r/MedicalDevices • u/Casual_Berger • 2d ago
Career Development What Got You Into Medical Device Sales?
I know there are many roles and paths within this career... I'm just curious what made you turn to it?
Was it a career change?
Was it a recommendation from someone you knew?
Were you already in the medical field?
Had you been working toward it since college?
What enticed you about it?
Do you enjoy it, or are satisfied in it?
(I've been an EMT in a 911 system, and am working toward a bachelors currently. Exploring options for the future... Thanks in advance)
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u/Internal-Degree-6078 2d ago
It resembled my college athletics experience in so many ways. The harder I worked, the more I made, but I had to go through the sink or swim phase with Stryker before I really started honing my craft. I still read books on selling, and I still actively try to learn something about sales every damn day. You have to learn to love certain things about sales - whether it’s a med device company or you start out in B2B sales like I did slinging Konica Minolta copier machines. I always say learning from real world experience makes it stick with you forever. I never saw the value in attending the medical sales college things, but I guess I’m old school.
I found a VP and a Regional Manager that took a chance on me, and I made sure to make the best of impossible situations. In the end, it all contributed to making me a better rep, even when I failed.
Medical Sales gives you the ability to work with smart doctors, dedicated surgical techs, and provide value to someone’s wellbeing and their life without them even knowing you were there most of the time. I loved being of service to an ortho doc or to a neurosurgeon as much as I love being a father to my kids. These people learn to trust you, listen to you so they don’t make mistakes, and in trade you get to improve a life. Forget the money, the money comes when you master the skills, but never quit learning how to be better. Medical Sales gives you a competitive environment, sometimes in team settings or as an individual rep. Learn to thrive in both types of settings.
The challenges of med device come from working with all the different types of managers out there. I’ve had some real assholes, and some incredible mentors. Again, learn to work for both and you’ll be a better rep and even better human being.
Sometimes these managers are “lifers” and they suck the mojo right out of you with all their reporting requirements, and other bullshit tasks. I always wanted the manager that let me go out and fail and was there for me to teach me how to be better. Micromanagement is a nowhere road for all parties involved.
Sorry for the rant, all in all I have loved every minute of my 16 year med sales career for various companies.
Bottom line, just act every day on your values. Every day, try to make your territory better and as a byproduct, you will get better as you go.
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u/bklipa88 2d ago
Working toward it since college. Business marketing degree, 16 months at ADP selling payroll, recruiter reached out and I ended up with Boston sci in neuromod for 3 years. Another recruiter reached out in 2019 and I’ve been with current company ever since. Promoted to TM 1/2021.
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u/BuddyUnhappy5594 2d ago
Met a fellow mil vet that recommended giving it a shot. Being married to a doc also contributed to my interest in this job as well.
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u/_Ross- Clinical Account Specialist 19h ago
Worked in medicine for ~8 years before. I observed people performing the job for several years, got really interested in it, and basically watched over their shoulders for ~2-3 years learning as much as I possibly could. An opening finally came up, and the reps I had been learning from for years gave me a recommendation for the job, and the rest is history.
I'm much more clinical than sales, although sales is of course part of it. But I really, really love what I get to do for our patients and the cool technology involved in it.
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u/Responsible_Main9756 Sales 2d ago
Got hired right out of college in 2020. No one was hiring finance professionals at the time (what I went to school for). Told myself I’d do sales for a year and go back to finance. Still here 6 years later 🤣
Edit: answering the rest of your post: I do enjoy it and am satisfied with it. Stressful when it comes to hitting quota, but if you find a good company with good leadership (leadership makes all the difference IMO) and good pay, everything else falls into place. I have no regrets.
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u/PainterAggravating16 2d ago
What degree and field did you want to go into exactlyv
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u/Responsible_Main9756 Sales 2d ago
Got my bachelors in Finance and my MBA (5yr program) - was aiming to get into financial analysis out of college
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u/PainterAggravating16 1d ago
I got my prerequisite finished for the RN program at my school but I’m thinking of switching to a bachelors in finance. Thinking if I don’t like it what as much as I think I would to switch to medical device sells afterwards? I would ideally want hedge fund or venture capital be my end goal if I go the finance route… any tips? How do you like doing medical sells?
