To start off, tell us a little about yourself, your interests, undergraduate degree, and what you are doing now? “I grew up in Oromocto, New Brunswick, so going to UNB Fredericton for the three years of my undergrad in medicinal chemistry was an obvious, but great choice. Currently, I'm in my second year of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program at Dalhousie University. I consider myself a creative person with interests in art, baking and tending to my fiddle leaf fig tree.”
How did you prepare for the interview process? “It's easy to overthink questions asked during the interview. What's most important is one's character and commitment to patient care. I found the best preparation for the interview was having experience in a pharmacy. This allowed me to have opinions on important topics within pharmacy and healthcare in general. Practice communicating answers to sample MMI questions with friends and family members was also helpful.”
How did you gain experience in the field during undergrad in order to better your chances of being a successful applicant? “Having pharmacy experience was not necessary, but I think it was an asset during the application process. I developed communication skills and a genuine passion for the profession while working as a pharmacy assistant. These were beneficial during the interview because my answers came more naturally. Solid communication skills should not be underestimated!”
What organizations were you involved in outside of campus? “As mentioned, I worked at a community pharmacy while attending school at UNB. I was able to work two to three shifts a week while managing my studies. Although this did not leave much time for volunteer opportunities, an advantage to pharmacy is the ability to get experience working in the field as a student.”
What would be your best experience during undergrad? “I really enjoyed chemistry labs at UNB. There's no doubt they're challenging, but for good reason! I love critical thinking and problem solving, so overall labs were a great experience.”
Emma can be reached at eramsay@dal.ca for further questions.