One of the biggest draws of medical device sales is feeling that you are contributing to the health and well-being of others through the products you represent. This is an important motivation for most people I interview who want to break into the industry, as well as one of the main reasons that people who are already part of the industry find it so rewarding.
Many trauma reps in particular derive a incredible satisfaction from providing the right products to assist a surgeon in putting someone back together after an accident. They love the immediacy and high stakes of getting everything right in order to achieve the best outcome for patients.
There are some people who try out trauma, only to find the 24/7 on-call requirements wear on them. After about a year, they will decide that although they love the operating room, trauma is not for them, and sometimes move onto another part of the industry. Perhaps they want to do good, but not quite that much.
When considering which area of medical device sales to pursue, it is important to consider your own needs and desires to decide if the industry is the best match for you.
Are you wired like a trauma rep, with a strong desire to help surgeons and their patients? Do you love intensity, problem solving and thrive on pressure? Then trauma might be a good match for you. If you are someone who prefers more work-life balance, trauma probably is not the right match, but other areas of the industry could be. In general however, being a successful medical device sales representative is going to require a high level of commitment.
Although “doing good” can be an important motivation for breaking into medical device sales, it should not be the only one if someone is going to sustain the long-term drive and commitment it takes to succeed in a very competitive industry. If “helping” is your overriding interest, there are many other jobs and industries where you can satisfy the need to help, including being a healthcare provider. In medical device sales, you must also have a strong desire to “do well” through competing, winning new business and growing your income in order to succeed.
Without the desire to “do good,” you could loose sight of the ethical responsibility to do right by the patient.
Without a strong desire to “do well,” you may not be sufficiently motivated to achieve the results necessary to sustain a successful career in the industry.
Make sure you reflect on your motivations for breaking into medical device sales. If you find that you do in fact have a strong desire to “do well by doing good,” you’ll find the industry remarkably satisfying on many levels. If you are already in the industry, renew your energy and commitment by reflecting on the many rewards provided by your remarkable career.
What do you think are the greatest rewards of medical device sales?
“Reflect upon your present blessing of which every man has many- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” — Charles Dickens
Lisa McCallister specializes in recruiting for medical device sales and marketing positions with an operating room focus, such as orthopedics, electrosurgery, endoscopy and a wide range of surgical specialties. She has recruited two Rookie of the Year award winners. Connect with her on LinkedIn or check out her blog, MyJobScope.com.