I am an MD and my friends in the financial sector have suggested that CFA level 1 may help with getting consultant gigs… I’ve done some initial reading - the exam is going to be challenging since I don’t have a finance background. Please advise.
I think your profession is admirable.
Get an MBA.
why MBA and not CFA?
Can probably get into a PE healthcare firm w/MD. But honestly why would you want to be in finance? Your probably going to make more with a successful pratice then working as a healthcare analyst. Your going to be helping people and everybody respects doctors far more than finance people.
is MBA>CFA ?
I wouldn’t bother with the CFA. If I was looking for a doctor to consult on a project, the CFA would be a negative sign. What kind of doctor has a couple of hundreds of hours to spend studying for some test that is unrelated to their work and whose candidates are predominantly in their early 20s?
BiPolarBoyBoston Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Can probably get into a PE healthcare firm w/MD. > But honestly why would you want to be in finance? > Your probably going to make more with a successful > pratice then working as a healthcare analyst. Your > going to be helping people and everybody respects > doctors far more than finance people. It would be an easier getting a job in equity research, but there aren’t any MD’s I can think of in private equity that didn’t have prior transacting experience. An MD is just a degree, and even at healthcare focused funds, it’s just not that helpful unless you have some practical experience actually running a healthcare company or doing healthcare deals. There are too many people with MD’s that want to do finance, and most of the time, people at healthcare focused funds don’t have MD’s and simply hire a doctor to consult or help with the board of a portfolio company rather than actually hiring them.
To answer the original poster’s question, passing CFA level 1 would help them simply because it’s a tangible way for them to demonstrate their interest in finance
CFA is relevant for asset management and equity research and the likes. It is much less relevant for finance jobs involving direct interaction with target companies such as, well, anything from M&A to PE to IB primary markets to consulting. As an MD I guess you have a better shot at lending a healthcare coverage job at IBs and PE shops than your average typical AF hopeful (like me): finance degree + Level II/III candidate + not great finance job experience. An MBA would be much better for you. Something you might also want to consider, if I am not speaking out of my a$$ (I have no clue about healthcare sector): try to drift towards the commercial/financial side of a private health group, to get exposure to how clinics are run/funded, etc. You would then position yourself to be a very valuable candidate for the operations side of a healthcare PE group. All in all I believe in your case the benefits of a CFA designation in the light of the hours you would have to invest in it is very marginal.
BiPolarBoyBoston Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Can probably get into a PE healthcare firm w/MD. > But honestly why would you want to be in finance? > Your probably going to make more with a successful > pratice then working as a healthcare analyst. Your > going to be helping people and everybody respects > doctors far more than finance people. Guy. Seriously. Is it that onerous of a commitment to spend 5 minutes out of your life to learn the difference between “your” and “you’re”?
What’s you’re prob’lem?
^ i feel the same way two.
dude, its he’s problem, not you’rs.
SMIRK Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > BiPolarBoyBoston Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Can probably get into a PE healthcare firm > w/MD. > > But honestly why would you want to be in > finance? > > Your probably going to make more with a > successful > > pratice then working as a healthcare analyst. > Your > > going to be helping people and everybody > respects > > doctors far more than finance people. > > Guy. Seriously. Is it that onerous of a commitment > to spend 5 minutes out of your life to learn the > difference between “your” and “you’re”? My mistake, I will take note of it in the future. Thank you for your help.