How Do PhDs Get Experience For Biotech Finance?

I was wondering when and how life sciences PhDs or MDs get experience for biotech finance roles (buy-side or sell-side). Is prior experience necessary? Do people mostly gain finance experience during their PhD or in undergrad? I know this path is competitive, so what is recommended for this?

9 Comments
 

Without advanced degree people do IB and then get lucky and jump to a fund. Or if they have connections can go straight from UG. 

PhDs and MDs usually do internships at hedge funds or VCs during their degree. Plenty of examples. A lot will do ER after graduating and then transition to buyside, but that jump is harder to do 

 

OP is right. Look at the team pages of the all of the top specialist funds. Nearly everyone goes in right out of MD/PhD. BVF, Avoro, Perceptive, Cormorant, Venrock, list goes on.

 

Historically yes these have been some of the best names that follow the hiring pattern discussed. Orbimed and Deerfield take more ER types. Baker takes fresh grads

 

What do you consider top? Obvi these names struggled over the last few years, but historically have done very well. Few names missing obv

 
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