hi all, I’m a medical doctor, so finance experience whatsoever. Due to start MBA in Autumn at top 10 school. So have got a couple of months to fill up. Want to do pharma equity research post MBA. Do you guys think that if I start working for Level 1 next week, I can pass it in June. My understanding being that level 1 will help me to secure equity research post MBA. Please be realistic as if I have minimal chance I dont want to study hard and waste time that I can otherwise use for travelling. I was thinking of doing an Kaplan or BPP full time course, which is basically 2 days per week 9-5 until end of May. Thanks for your help. Very much appreciated.
May be a bit hard if you don’t have a finance background, and would be quite a challenge from now even if you did. But nothings impossible. Don’t leave medicine though, there’s enough finance wanks running around the place, and the world needs more doctors. You really should reconsider.!!
It’s plenty of time, though I don’t know if you can do it because it appears that you are not committed to the CFA program. Specifically, you ask this question or something similar every few months, dating back nearly three years ago: http://www.analystforum.com/phorums/read.php?1,118271,118271#msg-118271 So, you ask questions like whether you can pass Level I and whether you can make it to the sell-side…well, there are definitely a number of physicians on Wall Street, but I’d be willing to bet that they’ve shown a lot more perseverance, motivation, and dedication. No offense, but I think “lack of time” should be the least of your concerns.
thanks numi as i said i managed to get into top-10 mba programme…which was not easy to do…so i would respectfully have to disagree with you regarding lack of “perseverance and dedication”. but do you think that it is possible to pass level 1 by june. I got the next 6-months off and can dedicate myself to it.
Just signup and take the test in June. What have you got to lose other than some cash. If you fail, then it was good practice. No one on AF can tell if YOU can pass the test in June by starting now.
If you have as much time as you say and those credentials to signal some real intelligence you’ll pass. Level 1 is “plug & chug”- you apply the right formula to the right problem.
I’m with numi here - this guy is a troll on AF for 3 years wanting advice about taking Level I. For the record, I had a bicycle race on May 5 the year I took CFA I. I opened my package from Stalla while icing my knees. And I didn’t need three years to get myself psyched up.
“I got the next 6-months off and can dedicate myself to it.” You should be able to do it with one month off…
I did it in less w/ liberal arts degree and a job. If you dedicate yourself consistently and are reasonably intelligent it shouldn’t be an issue. And take the vacation time!!
DoctorToER Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > hi all, > > I’m a medical doctor, so finance experience > whatsoever. > > Due to start MBA in Autumn at top 10 school. So > have got a couple of months to fill up. Want to do > pharma equity research post MBA. > > Do you guys think that if I start working for > Level 1 next week, I can pass it in June. My > understanding being that level 1 will help me to > secure equity research post MBA. > > Please be realistic as if I have minimal chance I > dont want to study hard and waste time that I can > otherwise use for travelling. > > I was thinking of doing an Kaplan or BPP full time > course, which is basically 2 days per week 9-5 > until end of May. > > Thanks for your help. Very much appreciated. Doc-Hope you dont cut corners when you examine your patients because you have to catch the 6 pm movie. Anyway, you get the point. If you are truly doing a MBA from top 10 schools, you have enough ammo to get a pharma ER position two years from now, when “hopefully” the supposed recession will have passed. There are quite a few senior analysts in ER without the CFA but have MBA’s. Besides, level 1 doesn’t get you anywhere. As the saying goes-Its level 2 which seperates the men from the boys. Best of Luck!!!
You definitely have time. Just commit and “git er done.” I took Level 1 last summer before starting my MBA . Although I had a couple of finance classes during undergrad, I was able to pass with only three weeks of full-time study (i.e. 10 hours per day, 7 days per week). Also, I would say from experience that having the Level 1 on my resume did help with recruiting. Because I didn’t have any finance work experience, I was often asked if I was really commited to a career in finance or it was just something that I was investigating because “everyone applies to consulting and finance.” The CFA was something that I could always point to as evidence that I was passionate about pursuing a finance career and of my dedication to learning everything I possibly could. It was just one part of my overall story (and I’m sure the benefit was marginal), but it certainly did help.
LIFO, can u share ur exp with how CFA L1 helped u with recruiting?
If you have time to take a coure “2 days per week 9-5 until end of May” and do some studying on your own time you can totally do it. The material isn’t rocket science, it just takes dilegence due to the volume. If you were smart enough to get to and through med school and are good at learning, it’s probably within your grasp. I passed this December studying for two months (though, with a math background). Good luck!
if you have 300-400 hrs to study, yes! otherwise, no!
Folks - He’s been here for three years. Not like he just discovered this CFA exam thing.
This is his basic history re: CFA from previous posts: May 16th, 2005 - General, LI Forums: Will the CFA help me? May 21st, 2005 - LI Forum: Ok, I am taking CFA LI in December 05! May 23rd, 2005 - LI Forum: What order should I study the study sessions? May 25th, 2005- LI Forum: What % does it take to pass LI? June 13th, 2005- LI Forum: Stalla or Schweser? July 10th, 2005 - General, LI, LII, & LIII Forums: Is the CFA the right choice for me? June 22, 2007 - General Forum: CFA LI is hard, is there any alternative? June 25th, 2007 - General Forum: Should I just do the Investment Management Certificate instead of the CFA since the CFA LI is too hard? June 26th, 2007 - General Discussion: I am planning on doing CFA L1 in December this time. NOW: February 26th, 2008 - General, LI, LII Forums: Can I pass CFA L1 in June with this little time? I really promise to take it this time. And yes, I have too much time and should really get back to CFA studying.
nice detective work wanderingcfa…like JoeyDVivre pointed out, that guy is a troll and/or total joker
That’s some serious self-policing of the message board. I kind of feel like I wasted my time replying now. ancientmtk, My experience with the CFA Level 1 during recruiting was just as I described in my initial posting. Having non-finance work experience, one of the questions most firms asked was about my commitment to a career in finance. I think that they basically wanted to know if I was interviewing for banking / private equity because everyone else was doing the same and it sounded “sooo cool” or if it was something that naturally interested me. My answer was along the lines of, “I came to school specifically to move into your industry. I am extremely committed and just for some more evidence you can see that I started the CFA before I even got here.” Like I said, it’s definitely marginal and I may have gotten the same offers without the CFA, but everyone was satisfied with the answer.