Introducing: Katherine Wang

You have a medical degree from the University in Oslo. What made you interested in pursuing a career in consulting? I find medicine as a field of study to be very interesting, but working in healthcare to be more challenging. Consulting gives me the opportunity to experience many different industries, work closely with clients to solve complex problems, and develop skills that can be transferable to any field. This enables me to work with pharmaceutical, biotech, and other health services companies to contribute to healthcare from a different angle.

During your studies you were, among other things, a Standing Committee Director at the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), working towards increasing access to research and research education. Why was this work important? Research is crucial for the progress of evidence-based medicine, and although most, if not all, medical schools engage in research, it is often missing or heavily underprioritized in the medical school curriculum. As future healthcare professionals, it is essential for medical students to be able to access, interpret, and employ research findings and scientific papers both throughout their studies but also later in the clinical setting and in patient-care.

What's one thing you learned then that you still use today? One of the most important things I learned was how to work and collaborate in diverse teams. While in IFMSA, I had the chance to work with people from all around the world, with different cultural and educational backgrounds. This taught me how to communicate across cultures and how to better understand different perspectives.

What personal skill have you used the most during your time at BCG? I think it has to be the ability to learn quickly and ask lots of questions. Coming from a non-business background, I have been exposed to a lot of new terminology and concepts. We also work across industries and may be staffed on a project in a completely different industry from the previous one. The great thing about BCG is its extensive resources that are easily accessible, both online and in-person trainings, so that it is easy to fill in any knowledge gaps I may have.

One book you are planning to read this summer? Girls That Invest by Simran Kaur - such an important topic that should be accessible to everyone.

What's the least useful talent you have? I can wiggle my pinky toes independent of the other toes.

?What are your top 3 Oslo spots in the summertime?

1. Sit out at the tip of Tjuvholmen, preferably with an ice cream.
2. Go for a hike up Vettakollen.
3. Almost anywhere along Akerselva, lots of great places to sit and enjoy a book or grilling with friends.

The best advice I ever received was… not everything has to be perfect, sometimes good enough is good enough.?

Katherine joined the BCG Oslo office as an Associate in August 2021. Prior to joining BCG, she completed an MD with Research at the University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine.?