Student Testimonials

Shannon Pfannenstein

Hometown: Bristow, VA

Class Speciality: 12-Week Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Reconstruction & Trauma

Company Placement: Integra Life Sciences

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Tell me a little about your background.

I have over a decade of sales experience.

Why were you interested in pursuing medical sales as a career?

I attended MSC so I could make a career change and gain knowledge of the medical device sales industry.

How did you learn about Medical Sales College?

I came across MSC after researching the medical device industry for a year and consulted other sales reps who are in the industry about how they would recommend making the jump into medical device sales.

What ultimately made you decide to attend?

I decided to attend MSC after getting recommendations from other medical device reps who had not gone through the program, but wish they would have.

Please describe your training experience at Medical Sales College.

The training program was one of the hardest courses I have ever taken (and I have a degree in Finance!). It was very in-depth for the length of the course. I feel like I learned a great deal of industry knowledge and it really showed when I was interviewing and on ride-alongs with hiring managers. I also loved the other students in my class. Our group was very competitive but also helped each other succeed and cheer each other on.

Why should someone attend Medical Sales College?

What I learned prior to attending MSC is that getting into the medical device sales industry is HARD, even with sales experience! I feel that having the certification from MSC helped my resume get looked at by recruiters and the knowledge gained from the course helped me during the interview process.

How long did you try to get into the industry before attending MSC? What was that experience like?

Over a year.

Please briefly explain your job interview process with your hiring company.

I applied for 100 positions and have the excel sheet to prove it. The process is not quick! I am still waiting on decisions from interviews/ridealongs I did 2 months ago. Many websites will go over how long the process is and it takes 3-5 months. With Integra, the National Manager saw me on MSC's ZeroFee recruiting site and reached out to me. I had a call with him and he then referred me to the Regional Manager for a call. I passed his interview and he sent me a contract the following week to sign.

What is your current job like?

I'm currently in training.

What do you know now that you wish you had known before entering the industry/attending Medical Sales College?

I wish I would've known how long the interview process actually takes and more about becoming a distributor and the process it takes to get set up.

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?

My biologics trainer was a huge benefit to me! She took a very complex subject and made it easier to understand. My hiring manager was impressed by the amount of knowledge of Biologics I understood.