Medical student interested in consulting

Hey! 

Have seen plenty of medical students make the transition to consulting.

FUN FACT: At McKinsey Brussels office, we once had a nuclear-scientist-turned medical-doctor-turned-national-level-pole-dancer -> he turned out to be an absolute rockstar digital consultant -> in the end, intrinsic is all that matter!

Short answer -> So by all means, feel free to apply directly out of med school!

Top five skills that matter: 
(a) Top-down communication skills 
(b) Problem-solving skills 
(c) Ability to be structured (instead of speaking in laundry lists) 
(d) Being at ease with analytics / numbers etc. and 
(e) Having good general business acumen

On doing a Masters: 
Skip it! Consulting firms hire medical grads directly (costs you time and money without moving the needle too much)

On F1/F2:
Clinical experience helps, especially for healthcare consulting, but it's not a dealbreaker either way. If you're genuinely torn about medicine, do F1—it gives you conviction and optionality. If you already know consulting is the move, apply straight out. Just be ready to explain "why consulting" without sounding like you're running away from medicine.

Remember! When I think of friends who had a medical background at McKinsey, it was quite natural that they got actively pulled into Pharma / Life Sciences / Health care type of engagements once they joined the Firm. The cool thing is that while you are seated around the client's table, you have a lot of credibility which can really work to your advantage as a young consultant. A pharma client would love a medical doctor who can also help them solve their business problems!

Great questions and you’re actually in a strong position with a medical background.

1) Background & skills
Consulting firms actively value non-business backgrounds, especially medicine, because they bring strong credibility in complex topics. In fact, I've experienced many times that consultants with a medical background were preferred for certain projects. You don’t need deep business knowledge beyond basics like understanding revenue vs. profit. What matters more is skills such as structured thinking, top-down communication, analytical thinking, etc. all of which you can build through targetted case practice.

2) Master’s vs. applying directly
Only do a master’s if you find it valuable or genuinely want to study further. It’s not a prerequisite for consulting. Many firms also support MBAs later on if that’s something you decide to pursue.

3) Clinical experience first or not
You don’t need to complete F1/F2 to be competitive. Plenty of candidates apply straight out of medical school and are successful. You can always apply and see how far you get and if it doesn’t work out, reapplying a year later with more experience is very common and well accepted.

Overall: don’t over-optimize too early. Start preparing, apply when you feel ready, and adjust based on feedback. 

Doctors attack problems similar to consultants.... "hear unstructured complaints", "diagnose root causes", "provide treatments in response". you might not need much educational prep besides the realization... but you probably should case prep, still

all MBBs have these APD programs to admit MS/PhDs outside of undergrad/MBA routes. You just need to go with the flow and then... maybe work on interesting strategic opportunities whenever you get chances to

Hi,

Here are my responses:

1) What kind of experiences/courses(skills) shall I aquire whilst at this stage to help aid my applications for consulting jobs.

• It's less about specific courses but rather more about showing the traits/skills

• Therefore I would encourage you to

  • Get the best academic grade you can get - a first class honors is ideal

  • Take up experiences where you can demonstrate leadership/teamwork and problem solving 

2) Shall I do a masters after graduation or apply straight away?

• If you have a strong profile I would just apply straight away rather than spend more money on a masters

3) Would rather not do this but would my application be leveraged if I did my two years as a F1 and F2 and got clinical experience for two years on the job or is it fine just applying straight out of medical school

• It is fine if your profile is strong, but without looking at the CV in detail hard to tell where you stand now

Lastly, given your background, you may find my articles helpful:

Breaking into Consulting from a non-traditional background
 

Using AI for Case Preparation

All the best!

This is an excellent pivot point. Medical degrees are highly prized at MBB—you automatically start with a significant edge over most undergrads because of the rigor, complex decision-making, and specialized knowledge you’ve mastered.

Your focus right now should be on closing the skill gap that physicians often face: business fluency and structured problem-solving. Forget experiences that just look good on a medical CV; prioritize activities that directly map to consulting skills. This means joining or leading university strategy clubs, taking on executive roles where you manage budgets and teams, or performing pro-bono consulting projects for charities or student unions (showing tangible impact and hypothesis-driven thinking). The only course worth considering is intense case practice and learning basic accounting/valuation principles if you have zero background.

