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Anonymous A
on May 23, 2022
Global
I want to receive updates regarding this question via email.

Healthcare consulting/Medicine students

Hi,
I am a medical student interested in getting consulting experience? Anyone have any recommendations of firms to apply to, and how to apply effectively?

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Top answer
Lucie
Coach
edited on May 24, 2022
10+yrs recruiting & BCG Project leader

Hi there,

you can apply to any consulting, at least for MBB I can confirm but it very much depends on what you want to do, do you want to stay in medicine only or do you want to do broader scope, business? Still MBB gives you both options.

from my experience as a trainer of a newly joined BCGers, I would estimate half of the candidates are not coming from a business background or business education (and I did have a few BCGers that graduated from medicine, even former military offices) and many of them are interested to try as much as different cases in all kinds of industries and topics to be able to decide what eventually they want to pursue in the future. If this rings a bell, I think MBB could be the right choice for you. 


If you have graduated from a top-tier school and you can come up with an appealing CV and cover letter, you don't need MBA to apply for an associate position. 

Lucie

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Francesco
Coach
on May 24, 2022
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

In terms of companies focusing on healthcare, I personally coached candidates for the following:

  • MBB (they have a strong healthcare practice in most countries)
  • ZS Associates
  • LEK
  • IQVIA
  • ClearView

Most Tier 2 companies also have a life science/healthcare division.

In terms of preparation, I would recommend the following:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

▶ How to Get Referrals in Consulting

If you need more help please feel free to PM me, I helped several 
healthcare professionals to move to consulting.

Best,

Francesco

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Deleted user
on May 24, 2022

Hi there,

As Francesco and Ian indicated, the options are plentiful. 

If you want to go into healthcare consulting, I can just add from my side, as someone who worked in the Healthcare practice at MBB with former HC classmates working at life sciences boutiques  - if you want to specialise in Pharma pretty deeply (R&D advising, Market Access, pricing), then consider the various life sciences boutiques. On the other hand, if you want to work for Pharma from a more strategical point of view (M&As, international market entries, strategical product evaluations) and/or you are also interested in providers (as I very much am), then go into the healthcare practice of MBB. If you choose to pursue MBB, then don't forget to do some research as to which of the three firms is the strongest in HC in your region, as this may vary. 

Good luck! 

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Cristian
Coach
on May 25, 2022
#1 rated McKinsey Coach | top MBB coach

Hi there, 

That's quite a broad question. Let me try and break it down. 

Firms to apply to:

  • Most firms are interested in med school candidates since they tend to be high-performing individuals. You should target all MBB as well as Tier 2
  • I've successfully coached a few med school candidates for McK and BCG so feel free to reach out and I can share some of the specific tips they had for navigating the change

Applying effectively:

  • Perhaps the most important part. You need an application strategy, in terms of when, how and in what order to apply. You need a proper CV, cover letter and a referral strategy
  • Additionally, you should strive as much as possible to build you CV with elements that signal a long-term interest in consulting (this could mean having been part of a consulting club, or a short internship, or anything like that).

Best.
Cristian

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Ian
Coach
on May 24, 2022
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

One option is to apply for healthcare consulting firms like Merck, Clearview, LEK Healthcare, etc.

If you want to go “generalist”, then of course apply to MBB, Big Four etc.

In terms of how to apply you need to:

1) Network extensively (aiming for a referral)

2) Get your resume to be a 10/10 (get a coach/professional to review)

3) Get your Cover Letter done

4) Select the optimal office (based on match, networking, size, etc.)

Happy to help, just reach out!

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