Hi, which consulting firms should I be considering applying to as an experienced hire working in healthcare?

Hi there,

If you are applying during MBA, you will come in as a Consultant (using BCG terminology) which is the standard post MBA role. You should definitely try and target large firms, there are several benefits of working at a top firm i.e. MBB, but there is no harm to apply to boutiques as well. 

The funnel / filtering process can be brutal - apply as wide as you can and see what you can get. When you have to decide between offers, then you can worry about that problem later :)

All the best!

This is a fantastic profile for healthcare consulting—your clinical depth combined with operational management experience (ED and Ops) is exactly what the Payer/Provider practices at MBB and Tier 2 firms are desperate for. That hands-on credibility is a major asset that offsets the lack of a traditional finance pedigree.

You should absolutely be looking at the large firms first. McKinsey, BCG, and Bain all have massive healthcare practices, but I’d also strongly consider L.E.K. and Monitor Deloitte, which have very strong provider focus areas. For firms like McKinsey and BCG, your experience translates exceptionally well into their operational improvement or implementation arms (e.g., McKinsey Implementation, which focuses heavily on transforming clinical efficiency and procurement).

Regarding level, you are positioned as an Experienced Hire (EH), not a traditional MBA associate, which changes the game slightly. Given your nine years of senior management, you should target the Senior Consultant (SC) level, or potentially push directly for Engagement Manager (EM) if you can clearly articulate your Ops wins in terms of program management, budget oversight, and cross-functional leadership. Crucially, your MBA is a multiplier, but firms will assess you primarily on your practical, quantifiable outcomes from the NHS—focus your narrative on measurable improvements to cost structure or patient flow efficiency, translating "nursing management" into "project leadership."

Your immediate action item is networking. Skip the blind application portal. Find consultants who have moved from the NHS or similar large public health systems into consulting, and specifically ask them how they translated procurement and clinical operational experience into quantifiable consulting projects. They will be the ones who can greenlight your resume past the initial screen.

All the best!

Hi Emily,

I would recommend going broad (specialized firms as well as big firms). 

If you go directly via MBA recruiting channel for big firms you will likely come in as a generalist Consultant level (BCG) / Associate (McK).

Whether you will be able to push for Project Leader / Engagement Manager like the other coach suggested will really depend a lot on your experiences. In genreal I would say this is less likely.

Best,

Lukas

hey Emily :)

With your clinical background, management experience, and an MBA underway, you’re actually a strong fit for both boutiques and larger firms. In big firms, healthcare practices really value people who understand NHS operations, so roles like Associate or Consultant level can be realistic depending on how your MBA progresses and how much of your current role translates into delivery and leadership. Boutiques can be easier to enter and give you faster client exposure, but the larger firms give you broader exit options. I’d apply to both and let conversations guide the level; your profile aligns well with healthcare-focused teams. If you need help positioning your CV, just message me.

best, Alessa :)

All the 3 MBBs have strong healthcare partices. But Bain, for example, will not want to to specialize that early, so you won't be working only on Healthcare, not to say in the NHS... regarding the others, some chance you won't even be staffed locally...

So in your case, since you want to focus to specifically focus on NHS healthcase, you will have a greater degree of success within a Big 4 (Deloitte, EY, PWC, KPGM) as they will have much larger healthcare teams and will value your previous experience much more. I strongly doubt that at an MBB you will be able to be 100% staffed at NHS, really. But at the right Big4, not only that will be possible, they will be thrilled to have someone who wants to be 100% in that space.

Regarding level, you will be a senior consultant.