think of a proper response or not being able to construct my sentences well

I keep telling myself to stay calm and be confident

Anyone on the same boat?

p.s. this forum almost seems dead compared to the previous years This could possibly mean that not enough people applied this year?

 

[reason]

.

 

[member990]

Do you happen to know what proportion of people, roughly, are accepted after the MMI?

Thanks for the advice btw, I'm super nervous and your post helped ease my nerves a bit!

 

[royalblue6]

I was so nervous about the interview before but reading all these helpful posts has calmed me down a lot. Also, a big thank you to the current pharmacy students for their thoughtful advice, its much appreciated.

I'm also very surprised about how dead this forum is, but the Waterloo forum is even more dead. It's so weird considering the fact that the same amount of people applied last year as compared to this year (my number was 581 and I submitted my application the day before it was due).

This can either mean that people really seem to know what they're doing this year or that people just aren't as enthusiastic about pharmacy anymore?

I hope they provide us with something to make quick notes on because my biggest fear is speaking incoherently and inconsistently.

Good luck to everyone who have the interview this weekend!

 

[pepsicola]

Hey Everyone,

Just wondering, once you read the question and go inside the room, do you shake hands with with interviewer and only speak when they ask you, or do you just go inside and start talking as soon as you sit down. And would the stopwatch be on, or do you have to mentally time yourself.

Thanks for any responses, and good luck with your interviews. Hope to see most of you including myself once in pharmacy next year

 

[masterfunk]

You're going to have a ridiculously long welcome session once you get there that will explain everything you need to know about what to expect in the interview sessions as well as plenty of time for any questions you might have.

 

[aljannah]

Good job to everyone on their interviews today! You all did a great job, especially the blue circuit lol!
Im in first year, so if you have any questions, feel free to PM me

 

[santaswarstory]

Man those interviews today! How does everyone think they did?

 

[Spiegelei]

I got asked a lot of follow-up questions, is it bad?

 

[apedicelli]

I got asked a lot of follow-up questions, is it bad?

Definitely not. Follow up questions are there to provide the interviewers with more information about specific aspects of your answer. In no way does it mean that your answer was incomplete or bad. In most cases, the questions are just used to push the discussion along.

 

[Spiegelei]

Definitely not. Follow up questions are there to provide the interviewers with more information about specific aspects of your answer. In no way does it mean that your answer was incomplete or bad. In most cases, the questions are just used to push the discussion along.

Thanks for the clarification! I thought I was screwed after the interview...

 

[aljannah]

Hey Everyone,

Just wondering, once you read the question and go inside the room, do you shake hands with with interviewer and only speak when they ask you, or do you just go inside and start talking as soon as you sit down. And would the stopwatch be on, or do you have to mentally time yourself.

Thanks for any responses, and good luck with your interviews. Hope to see most of you including myself once in pharmacy next year

No you dont shake hands, for hygienic reasons. You simply greet them, and tell them if you had enough time to read the scenario, and then you start giving your answer about the scenario.
There are people that will actually keep the time for you, and let you know when to ENTER and when to SWITCH stations. But the timing is more than enough to think up your ideas and say everything that you need say. If you finish early, they may ask you some questions, which is good because it helps you expand your answers.

Just relax and try to be yourself, and the way its structured, it actually helps you calm down. Also smile, thatll help you be more confident. Hope that helps

 

[Pharmgirlee]

I thought the interview was pretty hard. Good mix of personal, ethics and healthcare questions. Collaboration was pretty simple. Luckily I didnt get the debate.

Some interviewers had stern faces which was pretty intimidating. One lady stared at me for the whole 7 mins and barely moved... It was kind of freaky haha.. Otherwise, interesting experience but I dont think I did too well

 

[03748]

did you have to know a lot about current events and issues concerning pharmacy as a profession?

 

[Pharmgirlee]

did you have to know a lot about current events and issues concerning pharmacy as a profession?

Uhm not really.. Honestly, even if you try to read lots of news and issues, its always possible to get an old case that could happen 5 yrs ago. I dont suggest you waste time reading on current events and issues but more so solutions to larger problems ie. in Healthcare, ethical dillemas, and understanding the role of businesses and their duty to society

 

[Member5678]

Does anyone know from admin the approximate numbers for applicants and the number of approximate accepted interviews? Last year it was ~600 applied and ~470 interviews were given.

 

[apedicelli]

did you have to know a lot about current events and issues concerning pharmacy as a profession?

Just try to know about the current issues that are specifically affecting pharmacists and the profession. For example, the fact that pharmacists can now administer flu shots and give out 6 months renewals for non-narcos is an important fact to know about.

 

[apedicelli]

Does anyone know from admin the approximate numbers for applicants and the number of approximate accepted interviews? Last year it was ~600 applied and ~470 interviews were given.

This year is about the same. I heard they got around 650 applicants, sent out ~480 interviews and are accepting 240 students.

 

[SomeGuyHere]

Hi,

I did my interview yesterday and for most of the stations I felt fairly confident about. However, there were like two stations that I feel that I did absolutely terrible in. How much does this hurt my chances of getting into Pharmacy school?

 

[Member5678]

@apedicelli: Did you find this info out from someone in pharm admin at UofT? Thanks a lot for confirming! I guess we all have a 50% chance of getting in.

And now the wait begins....ahhhhhhhh 88 more days until notices are posted.

This year is about the same. I heard they got around 650 applicants, sent out ~480 interviews and are accepting 240 students.

 

[apedicelli]

@apedicelli: Did you find this info out from someone in pharm admin at UofT? Thanks a lot for confirming! I guess we all have a 50% chance of getting in.

And now the wait begins....ahhhhhhhh 88 more days until notices are posted.

