How Being a Pre-Med Student Helped Him Land a Top IB Internship
Episode 49 | May 25, 2026
On Episode 49 of the Coffee Chat Podcast, Ben sits down with Magnus, an Amherst College student who made an unconventional transition from pre-med to investment banking, ultimately landing a 2027 Junior Summer Internship with TripleTree in New York.
Magnus’ story is a reminder that there is no single path into investment banking. In fact, his early interest in healthcare became one of his greatest strengths during recruiting.
“I still think healthcare is really cool,” Magnus explained. “But is there another path?” That question first surfaced while shadowing an orthopedic surgeon. During a surgery, Magnus found himself more interested in speaking with a medical device sales representative about the business side of healthcare than watching the operation itself.
That experience, combined with a freshman-year internship at Magnetar Capital, opened the door to a career in finance. What started as an exploratory internship quickly became something more. “I really enjoyed the process of breaking [a business problem] down into a yes or no answer,” Magnus said while discussing a project analyzing credit default swaps tied to airline companies.
After connecting with Amherst career advisor Stephanie Hockman, Magnus enrolled in the Adventis Financial Modeling Certification® Program. Through the FMC® Program, he gained exposure to valuation, M&A, and the broader investment banking landscape.
Ben emphasized one of the biggest lessons from Magnus’ recruiting journey: authenticity matters. Rather than hiding his nontraditional background, Magnus leaned into it during networking conversations. His genuine passion for healthcare helped him connect with bankers across the industry, especially within healthcare-focused firms.
Over the course of roughly 60 networking conversations, Magnus discovered that cultural fit and authentic curiosity often mattered more than trying to appear like a “perfect finance candidate.” His advice to students pursuing investment banking: keep an open mind, pursue opportunities early, and let your genuine interests guide the process.
Listen to the full episode of the Coffee Chat Podcast to hear more about Magnus’ transition from pre-med to investment banking, how he approached networking, and the strategies that helped him earn a highly competitive healthcare investment banking internship.
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