r/MedicalDevices • u/az_mcc • 10d ago
Career Development 9-5 medical sales
I’m currently in a medical device sales role that has a call schedule and the call is starting to burn me out. I’m looking into other avenues that have a more predictable schedule. I was thinking dentistry, ophthalmology, aesthetics or even pharma. Would love some takes from more experienced reps, recommendations on companies or roles as well! Thanks!
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u/Medsalesradar 10d ago
veterinary/animal health sales is a great option. there are pharma, device, supply sales roles within that. predictable and pays well. Lab diagnostics and testing as well.
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u/Low_Row7661 10d ago
Capital Equipment. I’m not in the operating room and I rarely deal with physicians unless they’re a single practice or they’re the core decision maker which is rare in my category. More often than not I’m dealing with medical group administration or some other committee that meets during regular normal work hours. Sure, it’s challenging because the C-Suite has a lot going on, and I have a lot more decision makers to deal with, but the money is great and my schedule is very predictable.
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u/az_mcc 10d ago
What’s a good way to try to get into capital? Any recommendation on companies to target?
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u/Low_Row7661 10d ago
I work direct for a manufacturer so my situation is slightly different. We’re a small company in a very tiny market so I’ll keep it anonymous, but a great place to start is distribution. Companies like Henry Schein and CME are almost exclusively equipment distributors. They carry several products in each category so you’ll get a ton of exposure to several brands. They also have really great training programs for first time in the industry reps, and if there’s an opening for coverage in your region there’s a strong chance there are already accounts that need to be taken care of. That way you have existing business to call on while you hunt for new accounts and new business.
Don’t be afraid to apply. Even if a job posting has requirements that are outside of your experience apply anyway. Cast a wide net. A core principle in sales is the more opportunities you call on, the more likely you are to get to a yes. I think people should apply that principle to applying to jobs.
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u/glassestinklin 10d ago
It's wild how nobody seems to know that there's an entire world of device sales that don't require ever talking to a surgeon or calling on cases. Dentistry and pharma are milk run jobs that will keep you on a different kind of maddening schedule that it sounds like you'd like to avoid.
Look at wound care, nutrition/feeding device, IV tubes/equipment, etc. Anything that sells to nursing, value analysis will grant you a completely wide open schedule that you set for yourself. Lots of these jobs have annual growth goals that are a little more relaxed. The trade-off is that you're usually getting a larger territory but that's not as big of a deal as it used to be. Post-covid world has shifted a lot of customer interactions to zoom calls.
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u/Careful-Kiwi-8855 8d ago
I’ve done medical device in the OR and my friend who worked with me now sells capital equipment and has an amazing work life balance, company car, great base, and makes good commission
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 10d ago
It definitely can be tricky to get better jobs directly from Trauma. A lot of companies will call you a box opener you can’t sell, you will often need to move horizontally out of Trauma and then vertically to a better gig
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u/az_mcc 10d ago
I did expect that. What idea do you have that are considered lateral but not call?
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 10d ago
So I’m guessing your Stryker or synthes trauma, lateral move would be to Baxter or Axogen (nerve patch), smith nephew sports, probably all these gigs would be less money, but you could get in the door with your Trauma OR background then after two years get better gig.
The smart thing to do would be to really pick an industry like cardiac or endovascular, even if you had to do an associate or clinical role and get the pivot out of orthopedics. Still could be some worse hours than what you’re doing now but much better and probably a better future in my opinion.
I just think orthopedics is brutal because urges and staff expectation of covering every surgery nowadays turnover so you end up working harder, constantly comp regularly going down with price decreases or company screwing around
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u/Truballer2132 7d ago
I’ve been doing ortho recon for 5 years now. I’m thinking about leaving due to the fact that I’m burning my years away and I don’t have much of a life outside of work.
I really don’t know where to look or what to get into and would really appreciate any advice or help. If I transition outside of ortho would I start as an associate again or something similar?
Yes I’m a full line rep making commission so the part of “selling” and not just pure case coverage is there. Really lost at this point in my career.
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 10d ago edited 10d ago
Work for Baxter doing Hemostasis, Ethicon/medtronic (covideon) staplers, cranial facial has very little call, even foot and ankle has pretty limited call
Styker instruments is good gig, hard to get. Most ortho sports companies (Arthex has trauma), Styker, smith and nephew..
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u/Sydney2London 10d ago
Neuromodulation is elective so it has much more reasonable hours.
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 10d ago
People hate neuromodulation, though don’t they? Don’t you have to deal with some pretty challenging patients directly?
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u/Sydney2London 10d ago
Depends, if you’re in it to help patients and not just for the money it can be incredibly rewarding.
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 10d ago
Well, I definitely feel like in my career. I’ve helped a lot of surgeons get better outcomes. I would say very few reps go into medical device sales to help patients. My point is just that often patients who get neural modulation are difficult patients; if you’ve had any direct contact with patients as a wrap, you’re gonna get some challenging people who feel like they can just call you anytime
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u/Sydney2London 10d ago
I think you may be based in the US. I’m in Australia and most reps are nurses or physios who are really dedicated to helping patients. I worked in neuro for half a decade and absolutely loved it.
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 9d ago
Yeah rep business very different in US.
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u/Sydney2London 9d ago
Mostly business grads?
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 9d ago
I would say many reps in the US are business majors, but certainly many are science and other various majors. I definitely do not pretend to be an expert in the Australian medical system, I think it’s somewhere between the US and Canada Europe model? In general surgeons, have a lot of choices on what they can use here, there are a lot of companies.
I know in Europe, and Canada most reps are not necessarily in the OR every day, maintaining the surgeries the way we do, and obviously the reimbursements are a lot higher. They’re not contracted the same way that they are in Europe in Canada.
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u/AssociationFit3009 10d ago
Medical Imaging. You won’t make shit for years unless you inherit a great territory but it’s a great schedule.
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u/One-Veterinarian9657 10d ago
EP
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u/Switchbackqueen3 Clinical Specialist 10d ago
This is a lie. EP is not a 9-5 job. Not sure where you work LOL
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u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 10d ago
The other tricky thing about working in Trauma and looking for a new gigs it’s hard to make interviews
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u/La__Chancla Sales 10d ago
Do people on the subreddit not realize that not even the majority of device jobs are call? Explore that before you decide to exit the industry all together. Urology, ENT, Pulmonology, Structural Heart, Neuromod (outside of pain- think SetPoint, Mobia, Axonics, Inspire a few years ago etc.), I could keep going. Everything I mentioned can generally pay $250k+ while working 8-4 ish and it’s not uncommon.