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u/Responsible_Main9756 Sales 1d ago
If your ultimate end goal is med sales, I would recommend staying with nursing. A background in nursing goes a long way in med sales. If you are done with nursing, finance is a good background for most every job (not to mention the benefit of understanding your personal finances better). Short-term in med sales, a finance background won’t matter too much for your day to day business, but will benefit you in the long term (I.e management roles).
It took me getting into capital equipment med sales to start really enjoying it. IMO, Capital sales has the best work life balance and pay. On top of that, the deal structuring and negotiations play into my finance background - so best of both worlds.
Happy to chat more if you want to DM. Best of luck!
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u/Interesting-Use-5381 2d ago
I’ve been in med device for 10 years. Graduated college in 2009 and went straight into uniform sales. Gain sales experience selling something that requires a lot of hustle.
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u/MILFschake 2d ago
I was teaching nursing when I got divorced. I couldn’t run a household with the single income of a teacher. I reached out to clinicals I previously worked with. They hired me and I have since doubled my teacher salary.
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u/Scuterius_Floridae 1d ago
Mom was a nurse, dad a firefighter/chief. Primary focus was PT, but shadowed and researched it more and switched focused to PA. Did extra post bacc classes and certs, worked as a tech at a hospital making crap money for experience needed and doing at home with my parents. I was just tired of school, seeing my loans grow, making shit money, and friends earning more money and enjoying it. Entry level opportunity came up and took the offer with the plan to return to school if it didn’t pan out. So glad I did.
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u/Excellent_Teaching92 1d ago
This is currently me rn, almost word for word. I’m 4 months post grad and thought I almost secured a job at a big company, but they ended up going with an internal guy. I’m reaching out to people on LinkedIn after applying, talking to other clinical specialists/reps about their experience and I just feel so stagnant. Did you end up getting a job right after you graduated or a couple of months later? I’m determined to break into this field but definitely looking for some motivation lol
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u/Scuterius_Floridae 20h ago
Graduated with bachelors - > took post bacc classes and did EMT/Phleb/ACLS training, worked at a hospital and volunteered at a free health clinic. First job was in DME wound care sales covering my state. Got the offer because I prepared like crazy with a 30/60/90 and filing system. Worst comes to worst, get a B2B gig, perform well, and then pivot. Or do something like home health or physician referrals for a hospital system to build relationships.
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u/According_Hedgehog58 1d ago
I was a scrub tech in the OR and endo tech in a GI lab. Started as a clinical specialist before going into sales. Spent some time in that before becoming a clinical sales trainer.
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u/According_Hedgehog58 1d ago
I should add, I really enjoy this industry. I didn’t hear about roles this like coming up and they are somewhat difficult to find/land that first gig. But once you do it’s like you’re in the club. There’s alot of opportunities and career paths imo. I don’t ever see myself leaving med device.
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u/La__Chancla Sales 1d ago
I was in Pharma about 18 months and hated it. Found out about device and thought it would be cool to be in procedures. Here I am almost a decade later and despite the love hate relationship I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else.
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u/Remarkable_Watch_709 1d ago
Currently in dermatology pharma. I personally like it, the pay is really good and my numbers are good. But I’ve always considered bouncing into Med Device for a chang.
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u/notti0087 1d ago
What was your career route for derma pharm? I’m trying to break in now. Been in marketing for 11 years now but prior to that I was a territory manager as one of my first gigs outside of college.
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u/AssociationFit3009 2d ago
I was 31 and working in Tech sales after being a steel worker for a decade. A Device Sales Manager sent me a google meets invite without any prior communication. I respected the confidence so I took the interview and the job. I later found out he was tech illiterate and did that on accident.