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Advanced Degree Candidate from another country

advanced degree Africa MMB Application Bain BCG McKinsey Medicine Middle East
Neue Antwort am 3. Jan. 2023
6 Antworten
733 Views
Hassan fragte am 2. Jan. 2023
Medical Doctor interested in Strategy Consulting

Hello everyone,

Im a fresh graduate medical graduate from Cairo University, Egypt. (I still have to finish one year of  Foundation Year Training to get my medical license officially) Im considering a career switch post graduation into MBB. I have some questions 

1) I’m looking to apply at the Middle East offices as an Advanced Degree Candidate. will they consider me an ADC even if my degree is not from the offices original country? What about if I apply in Europe?

2) Do I realistically have a chance to get a job at MBB straight out of uni with only my medical degree? I just will have two clinical internships in Germany (one at the top hospital) and one year of foundation training at Cairo Uni Hospital, when I apply, but nothing else on my CV. Should I consider doing my residency (3-5 years) first? 

3) If I get a job at MBB, will I be only working on healthcare projects? I know my main value would be my title and background as a doctor, but I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life only working in the healthcare industry. So would I get the chances to get different projects like “normal” consultants or not?

4) I have no business background. Are there any courses certificates to obtain to increase my chances? For example CFI? I’m considering doing Business Foundations course by U Penn/Wharton (it’s free), but what else can increase my chances? Also what is the best way to prepare for interveiws etc?

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Udayan
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 3. Jan. 2023
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /6 years McKinsey recruiting experience

1. Yes they will but mainly if your university is considered a target school for them for your degree 

2. Yes this is not an issue. Not having practiced medicine is a slight disadvantage but you'll be fine in this regard overall 

3. You will most likely start in Healthcare as they will be able to pitch your profile most easily to the clients in Healthcare. Over time as you build relationships and knowledge you can move into other fields

4. Any foundational courses may help you feel better prepared but they will not sway the decision to interview or hire you in any way. 

 

All the best, 

Udayan

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Francesco
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antwortete am 3. Jan. 2023
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi Hassan,

1) I’m looking to apply at the Middle East offices as an Advanced Degree Candidate. will they consider me an ADC even if my degree is not from the offices original country? What about if I apply in Europe?

If they would have considered someone with an equivalent local degree as Advanced Degree Candidate, they will also consider you in the same way. The possible issue is whether you can pass the screening with your application material (see below).

2) Do I realistically have a chance to get a job at MBB straight out of uni with only my medical degree? I just will have two clinical internships in Germany (one at the top hospital) and one year of foundation training at Cairo Uni Hospital, when I apply, but nothing else on my CV. Should I consider doing my residency (3-5 years) first? 

If your application material (CV, Cover, referral) is fine, you could get an invitation. You can find some details here:

▶ How to Get a Consulting Interview Invitation

3) If I get a job at MBB, will I be only working on healthcare projects? I know my main value would be my title and background as a doctor, but I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life only working in the healthcare industry. So would I get the chances to get different projects like “normal” consultants or not?

Joining as a generalist you should still have the option to work on different projects, although most likely they will be interested in your background in healthcare and related projects.

4) I have no business background. Are there any courses certificates to obtain to increase my chances? For example CFI? I’m considering doing Business Foundations course by U Penn/Wharton (it’s free), but what else can increase my chances? Also what is the best way to prepare for interviews etc?

If the goal is to increase your chances, your best bet is to find a referral. In terms of how to prepare, I would recommend this:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

Best,

Francesco

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Ian
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antwortete am 3. Jan. 2023
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

Congrats on graduating!

1) I’m looking to apply at the Middle East offices as an Advanced Degree Candidate. will they consider me an ADC even if my degree is not from the offices original country? What about if I apply in Europe?

Yes, they should. But you need to network and speak with them.

2) Do I realistically have a chance to get a job at MBB straight out of uni with only my medical degree? I just will have two clinical internships in Germany (one at the top hospital) and one year of foundation training at Cairo Uni Hospital, when I apply, but nothing else on my CV. Should I consider doing my residency (3-5 years) first? 

Sure, everyone has a “chance”. The level of this chance depends on

 1) Strength of background (grades, experience, etc.) 

2) Strength of resume

 3) “Match” (does your working rights, language, time spent in their country, etc. match their office/country) and finally 

4) Networking

3) If I get a job at MBB, will I be only working on healthcare projects? I know my main value would be my title and background as a doctor, but I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life only working in the healthcare industry. So would I get the chances to get different projects like “normal” consultants or not?

You would almost certainly come in as a generalist and therefore would not only be in healthcare.

4) I have no business background. Are there any courses certificates to obtain to increase my chances? For example CFI? I’m considering doing Business Foundations course by U Penn/Wharton (it’s free), but what else can increase my chances? Also what is the best way to prepare for interveiws etc?