Yeah I was told by one of the admissions office student volunteers. 50% is actually pretty good odds !

Nothing to worry about, just gotta stay positive and patient

 

[Luveberry34]

I did mine on Sunday as well and I felt I did fairly decent in most stations except for 2 where I felt that I could've done better. I feel like doing not so good in 2 stations seems like a trend going on for rest of people as I visited 2016 forums. So, I am going to just stay positive and cross my fingers and hope for the best!

 

[apedicelli]

I did mine on Sunday as well and I felt I did fairly decent in most stations except for 2 where I felt that I could've done better. I feel like doing not so good in 2 stations seems like a trend going on for rest of people as I visited 2016 forums. So, I am going to just stay positive and cross my fingers and hope for the best!

Haha yeah I read last years posts too and it seemed like everyone that got in only felt great about 8 of their MMI stations. I'm in the same boat as you, pretty confident about 8 of the stations. It's all about keeping busy, June will be here before we know it!

 

[apedicelli]

Hi,

I did my interview yesterday and for most of the stations I felt fairly confident about. However, there were like two stations that I feel that I did absolutely terrible in. How much does this hurt my chances of getting into Pharmacy school?

I really wouldn't worry about 2 stations. I feel the same way like good about the majority but there definitely were some weaker ones. Admissions doesn't expect you to be stellar at every single station. Every person has their strengths and weaknesses and will do better and worse at specific stations.

 

[pharm1616]

I had my interview Sunday in the 11:00 time slot. Everything went as I had expected nerves and all. The one thing I was surprised by was how outnumbered I was being a girl with so many boys! Maybe it was just this time slot for some reason, but holy there were a lot of suits walking around

 

[03748]

I had my interview Sunday in the 11:00 time slot. Everything went as I had expected nerves and all. The one thing I was surprised by was how outnumbered I was being a girl with so many boys! Maybe it was just this time slot for some reason, but holy there were a lot of suits walking around

how was the interview? any thoughts on it is appreciated.

 

[junglefish]

how was the interview? any thoughts on it is appreciated.

Probably the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done.

 

[pharm1616]

Probably the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done.

Haha that basically sums it up! I prepared A LOT (2 mock interviews with my University, tons of practice scenarios with a book I bought and research into the school/pharmacy healthcare) and I feel like it didn't really help at all. I now agree that there really isn't a way to prepare for this type of interview. The one thing I keep seeing on here is that "it gets fun after a few stations" I did not have the same experience, but I feel like if I did it over again with the experience I have now this could be true.

Overall I left feeling a little down as I felt like I could have done better. You leave with a very odd feeling... you have no idea how you did at all.

Like others have said I feel pretty good about most of the stations and hopefully that will be enough. Funny thing is I was so nervous when I started my first station that I have no idea what the prompt was or what I talked about. Hopefully I looked cute and was actually speaking English haha

I feel like it comes down to the fact that we are trained so well in science to always have the right answer, but when there is no right answer we are totally lost. The only thing you do know in these types of scenarios is your opinion...

It's going to be the longest summer in the history of summers. Better find a very time consuming hobby...

 

[royalblue6]

I had my interview Sunday in the 11:00 time slot. Everything went as I had expected nerves and all. The one thing I was surprised by was how outnumbered I was being a girl with so many boys! Maybe it was just this time slot for some reason, but holy there were a lot of suits walking around

I had my interview on Sunday as well, except at 1:45 pm, and I agree! I felt like there were a lot more male applicants! So weird

 

[Synergist]

How did you guys find the acting station(s)? Were you able to really flow with the situation, or was it kind of awkward?

 

[royalblue6]

How did you guys find the acting station(s)? Were you able to really flow with the situation, or was it kind of awkward?

I think it'd be only awkward if you make it awkward. The actors were natural and the best thing to do is try your best to imagine yourself in that situation and just act how you would under normal circumstances.

 

[junglefish]

How did you guys find the acting station(s)? Were you able to really flow with the situation, or was it kind of awkward?

I thought my acting station had a very reasonable scenario and it was actually very similar to something I came across before. I was fortunate to have been able to relate to it.

What did you guys do when you finished the discussion/scenario early and there were still a few minutes left at your station? Did you stay silent or did you make conversation?

 

[apedicelli]

So just in general I want to agree with basically everything that's been said here. I went through my MMI on Saturday. While I was nervous going into it, the university gives you a good opportunity to get acclimatized to the building and they do a great job of calming you down by having current students walk around and chat with you.

In terms of the actual stations, I feel pretty comfortable with most of them. There definitely are stations that are more demanding and difficult than others but none of them are impossible. However, like everyone else, I walked out of there with absolutely no idea as to how I did.

The thing that really helped me a lot during the stations was to just think clearly and organize your thoughts as best you can. If you walk into that room with a small outline of what you're going to say then it'll help A LOT.

Everyone keeps saying to just be yourself and speak as you normally would and I couldn't agree more. The majority of the questions are going to require you to draw upon the knowledge that you already have. The questions make you use common sense and this is something that can't be learned.

Overall it's just super important to be able to think critically, use common sense and communicate your responses well and in an organized manner. No matter what you're saying, the delivery is key.

So best of luck to everyone interviewing in May and hopefully we'll all be able to meet each other next September !!

 

[Pharmgirlee]

I thought my acting station had a very reasonable scenario and it was actually very similar to something I came across before. I was fortunate to have been able to relate to it.

What did you guys do when you finished the discussion/scenario early and there were still a few minutes left at your station? Did you stay silent or did you make conversation?

I stayed silent for a good 15 seconds or so... it was so awkward that I just decided to make conversation lol.. I'm hoping that they didnt deduct points for having that awkward 15 seconds