FAMU CoPPS Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

Florida A&M University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health (CoPPS, IPH) is a distinguished pharmacy program known for its commitment to academic excellence, research, and community service pharmacy.famu.edu. The college emphasizes a mission of improving health outcomes for diverse and underserved populations, fostering cultural competence and ethical practice among its students pharmacy.famu.edu. Applicants invited to interview at FAMU can expect a traditionally structured interview process – often a panel of interviewers with access to the candidate’s application (open-file) – conducted in a relatively conversational style. The PharmD program offers unique features such as multiple campus options and a focus on public health, which provide rich topics for discussion during interviews. Understanding the school’s mission, values, program offerings, current pharmacy policy issues, and the qualities FAMU seeks in candidates will help applicants connect their own goals with the institution’s priorities throughout the interview.

FAMU’s PharmD interview format is traditionally a panel interview, where the candidate is interviewed by multiple people at once. In fact, most applicants report being interviewed by a panel of three interviewers studentdoctor.net. Despite the panel format, the style tends to remain one-on-one in practice (one candidate interacting with the panel) rather than a group interview with other applicants studentdoctor.net. The atmosphere is often described as conversational and not overly intimidating, with many candidates feeling it was a positive experience. The interviews are relatively short – commonly around 15 minutes in length studentdoctor.net – so every response should be focused and meaningful.

The interview is typically open-file, meaning interviewers have access to the applicant’s academic record, personal statement, and other application materials studentdoctor.net. As a result, questions may directly reference your experiences or coursework, so be prepared to discuss anything you have included in your application. In recent years, many interviews have been conducted virtually (partly a continuation of changes from the pandemic era) studentdoctor.net, although in-person interviews at the school’s campus are still common, and the format may continue to evolve. It’s noted that Florida A&M’s overall acceptance rate hovers around 40% of total applicants pharmacyschoolfinder.org, and the estimated class size is about 148 students. This suggests that if you’ve secured an interview, your chances of admission are fairly good – a significant proportion of interviewees ultimately receive an offer. Nonetheless, it remains important to make a strong impression during the interview, as final decisions consider both the interview performance and the holistic application.

FAMU’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences aligns its mission closely with that of the university, embodying the motto “Excellence with Caring” in the context of pharmacy education. The college’s mission is centered on transforming lives through advancing health and wellness for all populations, with a special emphasis on health equity among vulnerable and underserved groups ([pharmacy.famu.edu](https://pharmacy.famu.edu/about-the-college-of-pharmacy/index.php#:~:text=The%20mission%20of%20the%20College,The%20College%20promotes%20the)). This means the program places strong value on serving communities that lack healthcare access and addressing disparities in health outcomes. The college fosters a supportive learning environment that instills cultural competence, ethical behavior, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and interprofessional collaboration in its students pharmacy.famu.edu. These core values are not just abstract ideals – they influence how the curriculum is designed and how students and faculty interact.

In practice, FAMU CoPPS is committed to an educational experience that merges high standards of professional practice with a caring, community-oriented approach ([pharmacy.famu.edu](https://pharmacy.famu.edu/about-the-college-of-pharmacy/strategic-plan/index.php#:~:text=mission%20through%20an%20active%20role,student%20body%20and%20patient%20services)). The college’s vision is to provide excellent pharmaceutical education, research, and service on a statewide, national, and global level pharmacy.famu.edu. It reinforces its mission through active involvement in pharmaceutical care services and community health initiatives, reflecting the HBCU tradition of service and empowerment. The focus on cultural sensitivity and diversity is evident in the college’s faculty and student body composition and in its community outreach, preparing graduates to thrive as healthcare providers in a multicultural society pharmacy.famu.edu. Understanding FAMU’s mission and values is crucial for interviewees – expect that some interview questions or discussions will probe how your personal values and experiences align with the school’s commitment to service, leadership, and lifelong learning.

Founded in 1951, FAMU’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has a long history of producing highly competent pharmacists and healthcare leaders pharmacy.famu.edu. It is a public, ACPE-accredited pharmacy school, which signifies that its Doctor of Pharmacy program meets all national standards for pharmacy education pharmacy.famu.edu. Uniquely, the college also encompasses an Institute of Public Health, reflecting an integrated approach to health professional training. The PharmD curriculum is a four-year professional program (following the completion of pre-pharmacy requirements) that prepares students for licensure and practice in all 50 states. FAMU offers a pre-pharmacy program as an entry pathway, consisting of two years of foundational undergraduate coursework in sciences and math pharmacy.famu.edu. While many FAMU undergraduates take advantage of this pipeline, admission into the professional PharmD program is not guaranteed – all applicants, whether from FAMU or elsewhere, undergo the competitive selection process for the four-year PharmD.

