Can you return to IB from PE?

If you're an analyst and leave for a pre-MBA associate role at a PE fund, and ultimately figure out you don't like PE as much as you thought you would, is it possible to return to IB? Asking about re-recruiting at a BB or EB, of course there's some place willing to take you but I mean firms that have more structured recruiting programs - can you get back in without needing an MBA? Would you be recruiting for associate positions or VP positions?

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This just happened at my firm (EB), analyst was great, had good relationships with his old group and returned as an associate. He returned pretty quickly (2 years after leaving) and my firm has analysts do 3 years before associate so it was pretty straightforward that he came back as an associate. Don’t know how it would be if he came back after 4/5 years though

 
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