PBA Pharmacy Interview Prep Guide (2025-2026)

Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy (GSOP) is a faith-based Pharm.D. program that emphasizes servant leadership, patient-centered care, and “Excellence with Character”, reflecting its Christian mission pba.edu. The program features small class sizes (around 50-75 students per year) and an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, fostering personalized education and strong outcomes like above-average licensure exam pass rates pba.edu pba.edu. Admissions interviews at GSOP are typically conversational and open-file, often involving one or two interviewers for about a 30-minute session studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. Interviewers commonly explore the applicant’s motivations for pharmacy, teamwork and leadership experiences, ethical reasoning, and fit with the school’s values (for instance, understanding of servant leadership in a healthcare context) studentdoctor.net. Beyond academics, GSOP values well-rounded candidates – leadership, community service, and pharmacy exposure are important – and expects applicants to be aware of pertinent pharmacy policy issues from Florida’s expanding pharmacist roles to broader healthcare challenges floridaspharmacy.gov pba.edu. Understanding these aspects, along with the timing of the rolling admissions cycle, will help prospective students approach the interview with confidence and clarity.

The interview format at PBA’s Gregory School of Pharmacy is traditionally a one-on-one conversation (sometimes with a panel of two faculty or interviewers) rather than a multiple-station MMI. Most interviews last around 30 minutes and are conducted in an open-file setting, meaning the interviewers have access to the applicant’s PharmCAS application and academic record studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. The atmosphere is generally cordial and conversational; student feedback indicates that the stress level is average and the tone is welcoming and “faith-friendly,” consistent with the school’s supportive ethos studentdoctor.net.

In this format, candidates may speak with faculty members, admissions staff, or practicing pharmacists affiliated with the school. The interviewers often ask a mix of personal, behavioral, and ethical questions to get a holistic sense of the applicant. Because PBA uses rolling admissions, interviews can be scheduled as early as late summer or fall for those who apply early, and offers of admission may follow shortly after a successful interview. While exact post-interview acceptance rates are not published, the relatively small class size (targeting ~75 seats) and mission-driven selection suggest that a significant proportion of interviewed applicants receive offers, provided they demonstrate a good fit. In short, if you secure an interview at PBA, you have a strong opportunity to impress the committee in this open-file, conversational setting.

The Gregory School of Pharmacy’s mission is grounded in Christian values and is encapsulated by the phrase “Pharmacy with Faith.” The school explicitly aims to “develop servant-leaders who are patient care advocates,” aspiring to improve health outcomes while “following Christ’s example of serving, teaching, and healing those in need” pba.edu. This faith-based mission translates into a learning environment where spiritual development, ethical behavior, and compassion are interwoven with professional training. PBA is a private, faith-driven institution, and its pharmacy program upholds ideals like integrity, service, humility, and excellence in character pba.edu. Students and faculty often engage in prayer, community service, and mentorship as part of the culture, emphasizing that becoming a pharmacist is seen as a calling to serve others. During interviews, applicants may be asked about their alignment with or appreciation for these values – for example, how they view the concept of servant leadership or how their own values resonate with PBA’s approach studentdoctor.net. Demonstrating an understanding of the school’s mission (and respect for its Christian worldview) can show interviewers that you will thrive in and contribute to the PBA community.

Palm Beach Atlantic’s Pharm.D. program offers a four-year professional degree that combines rigorous academic coursework with practical experiences, all in a supportive, student-centered setting. The program is fully accredited by ACPE pba.edu and prides itself on personalized education – PBA intentionally caps each incoming class to maintain a close-knit learning environment (recent cohorts average around 50–70 students, with a maximum of 75) pba.edu. This yields an impressive student-to-faculty ratio (about 8:1), meaning students receive individualized attention and mentorship from professors who know them by name pba.edu. The curriculum covers all foundational areas of pharmacy (pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacotherapy, healthcare management, etc.) and integrates faith and ethics throughout. PBA’s graduates have performed well on licensure exams; for example, the recent first-time NAPLEX pass rates have exceeded state and national averages pba.edu, underscoring the program’s academic quality. Below are some key facts and distinctive features of the Gregory School of Pharmacy program:

Key Program Highlights

• Holistic, Faith-Integrated Curriculum: The Pharm.D. curriculum is delivered with Christian principles interwoven, shaping students both professionally and spiritually. PBA’s motto “Pharmacy with Faith – Excellence with Character” reflects this blend of high academic standards with spiritual growth pba.edu.
• Small Class Size & Personalized Mentorship: Each cohort is kept relatively small (often 50–70 students), fostering a tight-knit community. With an average 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, students benefit from close mentorship, one-on-one support, and faculty who invest in their success pba.edu.
• Strong Outcomes: PBA pharmacy students consistently achieve solid outcomes. The school reports high first-time pass rates on the NAPLEX (notably above national averages) pba.edu and graduates who are well-prepared for pharmacy practice or post-graduate training. These outcomes speak to the quality of education and exam preparation support (e.g. comprehensive review sessions) pba.edu.
• Medical Missions & Global Health: A hallmark of PBA’s program is the opportunity to participate in medical mission trips through the Gregory Center for Medical Missions. Since 2003, students and faculty have traveled locally and abroad to serve underserved populations, applying their pharmacy skills in a faith-based outreach context pba.edu. This reflects the school’s commitment to service and offers students unique cultural and clinical experiences.
• Dual Degree and Concentration Options: PBA offers curricular enhancements such as a Pharm.D./MBA dual-degree pathway, equipping students with business and leadership skills alongside their pharmacy training pharmcas.org. Additionally, students can pursue a concentration in Medical Spanish to better serve Spanish-speaking patient populations pba.edu, which is especially relevant in South Florida. These options allow students to tailor their education to their career interests.

These facets of the program not only define the educational experience at PBA but can also serve as excellent talking points during interviews. Demonstrating knowledge of specific Gregory School of Pharmacy offerings can underscore your genuine interest. For instance, you might ask about recent medical mission trip experiences or how the Medical Spanish concentration is integrated into the curriculum – inquiries that show you’ve done your homework and are enthusiastic about what PBA has to offer. Likewise, noting the school’s high NAPLEX pass rate or small-class benefits in conversation can signal that you value the program’s strengths and are eager to be part of its success.

Pharmacy practice does not exist in a vacuum; it is shaped by healthcare policies and laws at the institutional, state, and national levels. PBA’s pharmacy program, being located in Florida and rooted in a service-oriented philosophy, encourages students to stay informed about current issues that affect pharmacists and their patients. In preparing for your interview, it’s wise to be aware of several policy topics relevant to the school’s context and the profession. You won’t necessarily be quizzed on these, but thoughtful discussions or references can demonstrate your engagement with the field. Some key topics include:

• Expanded Pharmacist Roles in Florida: Florida has enacted laws expanding what pharmacists can do in clinical practice. For example, recent legislation authorizes certified pharmacists to test and treat minor health conditions and to initiate certain therapies – such as screening for HIV and dispensing pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) under collaborative practice agreements floridaspharmacy.gov. Being aware of this trend shows you understand how the pharmacist’s role is growing (which aligns with PBA’s training of patient care advocates).
• Opioid Crisis and Public Health Initiatives: Like the rest of the country, Florida has been combating the opioid overdose epidemic. One legislative effort designated “Revive Awareness Day” (June 6) to promote opioid overdose awareness and encourage availability of naloxone (an opioid antidote) floridaspharmacy.gov. Pharmacists often play a frontline role in such public health initiatives by educating patients on opioid safety and providing naloxone without a prescription. Awareness of this issue conveys that you’re tuned into important healthcare challenges affecting the community PBA serves.
• Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Regulation: The cost of medications and the impact of third-party payers is a hot topic in pharmacy. In 2023, Florida passed a comprehensive Prescription Drug Reform Act to regulate PBMs – the middlemen in drug insurance – aiming to improve transparency and protect local pharmacies hklaw.com. This reflects a broader national conversation about drug pricing and pharmacy reimbursement. Understanding PBM issues and advocating for patients’ access to affordable medications is in line with the patient-centered advocacy that PBA values.

Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to be cognizant of other national policy trends in healthcare that could intersect with pharmacy, such as debates over drug importation (particularly relevant in Florida’s large retiree market), evolving telehealth regulations, or efforts to recognize pharmacists as providers under federal law. While you likely won’t be asked to recite policy details, you might get an interview question about a current healthcare issue or an ethical scenario. Having a ready awareness of these topics can help you formulate a thoughtful response or even engage in a richer conversation if the interviewer touches on how policy and advocacy are part of being a pharmacist.