One distinctive aspect of FAMU’s PharmD program is its geographic reach within Florida. The college operates on two campuses – the main campus in Tallahassee and a remote site in Crestview – and maintains three additional pharmacy practice centers across the state (Central, Northeast, and South Florida) for clinical training experiences pharmacy.famu.edu pharmacy.famu.edu. This statewide footprint allows students to gain diverse practice experiences, including in rural and urban settings, aligning with the school’s mission to serve different communities. Class sizes are relatively large (with around 140–150 students per cohort) which provides a vibrant student community and alumni network. The college also offers graduate programs (M.S. and Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences) and is affiliated with public health graduate degrees, creating opportunities for PharmD students to engage in research and interprofessional activities. These program features – from multiple campuses to research engagement – are great talking points for candidates. Demonstrating familiarity with what FAMU offers shows your genuine interest and can help you stand out in the interview.

Possible Questions to Ask at the Interview

• How are students assigned to the Tallahassee versus Crestview campus, and what differences in learning experiences exist between the two sites?
• What opportunities do PharmD students have to engage with the Institute of Public Health or participate in public health initiatives during the program?
• Could you tell me more about the pharmacy practice centers in Central, Northeast, and South Florida – how do students utilize these for rotations or other training?
• What kinds of research opportunities or faculty projects are available for PharmD students, and how can students get involved if they are interested in research or pursuing post-graduate residencies?

When preparing for an interview at FAMU, it’s wise to be aware of current healthcare and pharmacy policy issues in Florida and beyond. As a Florida-based program with a public health focus, FAMU is situated in a state that has seen important developments in pharmacy practice. For instance, Florida law has expanded pharmacists’ scope of practice in recent years – notably, the state authorized trained pharmacists to initiate treatment for certain minor health conditions under a "test-and-treat" protocol flsenate.gov. This means pharmacists in Florida can now play a more direct role in providing care (such as testing for flu or strep throat and prescribing appropriate medications), reflecting a broader trend of utilizing pharmacists’ clinical skills. Additionally, Florida’s government has been actively addressing prescription drug costs and the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). In 2023, proposals were introduced to regulate PBMs more strictly – for example, preventing them from forcing patients into mail-order programs and requiring transparency in drug pricing apnews.com. These local legislative efforts underscore how pharmacy practice is evolving to improve patient access and affordability.

On a broader scale, health disparities and access to care are pressing issues that resonate with FAMU’s mission. Nationwide, many minority and low-income communities have fewer pharmacies and reduced access to pharmacy services – an AP analysis found that predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods often have significantly fewer pharmacies per capita, limiting access to medications and services like vaccinations apnews.com. This is precisely the kind of challenge that a program like FAMU (an HBCU with a focus on underserved populations) aims to address through education and community engagement. Interviewers might not quiz you on specific laws, but they could ask your perspective on topics such as how pharmacists can help close healthcare gaps, or what you view as the major issues in pharmacy today. Being conversant in issues like pharmacy deserts, efforts to improve healthcare equity, and the expanding role of pharmacists (for example, as immunizers, healthcare advocates, or chronic disease coaches) can demonstrate that you are an informed and forward-thinking candidate. It shows that you understand the context in which you will practice pharmacy, which is exactly what FAMU hopes to cultivate in its graduates.

Like many pharmacy schools, FAMU employs a holistic admissions process – meaning that beyond meeting basic academic benchmarks (such as the minimum 2.75 GPA), the Admissions Committee carefully evaluates a wide range of personal and experiential qualities pharmacy.famu.edu. In fact, FAMU explicitly states that while GPA is important, “many other features of a candidate’s background are thoroughly reviewed”, including letters of recommendation, the personal essay, responses to supplemental questions, and especially an applicant’s experiences in leadership, service, and work pharmacy.famu.edu. The committee looks for evidence of attributes like motivation for pharmacy, community involvement, and a genuine desire to help others through healthcare.

