Student Testimonials
Tell me a little about your background.
I graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor in Science in Biomedical Sciences with a Chemistry Minor and I knew that I always wanted to be in the medical field. My mother was an Anesthesiologist and that is why I went the biomedical sciences route. I wanted to be a doctor, but my mom told me that it wasn?t worth it and the industry was changing and that I should go into medical device sales instead. We live in Detroit and there are a lot of Stryker reps here so I was also introduced to the industry through them.
Why were you interested in pursuing medical sales as a career?
I thoroughly enjoyed science and I knew that I wanted to do something in the medical field. I like talking and I like the fact that with devices you actually get to be in the O.R. so you?re helping doctors, seeing surgery and scrubbing in. I also like that you?re not stuck at one hospital, but can bounce around.
How did you learn about Medical Sales College?
I found out about MSC through the job application process when a recruiter turned me onto the school.
What ultimately made you decide to attend?
MSC has a really well laid out, easily accessible website that answered all my questions.
Please describe your training experience at Medical Sales College.
I had an awesome experience and all the teachers were great. I enjoyed Denver. It is a plus that you get to go to a cool city. The program was a little bit rigorous, but it wasn?t shoved down my throat and i was able to learn a lot in class. I liked not having a break, it was one foot in front of the other learning everyday and you didn?t get a chance to sit around. I actually have a buddy going through the next Academy class.
What is the most valuable piece of information that you learned while attending MSC which ultimately helped you land your position?
Just the knowledge about how actual medical sales works, who to talk to, what the sales process is and the background knowledge of what it means to be a medical device sales rep was helpful to me.
Why should someone attend Medical Sales College?
Besides everything you learn about the actual industry, the surgeries, the profiling, etc. the School gives you something to put on your resume that stands out to the hiring manager. I knew about the industry before I came, I applied for close to six months and no one would talk to me. I got rejection letters or no response at all and it was very frustrating because they wanted one to three years of experience for an entry-level job. After attending the school, I actually got interviews. Hiring managers liked the fact that I spent my own money and worked harder to get into this industry, which made me stand out. It was the best money I ever spent.
How long did you try to get into the industry before attending MSC? What was that experience like?
There was only a week between my college graduation and the time I started school at MSC. I lucked out on the timing for the Academy program. I wanted to have a position as soon as I graduated. After speaking with my Stryker rep contacts, they told me to start applying to positions in order to show dedication and persistence, I applied to Smith & Nephew as well. Finally after a million ?we?re sorry? letters, or not hearing anything back at all, a recruiter told me about Medical Sales College.
Did you have any fears about attending the School? What were they?
I wasn?t sure if this was a big scam or not when I first hear about the School. I thought: ?Is this too good to be true?? I?m pretty persistent though, and know how to do my research. I read everything on the website, including the testimonials. I also spoke with Kim in Admissions and ultimately decided to pull the trigger.
Explain what your interview process was like.
I interviewed with Synthes and Smith & Nephew, but I ultimately ended up with PMT. That interview was very typical. THey wanted to know what was different about me from everyone else and they liked that I knew what I was talking bout and that I had a go-getter attitude. I had a face-to-face and two phone interviews before they extended an offer.
What is your current job like?
PMT is a smaller company based out of Minnesota. They don?t do implants, but they have a neurological and orthopedic division, which is what I am a rep for. They got started with Halos, but doctors don?t use those much anymore. Our big thing is Epilepsy Electrode, they are small and customizable and we can make whatever the doctor needs. I have just been down at the Cleavland clinic and we landed a 4 million dollar account working with the lead epilepsy neurosurgeon in the country. It was a very cool account to land and I?m going to be covering those surgeries. Our device helps determine what causes seizures and is 90% effective.
What do you know now that you wish you had known before entering the industry/attending Medical Sales College?
I would tell all graduates to get the LinkedIn Premium, it worked really well for me. Companies actually contacted me for interviews. However, don?t put all your eggs in one basket. Finally, don?t give up faith, and be persistent because the hiring process can be long and slow.
What was the most valuable thing you learned at Medical Sales College/What piece of training do you use the most in your day-to-day activities?
The profiling techniques were really helpful, and also being in from of a ?doctor? or sales situation really helps out in becoming more confident. that?s important because a doctor will never want to use you if you don?t know what you?re talking about or how to approach him. The bigges benefir was having our role-plays recorded so you can see how you get better and better over time.