Like many pharmacy schools, PBA’s Gregory School of Pharmacy takes a holistic approach to admissions, considering not just academic metrics (GPAs and prerequisite completion) but also the character and experiences of each candidate. Given the school’s mission, there is particular emphasis on qualities that align with its values. Leadership and service are highly regarded – applicants who have taken on leadership roles in student organizations, work, or community groups, or who have significant volunteer and service experiences, will stand out. The program explicitly focuses on developing servant-leaders, so evidence of being service-minded (such as involvement in community service, healthcare volunteering, or church missions) resonates with the school’s ethos pba.edu. Another important criterion is exposure to the pharmacy profession. PBA expects applicants to have a realistic understanding of pharmacy practice, which often comes from pharmacy work or shadowing experience. In fact, the school requires or strongly encourages applicants to accrue pharmacy observation hours prior to applying pharmcas.org. This might include working as a pharmacy technician, volunteering at a clinic/pharmacy, or job-shadowing a pharmacist – experiences that you should be prepared to discuss during the interview. Furthermore, the admissions committee looks for strong communication and interpersonal skills, ethical integrity, and the ability to work in teams, as these are vital for both the academic pharmacy environment and the profession at large. PBA also prides itself on a “friendly and diverse student body” and a non-competitive, collaborative atmosphere pba.edu, which implies they seek students who are collegial, supportive of peers, and culturally competent. Overall, showcasing your leadership potential, commitment to service, hands-on pharmacy exposure, and personal character will address the key non-academic attributes PBA values in its selection process.

The Pharm.D. curriculum at PBA is designed to ensure that graduates meet all the essential competencies expected of a practicing pharmacist. As an ACPE-accredited program pba.edu, the school aligns its educational outcomes with national standards such as the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) outcomes and ACPE’s own Standards 2016. This means that throughout the program, students are trained and assessed on a range of competency domains: from foundational knowledge in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, to practical skills in patient care and medication management, to the “soft” skills like communication, problem-solving, and professionalism. PBA’s emphasis on developing servant-leader pharmacists dovetails with these frameworks – in particular, the focus on professionalism and ethical leadership is an extension of the CAPE domain of personal and professional development pba.edu. For example, PBA integrates the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP) – a systematic approach to patient care – and interprofessional collaboration exercises, ensuring students can effectively work in healthcare teams (a nod to the IPEC core competencies for collaborative practice). By graduation, students are expected to demonstrate competence in areas like patient counseling, clinical decision-making, public health advocacy, and life-long learning. In an interview context, you might not be asked directly about “CAPE outcomes” or “ACPE standards,” but you could encounter questions that indirectly relate to these competencies. Interviewers might probe how you have exhibited teamwork, how you handle ethical dilemmas, or how you stay up-to-date – all reflecting the desired competencies of a pharmacist. Understanding that PBA’s program is structured around these comprehensive competency frameworks can reassure you that the school will prepare you in all facets of pharmacy practice, and it can also guide you in highlighting relevant experiences (for instance, leadership roles or research projects) that map to those competencies.

Over the years, students who have interviewed at PBA’s School of Pharmacy have reported a variety of questions. While specific questions can always vary, there are clear themes that tend to come up. Being aware of these common themes can help you reflect on your experiences and viewpoints beforehand (without memorizing scripted answers). Here are some of the main areas that past interview questions have focused on:

• Motivation for Pharmacy: Expect to discuss why you chose pharmacy as a career and why you are interested in PBA specifically. A classic opening question is “Why pharmacy?” – interviewers want to hear what inspires you about the field and what draws you to their program studentdoctor.net. Be ready to articulate your passion for patient care, science, or any personal story that led you to this path, and to connect your goals with what PBA offers.
• Teamwork and Leadership Experiences: Given the emphasis on collaboration at PBA, questions about working with others are common. You might be asked to “describe a situation where you had to work in a group and somebody wasn’t doing their part,” or to share a leadership experience studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. These behavioral questions assess how you handle conflict, motivate team members, and demonstrate leadership or initiative in challenging situations. Think of examples from work, school projects, or volunteering where you navigated team dynamics effectively.
• Servant Leadership and Values: In line with PBA’s mission, interviewers often explore your understanding of servant leadership and how your values align with the school. A past question directly asked, “What does servant leadership mean to you?” studentdoctor.net. You may also get questions about integrity or ethics (for example, how you’d handle an ethical dilemma) studentdoctor.net. They are looking for evidence that you have a service mindset, empathy, and a moral compass, which are important in a faith-based healthcare setting.
• Personal Strengths, Challenges, and Achievements: Interviewers frequently inquire about your personal journey and self-reflection. You could be asked, “What is your greatest achievement?” or conversely, “What are some of your weaknesses?” studentdoctor.net studentdoctor.net. These questions help them gauge your self-awareness, resilience, and areas of growth. When responding, it’s good to be honest and reflective – for instance, mention a weakness you’re actively working to improve, or an accomplishment that taught you something meaningful – to show maturity and continuous improvement.
• Scenario and Current Issue Questions: Occasionally, PBA might include a scenario-based or current events question to see your problem-solving and awareness. Some interviewees have noted scenarios (often in MMI settings) requiring ethical reasoning or patient communication skills, under confidentiality agreements studentdoctor.net. You might also be asked your take on a current pharmacy issue (for example, opioid abuse, vaccine hesitancy, or a new pharmacy law). These aren’t about having the “right” answer, but about showing critical thinking, empathy, and professional judgment. Stay calm, and walk the interviewer through your thought process if faced with an unexpected scenario.