Key non-academic criteria that FAMU values include leadership experience, volunteer service (pharmacy-related or otherwise), work experience, and other extracurricular or co-curricular activities that demonstrate a well-rounded character pharmacy.famu.edu pharmacy.famu.edu. Notably, pharmacy or healthcare experience, while not strictly required, is strongly recommended and can strengthen an application pharmacy.famu.edu – it not only exposes you to the profession but often provides a required letter of recommendation from a pharmacist. The school also values diversity in backgrounds and life experiences; being an HBCU, FAMU has a tradition of nurturing students from underrepresented communities and expects all students to contribute to a culturally competent learning environment. During the interview, you can expect that the interviewers might explore these areas of your background. They might ask about your leadership roles, community service projects, or other personal qualities that align with FAMU’s values (for example, resilience, teamwork, ethical judgment). Understanding that FAMU is looking for more than just good grades – they want future pharmacists who are compassionate leaders and proactive in their communities – will help you frame your responses to highlight those dimensions of yourself.

FAMU’s PharmD program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) pharmacy.famu.edu, which ensures that the curriculum meets all national standards for pharmacy education. This means that the program is designed to cultivate the core competencies every pharmacist must have. These competencies include a strong foundation in pharmaceutical sciences, direct patient care skills, medication therapy management, clear communication abilities, professionalism and ethics, and the ability to work in interprofessional healthcare teams. In preparation for your interview, it’s useful to be aware that FAMU (like all accredited pharmacy schools) will expect its students to develop proficiency in the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (the cycle of collecting information, assessing patient needs, planning and implementing therapy, and following up) as well as competency in areas like public health and systems management. While you won’t need to recite accreditation standards, showing an understanding of what skills and responsibilities a pharmacist is expected to have can signal to interviewers that you’re ready to meet those standards.

On a larger scale, pharmacy education is guided by national competency frameworks such as the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) Educational Outcomes and the concept of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for new graduates. These frameworks outline the knowledge, skills, and attitudes pharmacy students should possess upon graduation pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. For example, the CAPE outcomes (recently updated by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy) emphasize domains like patient-centered care, population health, communication, professionalism, and innovation pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. EPAs, on the other hand, translate these outcomes into specific tasks or responsibilities (such as conducting patient counseling or managing a medication therapy plan) that a graduate should be able to perform without direct supervision. While FAMU’s specific curriculum is tailored to its mission, it is built to ensure students achieve these nationally recognized competencies. In the interview, you may not be asked explicitly about “CAPE outcomes” or “EPAs,” but you might get questions that indirectly touch on these areas – for instance, a scenario to test your ethical decision-making (professionalism) or a question about how you would communicate with a patient who is having difficulty with their medication (communication and patient care). Being versed in these competencies can help you recognize what an interviewer might be looking for in your responses, and it shows that you’re thinking ahead to the professional expectations of a pharmacist.

Reviewing feedback from past FAMU interviewees indicates that the questions cover a broad range of topics, aimed at getting to know the person behind the application and assessing fit with the program. Common themes include:

• Personal Background and Motivation: Expect inquiries about your journey and interest in pharmacy. Many candidates report being asked a classic open-ended question like “Tell us about yourself,” which is an opportunity to highlight key aspects of your background and what led you to pursue pharmacy studentdoctor.net. Interviewers are also likely to ask “Why do you want to be a pharmacist?” or “Why FAMU?”, probing your motivations and fit for this particular program.
• Reasons for Choosing FAMU and Career Goals: Be prepared to explain why you chose to apply to FAMU’s pharmacy program. In some cases, interviewers have asked whether applicants have applied elsewhere or what other options they are considering, as a way to gauge the candidate’s interest level in FAMU studentdoctor.net. You might frame your answer in terms of FAMU’s unique offerings (such as its community health focus or supportive environment) and how that aligns with your goals. They could also ask about your long-term career aspirations in pharmacy to see how attending FAMU will help you achieve them.
• Ethical or Conceptual Questions: Interviewers may pose questions that assess your critical thinking and ethical framework. For instance, students have reported being asked something like “How do you define health?”, which was noted as a particularly challenging question studentdoctor.net. Questions of this nature don’t have a single correct answer; rather, they are meant to reveal how you think about complex concepts (in this case, the holistic idea of health) or how you approach ethical dilemmas. You might also encounter hypothetical scenarios (e.g., dealing with a medication error or handling a difficult patient interaction) to test your problem-solving and moral reasoning as an aspiring pharmacist.
• Experience and Behavioral Questions: Given FAMU’s emphasis on well-rounded applicants, you can expect questions about your past experiences. Interviewers often ask about leadership roles, volunteer work, research, or any significant extracurricular activities you’ve been involved in studentdoctor.net. For example, you might be asked to describe a leadership experience or a teamwork challenge and what you learned from it. These behavioral questions help the panel assess qualities like teamwork, communication, resilience, and initiative. When answering, it’s effective to use specific examples (such as a particular project you led or a problem you solved in a work setting) to illustrate how you demonstrate the qualities they’re looking for.

