Pancakes113

Both BCG and McK held info sessions at my university (I am a PhD student). Thereafter, I just applied online and was notified of my interview. I did go to Penn.

Update: Just interviewed with BCG for a consultant role (2 cases/2 fit interviews unrelated to health care), passed the 2nd round of McKinsey (2 cases/2 fit interviews unrelated to health care) with a final round McKinsey interview next month. It is an arduous process that involves daily practice of cases. Luckily, my consulting club (mostly PhD and MBA students) have been very supportive in practicing 2-3 times per week.

Hey RN009, I passed round 1 PST and group interviews last week and will move on to round 2 interviews in a month. Here is what I did on the PST and the group cases in round1: 1) I did all 3 PSTs on their website and looked for PATTERNS in the questions. There are patterns that will help you. For example, there always 13 logic and 13 math questions (so I focused on answering logic questions and getting them 100% correct). I also noticed that there is usually at least 1 growth question, so I memorized compounded annual growth for 5 years, 15 years, and 10 years. 2) I read all the questions in the first section first and label them "MATH" or "LOGIC". I usually skip the math questions that require precise answers (rather than estimation)....for example, if the options are a) 10% b) 20% c) 30% d) 40%, I will attempt that questions rather than a question that has answer choices a) $5,000 b) $5,001 c) $5,002 d) $5,003. I skip that latter and leave it for the end. 3) I practiced GMAT IR questions (there are some free ones at Manhatten GMAT) 4) I also practiced cases for the group interview (with my universities consulting club and former McK associates) and was very familiar with the "profit framework" and "business situation framework". Also for the group cases, STRUCTURE your answers and try to segment whenever possible. ...Although they stated that the group cases were "non-evaluative", I think they factor in somehow. I noticed that some of the people who were not invited to 2nd round interviews did not prepare for the case portion and were very unstructured when answering questions. I hope that helps! Good luck on the PST!

Sure I will update in early September after the interviews.

Thanks Surething1, I'm glad that you mention that it is a feasible path towards my goal. Very encouraging :) And yes, I am preparing for those interviews extensively and will take the next 3 months off of work and writing my dissertation just to practice cases and the PST. I am so grateful to have a friend who is a former McK analyst and current MBA student at HBS practice with me...so hopefully I will get the hang of it. But yes, you are absolutely right, it is a very difficult learning curve. I am just glad that you and my mentor have mentioned that if I were to work for an MBB firm, I would be able to accomplish my career goals. This affirmation encourages me to study longer and practice more. Thanks!

Hi MeanMaryJean, To answer your question "what exactly does the job entail", here is the job description for a PhD candidate (see link). Most of the training is on the job and usually associates/analyst consultants at MBB consultant firms are recruited directly from undergrad or grad school (which is the most common route of entry, it is not as straightforward to get a job at an MBB firm as an experienced hire). Thanks for your inquiry. Here is the link, hope this helps PhDs | Careers | McKinsey & Company

I am getting the MSN/PhD because my original thought was to practice in the APN and academic role, but have found that while I can live with being an NP and work in academia, the lifestyle and day-to-day is not the best fit for me. What my mentor stated to me is to try management consulting at one of the MBB firms and get an MBA - 50% of consultants at MBB firms exit after 2 years and go to Stanford, Harvard, Penn for an MBA-which I would not mind since I am an alum from one of those schools and am familiar with the curriculum through many of my friends who have gone to those programs. And then go back to health systems admin position and work your way up to a C level position. So that was a pretty detailed explanation of the convo I had with a mentor of mine. Thanks again for all the input and I am glad to clarify anything else. Is there anyone who has worked for an MBB consulting firm having a nursing background and later transitioned to administration? The goal of my original question is really to inquire about the experiences of those people.

Hi ElkPark, I think you may have misinterpreted my post. My resume has already been reviewed by the firms and I have been invited to interview for a consultant position. There is no health care experience necessary nor business experience for those firms (just a PhD, MD, JD, or MBA degree is required for associate, bachelor's for analysts http://www.mckinsey.com/careers/faqs/phds). But thanks for your input! To answer your question about not wanting to go into to a clinical practice role or faculty position after I graduate in May, I want to explore other career options in health care that may be a better fit for my skill set and have a large systems impact. Actually, the consulting to administration track was really a suggestion by my personal mentor who is a COO at a large hospital system. She just thought it was a good option for me to explore as well as possibly get an MBA in the future. I'm in my mid-twenties and still at the beginning of my career and would love any insight from anyone who has transitioned from nursing into management consulting regarding possible exit opportunities in health care. Thanks for the replies!

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Hi HouTx, I am not interviewing for a "nurse consultant" position, but rather, a "general associate/analyst" in a 'management consulting firm' (other interviewees are advance degree holders: PhD, MBA, JD, MD). The firms already reviewed my resume and invited me for the typical 3-round case interview process. But thanks for the reply, I appreciate your feedback on "nurse consultants".

I have been an RN for 5 years in a large hospital system and currently completing an NP/PhD program. After graduation, I was thinking about management consulting as a possible career to get insight into hospital CEO/CNO/COO roles. My goal is to be involved in hospital administration/systems/strategy and hopefully one day become a C-level exec so I can make a larger impact on a systems level. I have been invited for on campus interviews for McKinsey & Co. and Boston Consulting Group in about 3-4 months. 1. Is this a feasible transition? RN>>Management Consulting>>Hospital Administration 2. Does anyone have experience working for management consulting firm as a health care provider? 3. Any general advice on how to be successful? Thanks, I appreciate any feedback!