Neuroscience undergrad looking to get into entry-level consulting
From what I understand the usual path for life-science people to get into consulting is via a PhD. I have several connections at top programs in my discipline (Stanford, Columbia, UPenn) and have co-authored two publications with a third 1st author coming before I graduate in 2016. My gpa is okay (3.5) and it should get better as I move into more and more major classes. All of the above means that I can have a prosperous career in research should I choose to do a PhD, but honestly I'm not so sure if that's the best path for me.
I've always had an interest for finance and have been successful in my research thus far, not because I am the best pipetter in the lab, but because of the strategies I've helped enact. So, I'm interested in getting a job in consulting (MBB? Bid 4?) right out of undergrad and not waiting around for a PhD (5+ years). Much of my research has been clinical of nature, so I have considerable experience with the pharmaceutical industry and would, in the long-term, be interested in doing pharma/biotech/biomedical focused consulting.
As I understand it usually life-science people enter into consulting at the PhD level with an associate position, but what are the chances of a life-science undergrad going in at entry-level? Doable? Highly unlikely? A herculean task that will only happen if my dad is the hiring manager, which he isn't?
By the way, I go to BYU, which is somewhere in between a non-target to semi-target depending on who you talk to.
A little vague for me to help you with, did you conduct pre-clinical studies or did you just run some laboratory data experiments?
A lot of the larger consulting shops focus on clinical trial and portfolio planning. So unless you've been close to a live pipeline of human-based clinical trials (post-IND, pre-NDA, Phases I,II,III), your "considerable experience with the pharmaceutical industry" will not be much.
There are entry-level consulting roles for undergrads, I've found those more to be market research/planning based (i.e. given your neuroscience background, you may do market research for a drug supporting neurological indications).
Consulting engagements for those with PhDs, you'll find closer to pipeline development of pre-clinical candidates/smaller biotechnology company pipelines for in-licensing of compounds/technology (i.e. more science-based). I know a corp dev guy (PhD) at a big biotech company, who jumped from MBB, and all he does is analyze studies of virology compounds at smaller biotech companies.
Unless you're a Third Rock Ventures or Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, you're going to have a tough time marketing that statement to many scientists in the industry..
PM me if you need anything else.
Thanks for responding, and sorry for the ambiguity in regards to my experience. The publications I have so far have focused on analyzing non-pharmacological methods of neuromodulation via MRI and EEG. My mentors had described them as being clinical in nature, and for the biomedical engineering field that may be so, but I have no clinical experience in pharmacology. My personal project will be dealing with humans and the measurement of certain hormone levels under various conditions, but again there will be no drug aspect to it initially. Sorry if those descriptions are still vague, I'm trying to maintain some kind of anonymity. I can PM you more details if still isn't clear.
My main goal is to initially just get a consulting job out of undergrad at (hopefully) MBB, though honestly Big 4 might be more realistic seeing as Bain is the only MBB that recruits direct from BYU. I would imagine that post-MBA I would have the opportunity to focus in on pharma/biotech/biomedical, but that's a bridge I will cross closer to that time. My goal right now is to just get my foot in the door!
Also, I spoke with a business school advisor today and it looks like I can easily do a business management minor along with neuroscience. I don't know how much that will help my cause, but there it is.
One more question: Would I actually have the chance to do biotech/pharma market research in MBB/Big 4? Or would I have to go to a boutique firm for that? I would definitely choose the former, but it would be nice if I could use my neuroscience degree pre-MBA.
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