Dear PhDs, Post-Docs, MDs,

I hope you are enjoying your experience at UCSF. It has been exciting to see the tremendous growth of the campus over the past few years – Mission Bay was just coming into its own when I graduated in 2008.

I  got my PhD in the neuroscience program and am currently a Principal at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Having made the transition from academia to consulting, I'd like to share my experience and answer some common questions that advanced degree candidates (PhDs, MDs, or JDs) have about consulting and BCG in particular.

What is management consulting?
We specialize in helping companies overcome their biggest challenges, like reacting to disruptive technologies or entering new businesses.  An external perspective allows us to come up with creative and impactful solutions.  I think of this as similar to my experience  studying the intricacies of neuronal migration during cortical development where I found it helpful to "talk it out" with bright, intelligent people (frequently other graduate students and post-docs).

What do consultants actually do?
New consultants are responsible for owning a piece of our client's problem. Now that I have been working at BCG for a number of years, I lead multiple teams of project leaders and consultants addressing many exciting issues in healthcare. For example, recently we have been working on the launch strategy for a new oncology drug, doing an analysis of the value of innovation in healthcare, and helping value a phase II therapeutic asset for acquisition.

Can a consultant really have an impact?
Yes! On each of my cases I have felt like BCG delivered incredible client impact and that I contributed to that impact in a significant way. For one project, I had the opportunity to work with the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation on their Polio eradication strategy and am still able to see the impact of that work today.

What does BCG look for?
Strong candidates are smart, capable, and possess strong leadership skills.  We derive your "smarts" through your academic achievements as well as your ability to communicate the impact of your research to a broader audience. We want to hear about the capabilities you have developed from your experience both inside and outside the classroom or laboratory. What difficult things have you accomplished in the past?

If you have further questions or would like to connect please feel free to contact our team at [email-masked]. We'd be happy to talk about further preparation tips, work/life balance, or anything else you've got on your mind.

On July 29th, representatives from The Boston Consulting Group will be on campus to discuss opportunities for students and to help you get to know us and prepare for the interview process.

Small group Coffee Chats for Advanced Degree Candidates (PhDs, MDs, Post-docs)

Tuesday, July 29th

9:00 – 5:00 PM

Cafe Terzetto

550 Gene Friend Way, Mission Bay Campus

RSVP by clicking here

The application deadline for Advanced Degree Candidates is August 10th.  Click here to access our online application.

You'll also find information about BCG on our website at http://adc.bcg.com or contact us at [email-masked].

All the best!

Laura Elias, PhD
Principal, San Francisco

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