breaking into finance-hedgefund/banking/consulting

Hi there

this is a little long.

I have a question about how to leverage my masters into a career in finance. I went to a very small, unknown college and graduated with a 3.1. Luckily I got into a masters program in public health at columbia's program. I have chosen the management track. It is ranked like 5 on the list of best public health programs, if that matters.

I have always been interested in finance and I was wondering before I start my masters what should I do to make myself a strong candidate for finance career with a health care focus? I have taken economics courses and up to calc III in undergrad. But I don't have experience in finance internships or modeling.

Should I not do my masters in public health and instead try to do a masters in something technical? I could take some prerequisite classes, and try to get into computer science masters or something, but I don't really have a good quantitative background and calculus was something I did well in but it took a lot of work.

Is it possible that I can continue with my masters in public health, and still get a career in finance? I have some ideas on how to do this: taking more econ courses at columbia college or in the mba program, finding a summer internship in consulting.

Please help me out here!! On a side note, is it worth it to pursue extracurricular activities and will they make me stand out? I have always been a good dancer, so I am going to join a dance group. I want to do health economics research, and also be a teacher's aid or a resident adviser.

8 Comments
 

I'm sure we can arrange something.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

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“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Schopenhauer
 

Do you know how this stuff works by any chance? You know...before you jump into it blindly.

Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

I'm not judging, but you should probably learn what those areas of finance are first. Don't you think there's something wrong with choosing a career based on a "little bit" of information?

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Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into SWANSONS.
 

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