Transition from medicine to IB/HF
Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice and wondering if anyone knows or have heard of individuals transitioning from medical school/medicine to finance. Fortunately/unfortunately I'm reevaluating my future in medicine...
Background: Late 20s will be graduating from a T5 medical school, 3.99 undergrad GPA, 99th percentile MCAT score, passed step 1/2, and have some experience trading commodities
- Originally started medical school wanting to do academic medicine in a surgical sub-speciality. I've finished 3.5 years of medical school, have had a decent time doing it, enjoyed scrubbing into ORs/helping with surgeries and being part of clinical care. For the most part, I enjoy the technical aspects of medicine and critical thinking/analysis involved with patient care and delivery.
- Why finance: I've always been interested in banking/investing and originally thought I'd end up in healthcare VC etc. Banking/finance seems to combine lots of the analytical/technical skills and analysis that i've come to value, but I also don't have to deal with some of the less desirable portions of medicine like unforeseen complications/death. Also, as time has progressed I've realized there's more to life than just medicine and have been evaluating exit strategies of sorts if the match doesn't work out.
- My current plan is stay through the match/intern year and study for CFA level 1/2, take some financial modeling courses, any other requisite courses that I feel are necessary to enter the financial field. Hopefully I can also utilize my network/extended network to find some mentors or others. At the end of the day, I don't mind working hard (routinely did 100+ hour weeks, 24+ hour shifts) and am really happy to just grind at any level.
Anyways, I would love any advice either for/against this move. Thanks in advance!
Transitioning from medicine to finance is a bold move, but it's not unheard of, especially for individuals with strong analytical skills and a willingness to grind. Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some key insights and advice for your situation:
1. Leverage Your Medical Background
2. Timing and Strategy
3. Building Financial Acumen
4. Networking and Mentorship
5. Consider an MBA
6. Be Realistic About the Transition
7. Healthcare-Specific Opportunities
Final Thoughts
Your plan is well thought out, and your background positions you uniquely for a transition into finance. Focus on building financial skills, leveraging your network, and targeting roles where your medical expertise is an asset. If you’re willing to grind and stay persistent, the move is absolutely achievable. Good luck!
Sources: Leave Top Surgical Residency Program for Finance, Medical School --> IBanking, 3rd year Harvard Medical School student thinking about high finance transition- am I being realisitc?
I have seen this transition, but I think you might be smart to be more strategic about your entry point. With a fancy MD, you might look at top tier consulting firms, or VC/PE firms that would value that expertise. Also one thing you know is that while you qualify for a medical license with your MD, you're not really able to work as a doctor, or speak credibly as a doctor unless you complete a residency. I'd give some serious thought to banging that out first, because if you don't like wall street, or simply aren't a good fit there, you'll be fine getting a job with a good residency under your belt, or you could do a fellowship as a way to get back in and a launch a lucrative medical career. If you take a few years off to work on wall street and apply for residency from there, I think you'd be at a substantial disadvantage given the inside baseball that goes on in the match process, unless you have some really good connections. Plus I think it will be harder in general once you are too long away from the field. I know it's 3-4 years, but you've come all this way already, and the experience doing that work will be invaluable even if you move to wall street.
As someone who left surgery residency, respectfully disagree with some of your takes.
1) If you know you don’t want to practice medicine, going through residency is not worth it and simply a waste of time.
2) Have seen people go into IB/consulting post-medschool, comeback and match into highly competitive specialties (think plastics, ortho, etc.). It’s all about storytelling, OP already has the credentials.
3) People won’t care if you finish residency for you to “speak credibly as a doctor”. You are clearly smart. And top 5 med school can get you into any VC/PE/HF.
The ROI on studying for CFA is likely negative, just learn how to make a dcf on your free time and write stock pitches. Work on why you want to switch from medicine, IMO complications and death not exactly the downside you would like to highlight. Why? Sounds like you can’t keep your emotions in check, not saying it doesn’t take a toll, and obviously you would like your patients to thrive. Other downsides that people will not bat an eye at are admin bullshit, dealing with insurance, etc.
Feel free to dm
So, I just re-read this post, and it doesn't really make any sense. If it's not an AI post I look forward to hearing more about your story.
Hi!
Thanks for the reply and genuine response, I can assure that I'm not an AI chatbot (although maybe's that's what a chatbot would say). I do realize this post seems a little strange, especially so late into medical school cycle and the late switch/desire to switch into finance. I've always had somewhat of a desire to be in finance, but always excelled in the sciences and always felt that medicine was the "safe career".
But you make some great points about medicine, qualifying as a "real doctor w/ residency/fellowship" etc. VC/PE probably seem like the path of least resistance with my qualifications, especially with healthcare specific firms etc.
Hey I’m in residency right now and would echo what the guy above said. Good advice
Can speak directly to this.
I was in medical school and am now high finance.
Certainly a grass is always greener mentality drives this indecision, in medicine, I only focused on downsides, now that I’m in finance I only focus on upsides of medicine (I did not finish my MD though I left partway).
Medicine offers insane career stability which is something you can only appreciate after entering finance, but you will always wonder what if (and medicine caps your upside in a way finance does not, probably the biggest appeal).
You’ve sort of done the hardest part already, so to go into finance at the IB level is a waste and starts at the bottom. At worst, I would aim to try to come in as a healthcare IB associate, but otherwise study the CFA and try to go to buy side with your MD. Just understand it will take a few years to catch up to full MD salary (though I understand how unpaid the residency years are).
Since you will have the MD, you will always be able to go back. I would do everything up until matching and then aim for finance, and that way you can return to residency if you hate it.
Would love to PM you, that story sounds interesting I did it the opposite way - finance to med and would love to hear ur experiences
Thanks for the advice!
You bring up a great point about the stability of medicine, even with locum work it feels like I'd always be able to find a job. And fair point as well to the entry level IB associate. I figured that even with a medical degree, the lack of a finance background would limit where I could enter into hierarchy of finance/level I could enter at.
Assuming I don't match into my desired specialty, the plan would be to SOAP finish intern year while studying for CFAs (on top of step 3) and then hopefully transition. Again, thanks for the advice and great to see that the people are capable of making the transition successfully!
was your MD valued even though you didn't finish it? curious what hiring managers said
I think it added to my “cool story” and in a sea of cookie cutter applicants, it’s an edge. Think they also respected my conviction in leaving something lucrative for what I wanted.
How you play it. I wouldn’t know it but I’m sure some maybe didn’t like it and saw me as not knowing what I wanted to do.
I think overall served me well so far.
bump
Hi! What have you considered to be the most rewarding part of your medical degree? Do you think Finance offers the same rewards? When did you become interested in Hig Finance?
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