Regarding timing, you are usually better off applying straight out. MBB views a medical degree as a powerful Advanced Professional Degree, often allowing you to enter on the Associate or Consultant track, depending on your final classification. Applying straight away avoids unnecessary delays. While clinical experience (F1/F2) adds valuable credibility, it does not improve your ability to pass the actual bottleneck—the case interview. If your ultimate goal is consulting, delaying for two years of clinical work is generally an inefficient trade-off unless you secure a highly specific rotation focused on policy or administration.

Hope it helps!

Hi there,

Medical students place well into consulting and you’re thinking about this at the right time. At your stage, focus on building transferable skills rather than technical medicine, things like problem solving, leadership, teamwork, and exposure to business thinking. This can come from consulting societies, case competitions, internships, research commercialization, startups, or health policy and management projects. Formal courses are less important than showing impact and initiative.

You do not need a master’s to apply, and many medical students apply successfully straight out of medical school. A master’s only makes sense if it clearly strengthens your story, for example in health economics, policy, or management, not as a default step.

Doing F1 and F2 is not required for consulting recruitment. Clinical experience can add maturity and a strong narrative, especially for healthcare focused work, but it’s not a prerequisite. Applying straight from medical school is completely acceptable if you can clearly articulate why consulting and demonstrate relevant skills.

Best,
Evelina

Hi there,

A lot of med students make this switch and do very well in consulting. At this stage, focus on building evidence of problem solving and leadership (e.g. case competitions, consulting clubs, research with a clear analytical angle, student leadership roles, internships in strategy, health tech, or policy etc.). You do not need a long list, just a few strong examples with real impact.

You can apply straight out of medical school and many firms actively recruit medical graduates. Doing F1 and F2 can strengthen your healthcare credibility, but it is not required for consulting roles, especially if you are clear you want to pivot now. A master’s is usually unnecessary unless it is from a top school and adds a clear signal.

Biggest tip is to start networking early and get comfortable with case interviews. If you show excellence and a clear story for why consulting, you should have a good shot.

hey there :)

I can confidently mention that I know many friends who followed this path successfully, both applying straight from medical school and after some clinical time, which shows this is a well trodden and accepted route rather than an exception. Firms are very familiar with medical candidates and value the profile when it is positioned well. If you want to talk through how to frame that in applications or interviews, feel free to reach out.

best,
Alessa :)

Hi there, 

I've coached multiple doctors who got offers into MBB so your profile is familiar. 

Overall, doctors are seen really well by consulting recruiters. 

The most important thing for screening (because that's the only concerning part if you have a non-traditional background) is to make sure that your CV demonstrates you have consulting-like skills and a long-term interest in consulting. 

That means try and do consulting-like work, even pro-bono, or get involved in anything that resembles the sort of work you'd do in consulting. If your school has a consulting club, get involved with that too. Try to do internships, even if they are for smaller companies. 

This way you build a base of evidence that you actually care about this industry and you have the skills and experiences to prove it. 

Feel free to reach out directly if you have any questions. 

Best,
Cristian

Your medical degree is already a strong point. Consulting firms hire doctors all the time. You do not need to prove you are smart. What you need to show is that you are genuinely curious about business. Maybe do a healthcare consulting internship, work on a startup, or lead something meaningful at your school. Just show you have explored this interest. It was not a random idea.

You do not need a masters. Not right now. It just adds time and debt. Firms care about how you interview, not how many degrees you have.

Now the real question. Does clinical experience help? Yes, it does. Two years as F1 and F2 gives you something most applicants lack: real responsibility, tough decisions, and stories about leading under pressure. That is powerful stuff in interviews. You will also come across as more mature.

The downside is time. If you are 100% sure about consulting, applying straight out of med school is fine. But if you are even a little unsure, doing your foundation years keeps your options open and makes you a stronger candidate later.

My advice: do not rush. The consulting door will still be there after F2. And you will walk through it with more to offer.