Dentist to VC/PE/PM
Hi all - I'm a recently graduated and now practicing dentist who has always had business roles (i.e. VC and PE, product management) in the back of my head and wanted to entertain the idea. I've done as much research as I personally can and it's hard to find any examples of individuals breaking into VC/PE/PM from dentistry (much more common in medicine), let alone seeing what opportunities may even be available for a dentist's background. Any advice on breaking into VC/PE/PM? Would it require getting an MBA? If you may know any dentists in VC/PE, I'd love to see their career paths - thank you.
I know many are going to say "just do well as a dentist, make solid money, and live a chill life" - still on the table! Just entertaining ideas and trying to gauge the reality of a potential switch. Thanks in advance.
Today I saw a guy on LinkedIn who studied Medicine, started as Doctor, then 1y later moved on to Equity Research (industrials, building materials, consumer etc) and he is currently a Portfolio Manager at a well-known AM firm ($1tn AUM).
You’re not just “entertaining possibilities” or dreaming. If you want it, its 100% possible.
Plenty of paths you could take, I wont bother explaining because the information is all over WSO.
Thanks for the response. Thing is, I'm aware that it's definitely possible for MD physicians (their degrees are simply perceived more favorably in finance and consulting). Wondering if there's been any dentists forging their own path into this realm.
Negligible difference between MD and Dentistry. You’ll just have to show desire and some acumen in the form of self learning and hunt for experience. Why don’t you want to stay in dentistry? If you’re interested in business/finance, there is a relatively straightforward path to business ownership in private practice. Do note in your consideration the politicking and culture in finance is less forgiving and more hostile/unpleasant relative to the healthcare industry.
Agreed - medicine has more practical applications to investing (and is, candidly, a more rigorous, intellectual field than dentistry. Maybe (probably) this thinking is problematic and without substance, but I'm putting more faith in the intellectual abilities of an ENT that is trusted with performing endoscopies than a dentist with a wrench yanking wisdom teeth (obviously reductive, simplistic, etc., but hey stereotyping makes recruiting a hell of a lot easier).
I think I would appreciate candor if I were in your shoes, so I'll skip the sugar coating (anesthetic?) - your odds of landing into a worthwhile investing role directly from dentistry will be slim to none. Yes - perusing LinkedIn will find you a healthy number of former MD's that work at a healthcare focused hedge fund / cover biotech on the sell side etc. However, Duke medicine -> Lenox Hill neurologist -> hedge fund is a different story than dentist -> Blackstone PE. Public markets are a different animal, but rarely do you find individuals in PE that came that far from the well trodden path of our society's lovely obedient sheep, for better or worse (probably worse). Sorry for the parentheticals and pessimism, but the guy in the Big Short wasn't yanking teeth.
1. There is a reason why I mentioned that the Doctor (MD) I saw did not cover healthcare.
2. When he/she says Dentistry to VC/PE/PM it doesn't mean Dentistry > Blackstone/Sequoia. This is your elitism (typical for WSO) speaking. There are a lot of smaller shops that he/she could break into over time. Is it tough? Yes but of course not impossible. It definitely involves a lot of studying first, before even trying to network. He/she must be at least as good as the average undergrad student, and then he/she can try networking. Maybe this studying can just be CFA Level 1 and reading financial newspapers? Then, over time an MBA might be needed. This seems completely possible to me. The game is hard for finance graduates, of course it's also going to be hard for a Dentist that wants to switch careers.
I'm sure OP appreciates your digital pats on the back, but figured I'd play the pragmatist in our little jest here in hopes that he/she doesn't waste their time. Gonna take more than a CFA level 1 to break into a buy side role which would be worth while considering the financial and time commitment that went into becoming a dentist (trying to jog a little second order thinking here as well; I'm assuming OP, maybe a few 100k in debt from grad school, probably doesn't want to pivot careers to some garage band hedge fund / PE firm, but rationality ain't a dime a dozen I guess).
I sit between both viewpoints. It’s possible but there is a huge opportunity cost component to it. Hence why I’ve outlined two major points the OP should consider. If there’s a clear purpose, go for it. If it’s just a cursory interest into finance his itch may better be solved investing on the side whilst looking to setup shop as a dentist. If I were in OP’s position, that’s what I’d do. Ownership would be far higher and faster than re-routing to finance. But that’s an entrepreneurial outlook and not necessarily what OP is after. There’s also a contrast in personalities between healthcare and finance people... need to understand which industry better aligns with who you are.
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