Dental student wanting to do internship

Question

Hi there,

I will be entering my third year of dental school soon, and I've been looking into consultancy over the last few months. I'm interested in internships but unsure how to apply as a dental student.

A bit about me: I'm based in London, UK, and I study at King's College London. My pathway is a bit unconventional: prior to dental school, I worked as a waiter and did accountancy work for 5+ years (still do accountancy work during the summer). I'll admit my school grades are less than desirable due to past personal difficulties, but I'm happy to say I've managed to turn things around and I'm so grateful to have gotten into dental school and managed to pass exams first time so far (the grades aren't anything amazing).

So, I want to ask, because my grades aren't anything exceptional, is there any chance of getting into an internship such as Bain and Co or Mckinsey? Thank you for your time

Answer 1

Hi there,

It would not hurt to have a quick glance at your resume to make a more definitive statement here but I believe it's quite unlikely, unfortunately.

London is generally one of the most competitive MBB offices in the world. Your resume should include the following:

Strong academic performance (uni brand, the prestige of the program, GPA, and top percentiles of cohort)
Varied relevant work experience (strategic, financial roles in top companies - internship or ft positions)
Extracurriculars and leadership experiences
Time spent abroad

Given the current slow hiring and the competition from Oxbridge which mostly hits all 4 areas, it could be a bit tricky.

My suggestion would be to reach out to current consultants (your network or via LinkedIn) and start your networking discussions.

All the best,

Florian