Yes! There are a ton of courses as well as organizations that get you consulting experience (you work for free in small teams part-time for short projects and get to add it to the resume)

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Moritz
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bearbeitete eine Antwort am 3. Jan. 2023
ex-McKinsey EM & Interviewer | 7/8 offer rate for 4+ sessions | 90min sessions with FREE exercises & videos

Hi there,

Let's break this down:

1) I’m looking to apply at the Middle East offices as an Advanced Degree Candidate. will they consider me an ADC even if my degree is not from the offices original country? What about if I apply in Europe? Yes, as an MD you're considered an ADC globally - I had colleages and coachees with a similar background. That being said, the quality of your education and brand name of your school matters a great deal.

2) Do I realistically have a chance to get a job at MBB straight out of uni with only my medical degree? I just will have two clinical internships in Germany (one at the top hospital) and one year of foundation training at Cairo Uni Hospital, when I apply, but nothing else on my CV. Should I consider doing my residency (3-5 years) first? Yes, absolutely (assuming good uni, high grades, generally attractive CV, etc.). I coached various MDs straight out of uni and they got Associate roles at McKinsey. You wouldn't be the first one and certainly won't be the last one to do this transition. As for your residency, you might still want to do it for reasons outside of pursuing an MBB career e.g., having that in the bag in case you change your mind and want to stay in medicine. But that's another question, of course.

3) If I get a job at MBB, will I be only working on healthcare projects? I know my main value would be my title and background as a doctor, but I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life only working in the healthcare industry. So would I get the chances to get different projects like “normal” consultants or not? No, you won't just be working on healthcare projects. And to be fair, with 0 work experience you probably wouldn't have a wealth of insight to provide, either. You will be hired as a generalist and work on the same projects as your peers coming from all kinds of backgrounds. That's the beauty of consulting!

4) I have no business background. Are there any courses certificates to obtain to increase my chances? For example CFI? I’m considering doing Business Foundations course by U Penn/Wharton (it’s free), but what else can increase my chances? Nothing increases your chances by becoming more attractive on paper, unless you go for a top-notch MBA after your degree, or better yet, residency.

Also what is the best way to prepare for interveiws etc? Work with coaches from the very beginning to develop a plan tailored to your needs. Stay away from books that will hurt and not help (most of the ones on the market). This will save you a ton of time and pain.

Hope this helps a bit and best of luck! Please reach out if there's anything you'd like to discuss in more detail.

Moritz

(editiert)

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Rushabh
Experte
Content Creator
antwortete am 3. Jan. 2023
Limited Availability | BCG Expert | Middle East Expert | 100+ Mocks Delivered | IESE & NYU MBA | Ex-KPMG Dxb Consultant

Hello Hassan,

Here are my thoughts:

1) As you would have probably seen on BCG's website: Advanced degree candidates (ADCs) are students pursuing a PhD, postdoc, JD, or MDs, and also current residents and practicing physicians. 

Thus, technically you would be eligible to apply without doing a residency

2) Consulting firms thrive on diversity. Thus, having an international degree should not be a problem. However, if you have lived in Cairo for all your life for example, it might be difficult to explain why you would to move to say Copenhagen. Before rolling out interviews, firms need to be satisfied with your motivation of being in a) Consulting b) That specific firm and c) That specific location. This typically comes out through your Cover Letter. I can help you with your CV / Cover Letter.

3) Without much work experience, you should be allowed to apply, but you will be joining at a much junior level. Best to check with the HR representative of the office you intend to apply to.

4) As a specialist, you will be expected to contribute mostly to healthcare projects. If you are joining at a junior position, you can express your interest to the staffing team eventually that you want to try different industries. E.g. Say you become really good at Cost Optimisation projects in Healthcare and want to try Energy now. The staffing team can try and put you on Cost Optimisation projects in Energy since you will already have some expertise in that capability.

5) You can do the free courses you mentioned to increase your knowledge and confidence. However, the best way to succeed at the interviews is to prepare for the interviews themselves! i.e. Drills, peer mocks and mocks with coaches to improve your Case and Fit skills.

Hope this helps!

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any specific questions or would like to work with me :)

Best,

Rushabh

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Hagen
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antwortete am 3. Jan. 2023
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years

Hi Hassan,

First of all, congratulations on completing your medical degree!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

  • If you are considered an ADC in one country, it is likely that you would be considered an ADC in other countries as well. However, it is always best to check with the specific firms you are interested in to be sure.
  • It is generally not necessary to complete a residency before transitioning to a consulting career. However, completing a residency may give you additional clinical experience and expertise that could be relevant in certain consulting projects, particularly those related to healthcare. Ultimately, your decision to switch to consulting before or after completing a residency will depend on your personal goals and circumstances.
  • With a medical degree and clinical internships in Germany, including one at Germany's top hospital, on your resume, you do have some relevant experience that could be valuable in a consulting role. These experiences demonstrate your ability to work in a professional setting and your willingness to seek out new opportunities for learning and growth. Additionally, there are online courses and certifications that could help you build up your business skills and make you a more competitive candidate. However, it's difficult to accurately assess your chances without taking a more in-depth look at your CV.
  • If you are hired by an MBB firm, you will likely have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects across different industries, and your medical degree may be relevant in certain cases. However, it is also possible that you may be asked to work primarily on healthcare-related projects, depending on the needs of the firm and your own skills and interests. Ultimately, the specific projects you work on will depend on the firm's priorities and the demand for your skills in the marketplace.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

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