Life science to equity research

^Porkbelly hit the nail on the head. While a lot of the sciences sectors are hot at the moment, biotech is super competitive with most people coming over to finance after getting a Phd or MDs.

However, in conversations I have had with people in charge of hiring younger analysts, they are still looking to fill some roles. They get a boner for anyone that double majors in sciences and finance, but candidates like that are few and far in between as you can imagine. I would honestly say that a fundamental understanding of some of the sciences is probably harder to learn than finance. You can learn basic accounting and finance through a few textbooks and exams (and in ER we don't really utilize anything more than basic finance and accounting to be honest) and I assume most of the work you'd be doing in an ER role in sciences has to do more with scientific aspect than building out complex models, understanding different tax rules, etc.

If you don't graduate until May 2016, I recommend that you start studying for the CFA Level I exam right now,as passing it in December could give you a shot to get a job in ER right out of undergrad. A solid chunk of the exam is over financial reporting and analysis, which you missed out on while not majoring in finance. Taking and passing the exam shows firms that you are committed, disciplined, and willing to continue your education. Seriously, it's a bitch and people in the industry will have more respect for you for even signing up for it. It also diminishes the risk that the firm is hiring someone that doesn't know anything about finance.

Also look into investment clubs at your school and start following the markets. If you do get your foot in the door for an interview, you need to be able to speak intelligently about the markets and know what the hell is going on. Believe me, they can tell if you have been keep up with the world with just a few questions. More than likely, you will be asked to pitch a stock - this is also where they separate the fakers from the people who are actually interested in the work.

If you don't have an investment account just yet, I would recommend starting one and putting money into the ideas you research. In college, I found that I became a lot more diligent and curious when researching investment ideas that I was actually putting my own money in. Also, your interviewers will respect you more if you actually have an investment account and have had to deal with the ups-and-downs of the market and addressing some of the psychological biases that come along with it rather than having an investopedia mock account. I vividly remember being asked about "The best trade you ever made? Why did it work? Was your thesis different from consensus? How so?" and "Walk me through the worst investment you've made? What did you do wrong? What did you learn from it?" Those are some questions that will give you credibility if you have your own account and can talk through it in detail. Plus you may be able to connect with your interviewer on some of your screw-ups. Example: "Yeah, XXX stock fucked me too. Lost a couple grand on that piece of shit." - one of my interviewers at a super day.

I would also recommend looking into some of the WSO or BIWS interview guides to help you understand some of the more technical nuances of finance and what to expect in your interview. How do the financial statements flows together, walk me through a discounted cash flow model, what happens to the three financial statements if AAPL issues $50MM in bonds?

If you are graduating this summer or in December, you're probably better off getting your first job in sciences. Then I would still recommend studying for the CFA exams, learning accounting and finance, investing your own money and writing mock reports, before applying to research roles a year or two into it after you've gained some experience.