Across all these themes, a constant undercurrent will be alignment with FAMU’s values and the pharmacy profession’s expectations. “Why this school?” and “why pharmacy?” are virtually guaranteed topics, and they give you a chance to connect your personal story and principles with FAMU’s mission (for instance, your passion for serving underserved communities could mirror FAMU’s focus on health equity). Meanwhile, ethical and scenario questions assess your readiness to uphold the responsibilities of a pharmacist, and experience-based questions allow you to demonstrate that you’ve developed relevant skills and insights through your activities. By recognizing these common themes in advance, you can reflect on appropriate anecdotes and viewpoints from your life to discuss, which will help you convey thoughtful, authentic answers during the interview.

Staying on top of the application timeline is crucial for a smooth interview and admission process. Below are key dates and milestones for the 2025–2026 application cycle to FAMU’s PharmD program:

1. PharmCAS Application Opens (Mid-2025): The PharmCAS application for the 2025–2026 cycle is expected to open in July 2025. As soon as it opens, candidates can begin filling out their application and submitting materials. It’s advantageous to start early, as FAMU reviews applications on a rolling basis (i.e., they are “reviewed as they are received throughout the admissions cycle” pharmcas.org).
2. Application Deadline – February 1, 2026: FAMU’s final application deadline for the PharmD program is February 1st (and this tends to be the same each year) pharmacy.famu.edu. For the 2025–2026 cycle, that means you must submit your PharmCAS application (and all required materials like transcripts and recommendation letters) by 11:59 PM on February 1, 2026. The admissions office notes that for best consideration, applicants should apply by this date (or earlier) ([www.pharmcas.org](https://www.pharmcas.org/node/32/webform/submission/124#:~:text=For%20best%20consideration%2C%20apply%20by,February%201%2C%202026)), since spaces can fill and early applicants may have an edge in rolling admissions.
3. Interview Invitations (Fall 2025 – Spring 2026): As your application progresses to review, strong candidates will be invited for an interview. Invitations are sent via email by the Office of Student Affairs pharmacy.famu.edu. Because of the rolling admissions process, interviews can be scheduled as early as the fall for those who applied in summer/early fall 2025, and continue through winter or early spring 2026 for later applicants. It’s a good idea to submit your application well before the deadline to potentially receive an earlier interview slot when more seats are available.
4. Interview Dates: Interview days may be held virtually or in-person at the Tallahassee campus, depending on the format for the cycle (in recent cycles, many have been virtual studentdoctor.net). Typically, the interview itself will be scheduled a few weeks after you receive the invitation, giving you some time to prepare. FAMU might conduct interviews in batches or on specific days – you will be informed of the available dates when you receive your invitation. Be sure to respond promptly to schedule your preferred date, as slots can fill up.
5. Admission Decisions and Next Steps (Spring 2026): After your interview, the admissions committee will deliberate and notify you of the outcome, often within a few weeks. Offers of admission will come with information on how to accept and pay any required seat deposit (to secure your spot in the class). While FAMU’s exact timeline for decision notices can vary, you can generally expect final decisions by mid-spring 2026. If you are accepted, you may need to submit a deposit by a specified deadline (commonly May 1 for many programs, though confirm FAMU’s instructions) to confirm your intent to enroll. Candidates who are waitlisted might receive final notification in late spring or early summer as spots open up. Classes for the new PharmD cohort will begin in the fall semester of 2026, with orientation activities likely taking place in the weeks before classes start.

Success in the FAMU College of Pharmacy interview will come from a combination of self-awareness, knowledge of the program, and understanding of the broader context of pharmacy practice. By familiarizing yourself with the interview format and having an idea of what to expect, you can approach the day with confidence and focus on showcasing your best qualities. Equally important is reflecting on how your own values and experiences connect with FAMU’s mission of service, leadership, and excellence – this alignment can leave a strong impression on your interviewers. In this guide, we reviewed FAMU’s mission, program highlights, current pharmacy issues, and the attributes the school looks for in its students. Equipped with this understanding, you can engage in a meaningful conversation during your interview, demonstrating not only why you are a great fit for FAMU, but also why FAMU is the right fit for you. Good luck with your interview preparation and the journey toward your pharmacy career!