Interview Process

Interview Selection

An interview in Seattle is required as part of the UW School of Pharmacy PharmD Admissions process. After a preliminary assessment of the applicant pool, based on completeness of the application, prerequisite and cumulative GPA thresholds and PCAT score thresholds, the mostqualified applicants are invited for an interview in Seattle with members of the PharmD Admissions Committee. Admissions preference is given to residents of Washington State and residents from states participating in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Pharmacy Student Exchange Program (Alaska, Hawaii and Nevada). Applicants who meet or exceed GPA and PCAT minimum thresholds are not guaranteed an interview. Offers of interview are dependent upon the size and competitiveness of the applicant pool.

Interview Process

The interview is an extremely important part of the PharmD Admissions Process. During the interview, applicants are evaluated in a variety of areas including motivation, verbal and written communication skills, personal attributes, critical thinking and decision-making abilities, knowledge of the profession of pharmacy and issues affecting health care. Highly considered qualities are integrity, maturity, responsibility, humanitarianism, compassion, leadership and the ability to overcome personal or social adversity. The purpose of the interview is to give the applicant an opportunity to demonstrate these attributes through their answers to carefully-considered and well-planned probing questions. Applicants will be interviewed by a team of three members of the UW School of Pharmacy PharmD Admissions Committee. Each interview lasts approximately 30 - 45 minutes.

Pre-Interview Writing Skills Assessment

The School of Pharmacy includes a Pre-Interview Writing Skills Assessment as part of the PharmD Admissions Process since the production of organized and coherent writing on demand for reports or correspondence is a common feature of professional life. On the day of interview, applicants will have 30 minutes to plan and hand-write one essay. The essay question does not presuppose specific knowledge of pharmacy. The audience for writing is the Doctor of Pharmacy Admissions Committee.

The On-Site Essay will be evaluated within the following parameters: organization, development, style and tone, and facility with written English. An assessment rubric similar to that employed in the PCAT writing subtest is used.