Overall, PBA’s interview tends to cover who you are, why you want to be a pharmacist, and how you might fit with their program’s ethos. By reviewing these themes, you can prepare relevant examples and consider how to express your thoughts clearly. Remember, the goal is not to recite perfect answers, but to engage in an honest conversation that lets your personality, preparation, and passion for pharmacy shine through.

When preparing for your interview, it’s also important to keep in mind the overall admissions timeline. Palm Beach Atlantic’s Pharm.D. program operates on a rolling admissions basis, which means early applicants can secure interviews (and decisions) earlier than those who apply later. Here are the key dates and deadlines for the 2025-2026 application cycle:

1. Mid-July 2025 – Application Opening: The PharmCAS application for PBA’s Fall 2026 entry class opens in July 2025 pba.edu. As soon as the cycle opens, candidates can submit their applications; applying early is encouraged due to rolling admissions.
2. Fall 2025 to Spring 2026 – Interviews Conducted: PBA reviews applications on a rolling basis. Qualified applicants are typically notified of an interview invitation within a short time (often within a week or two) of their application being completed pba.edu. Interviews may begin as early as August or September 2025 and continue through the spring of 2026 (or until the class is filled). Because of this rolling schedule, those who apply earlier have the advantage of interviewing for seats while more spots are still available.
3. June 1, 2026 – Final Application Deadline: The last date to submit your PharmCAS application to PBA for the 2025-2026 cycle is June 1, 2026 pba.edu. However, waiting this late is not advisable, as the class could potentially be filled before that date. If you are applying close to the deadline, be aware that interview slots might be limited and admissions decisions will be made rapidly.
4. Post-Interview Decisions: After your interview, the admissions committee usually makes decisions quickly (thanks to the rolling process). Many candidates hear back within a couple of weeks or even sooner. If you are offered admission, you will need to submit a deposit to secure your seat. PBA typically has a deposit deadline policy wherein accepted students who are admitted in the fall or winter must confirm their intent by a certain date in the spring (often a first deposit by late winter and a final deposit by early summer – specific dates will be provided in your acceptance materials). It’s important to stay on top of any communication from the school so you don’t miss these post-interview deadlines.
5. August 2026 – Classes Begin: The Pharm.D. program for the admitted cohort will start in August 2026 (the exact start date will be communicated by the school, aligning with its academic calendar). Incoming students often have an orientation prior to the start of classes. By that time, anyone holding an acceptance should have completed all prerequisites, submitted final transcripts, and met any other entrance requirements. Knowing this end-to-end timeline can help you plan ahead – from application submission to interview prep to (hopefully) enrollment.

Keep in mind that deadlines are firm and missing one could jeopardize your admission. Mark important dates on your calendar and respond promptly to any interview invitations or acceptance offers. Because PBA’s process moves quickly, you should be ready for an interview on relatively short notice (sometimes just a week or two after invitation), especially if you apply early. Staying organized with the timeline will ensure that you can focus on preparing for your interview and won’t be caught off guard by any procedural hurdles.

Preparing for an interview at the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy means understanding the program’s heart and soul as well as its logistics. By familiarizing yourself with the school’s mission of faith-based service, its small-community learning environment, and the types of questions and issues that tend to arise, you put yourself in a great position to connect authentically with your interviewers. Remember to articulate your passion for pharmacy and how it aligns with PBA’s values, showcase the experiences that have prepared you for a career as a pharmacist, and stay informed about the broader healthcare context. With the interview format demystified, the school’s values in mind, key program highlights in your back pocket, and a sense of the current pharmacy landscape, you can approach interview day with confidence. Good luck as you take this important step toward joining the PBA family and advancing toward your calling in pharmacy!