Fuqua Students Solve Real-World Business Challenges

An Executive MBA student describes how an experiential learning program pushed her out of her comfort zone

Four people pose in a Photo Booth, wearing crowns and other hats
Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum team members celebrate.

This is a summary of a story originally on The Office of Interdisciplinary Programs.

When Wendy Gu entered the Executive MBA program at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, she was already an accomplished scientist working in research and development. What she didn’t yet know was whether a career in consulting might be the right next step.

Through the Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP), she got the chance to find out.

This experiential learning program pairs small teams of students with established companies, startups and nonprofits to solve real business challenges. Students define a scope of work, conduct research and analysis, collaborate and present strategic recommendations. About 400 students a year take part in the for-credit course. 

Gu’s team worked with Viewflow Medical, a startup developing a device that measures blood flow during surgery.

“We helped them prioritize which types of surgical specialties would most benefit from this technology,” Gu explains. “We also connected them with two surgeons at Duke who were interested in piloting it.”

The project pushed her to step outside her comfort zone. Gu volunteered to serve as the team’s project lead — her first experience managing a group. “Before Fuqua, I didn’t really see myself as a leader,” she says. “FCCP felt like a safe space to try.”

The experience boosted her confidence while helping her build practical business skills. “Working with this startup in a consulting role was very different (from my job as a scientist),” she says. “It focused more on the business side. That’s why I came to Fuqua — to move into a business role.”

For Gu, the experience helped launch a new career path in consulting.

“I got an offer from McKinsey to join as an associate, and I’m just so excited,” she says. “FCCP helped a lot — both with the consulting experience and how I talked about it in interviews.”

To read the full story, go to The Office of Interdisciplinary Programs.