Hey all,
Graduated from a semi-target this past spring as a neuroscience major. Completed my pre-med coursework with aspirations to get into medical school. Along the way, things changed. Late in the game, I decided I wanted to pursue IB (ability to work on deals compared to 8 years down the line wth med school, steep learning curve, teamwork, interest in M&A, capital raising).
Graduated with a 3.6 in my major, and after graduation I completed a program through my undergrad's business school to get my classes in accounting,finance,excel all checked off. Finished my time there with a 4.0 in the business school.
Since then (Mid August), I have simply been committed to the grind mill of networking. Utilizing alumni and even random people. Talking to people at all size banks, at all different levels. Hit rate is decent on emails, and I have a great conversation when I can engage in those introductory informational interviews.
Work experience includes doing some strategy work at a small small tech startup and doing some finance work at a local health center in my city. On my own, I've done all the M&I guides and I have started to learn financial modeling on my own time.
Just looking for advice what to keep doing going forward. Stick it through? Give up (Lmao?)? Look at other jobs?
Thx
I honestly think that long-term going down the med school route has a better chance of giving you a much more rewarding career than IB
Appreciate it! Definitely have personal qualms with rationalizing the investment made into med school as well as a multitude of other factors, but I will always keep it in my back pocket.
Really depends on how much you want to pursue IB as your end-goal, bearing in mind the opportunity cost to walk away from med is high.
In this day and age of high competition, more and more career break-ins take time - if you are absolutely sure you want IBD, keep it up or consider taking a longer route like off cycle internships or adjacent careers to transition in
Thank You! Truly appreciative of that objective truth. Definitely really really committed to IBD (as dumb as that sounds because I'm this recent grad whose never been at a bank).
I agree with the others that long-term Med School could be more rewarding. If you really want to do IB, play to your strengths by looking for HC-focused banks (Leerink, Torreya Partners, MTS Health Partners) or HC-groups at BBs.
Appreciate it. Totally understand the nature of the work and maybe on my death bed that a path in medicine may be more rewarding. That being said, I think I'm 100% sold on IB (of course need a bank to be sold on me now haha), and I've actually had solid networking opportunities with 2 of the 3 banks you mentioned. Curious if you'd know anything about breaking into a HC Group @ BB? Are those analysts typically filtered via SA classes, or do you believe they may hire outside of the SA cycle? Definitely biggest barrier to entry at this point has been the fact that I don't have the opportunity to go down the traditional SA Intership path
At most BB's I'd argue over half their incoming FT class comes from SA's (if not more).
There are definitely spots, but those likely go to kids that were SA's at other BB's, then finally MAYBE a few get FT offers having never been an SA.
It's really hard to justify hiring a kid that hasn't been an SA because the bank got a 10 week trial period to grind them down to see if they can survive. That's a big gamble to take on a new FT hire that could either suck or fizzle out and say "lol forget this I'll go back to Med School".
It really depends on the bank. Some as you to express preference, others randomly assign and others assign you based on ability/experience (if you have any). I think it would be pretty silly for a bank to place a neuroscience major into their consumer goods group unless you wanted it.
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