Dylan James

Food aficionado, avid book reader, travel lover, basketball player, and a big nerd that enjoys anything from Sci-Fi to tabletop games! That?s the fun stuff?now for my educational background: I graduated from Augustana College in 2017 with degrees in History, Political Science, and Asian Studies. Before I interned at Sage Products (healthcare product manufacturer now owned by Stryker) in their Clinical Affairs department back in 2015, I was focused on becoming a lawyer, however after I had the opportunities to research with the new product development team and role play with medical sales representatives that summer, I wanted to expand on my knowledge of the wonders of medical technology and the commitment to excellent customer service.

Aside from my internship at Sage Products, I've been interested in pursuing a career in the medical industry ever since I discovered Eastern medicine while studying abroad in East Asia. I was shocked to find out that Eastern physicians don?t use advanced medical technology to treat their patients, which made me realize that Western medicine can?t be taken for granted. So I found that a position in the medical industry would allow me to educate people on how their lives are positively affected by the wonders of technology, and the best way to provide direct support is through medical devices.

In the Fall of 2018 I was updating my LinkedIn to make employers aware of my year of B2B sales experience (HR & Purchasing Specialist at Menges Roller & Membership Services Specialist at the Foglia YMCA) and desire to pursue a professional career in the medical sales industry, and I was lucky enough to have Scott Binder reach out to me! I attended because of his persistence and belief in Medical Sales College as a foundation of knowledge for someone just starting out in the industry.

I did my due diligence before committing to MSC. I upgraded my LinkedIn to a Premium subscription and spent about a month contacting graduates of MSC from all over the country over LinkedIn. Every single one of them had something special to say about their experience during and after attending, so I 100% believed in the program, the instructors, and the job prospects.

My training was in the Upper & Lower Extremities at the Chicago location, where I learned and trained under Dr. Stephen Perns. There is no doubt I wouldn?t be as confident, knowledgeable, and excited about the Medical Sales field as a whole if it wasn?t for him. No other MSC program in the country has a surgeon teaching the class full time. I think it really puts into perspective how well taught and informed we now are about the need to know your product inside and out, as well as the grind of constantly learning and adapting to surgeons, competitors, and medical technology.

Also, a special thanks to Thiana Nebel and the rest of my classmates. Whether you know it or not, you?re pushing me everyday to realize my potential as a medical device salesman, as well as striving to be the best human being I can be.

You should attend MSC if you?re young, inexperienced, and are interested in pursuing a career in the Medical Sales industry. You should attend MSC if you?re seasoned and have exhausted all of your chances in a typical B2B environment in order to transition to a medical device career. You should attend MSC if you?re like me and have no prior background in the sciences. You should attend MSC if you?ve majored in Biology, Chemistry, Kinesiology, etc. and you believe that your knowledge will give you a leg up. What I?m saying is that this program is quite literally for anyone who wants the knowledge, resources, and credentials to succeed in the Medical Sales industry. Everyone will start and end on the same level?then it will be up to you to apply your expertise and sell yourself!

I knew that I needed B2B sales experience and some educational background in a particular medical field before I could confidently apply and be recognized. So I really didn?t try hard to break in until Scott reached out to me. I completed my year of B2B sales in 2018 and went right in to MSC at the start of 2019.

My interview process was a little intimidating because I was ignorant to the anatomy and procedures of the spine, however by the 3rd interview I was offered the job because I spent that time in between studying up as much as I could on the spine, as well as staying persistent in setting up interviews and asking for the position.

I wish I was aware of the sacrifices that must be made to have a successful, everlasting career in this industry. You?re going to have to give up weekends where you could be spending time with friends, struggle to maintain personal relationships, and limit time spent on your hobbies because you?ll need to stay on top of your product knowledge in order to be an expert.

I?m not at all upset or regretting my decision to become a successful Medical Device Sales Representative, however I know there will be a grind before I can delegate my personal time properly.

I wish you all luck! Go out there and get it!

Don?t underestimate your ability and overall knowledge of the Medical Sales industry to confidently apply to other positions outside of your MSC specialty. Take me for example: my program was the Upper & Lower Extremities where I primarily studied the foot & ankle, as well as the hand. But now I?m going to work for a Spine Distributor! Don?t feel like you have to limit yourself; explore DME, Capital Equipment, Wound Care, and Trauma!