Med Device Training Programs

Introduction

One of the biggest adjustments for me, as I transitioned to corporate sales was making it through the rigorous training programs required for employment. As an entrepreneur, your training comes from non-traditional ways and mostly raw experiences. When I began my trucking company, there was no formal training for success.

The only training I had was preparation to pass the CDL licensing exam, not how to effectively utilize the license afterward. Some of the desire to join an elite organization was to gain access to more resources, expand my network and to develop into an astute professional. In this article, I want to break down how medical device training programs are structured and share some strategies that I’ve utilized to succeed.

Training Overview:

• Each company has a similar training breakdown.
• Mental stress and fatigue are imminent.
• Required to stay above a certain threshold, or employment is in jeopardy.
• Clinical, sales, and technical sections.
• 1-3 month programs.
• Large classes of 20-50 people.
• Similar to a semester of college.
• Virtual and physical sessions.
• Awards given at the end.

Clinical Training:

• Very anatomy and procedure focused.
• Timed multiple-choice exams.
• Usually required before sales training.
• Similar to a college semester.
• Presentations and PowerPoints followed by evaluations.
• Must be clinically sound to successfully sell physicians.

Specialty specific

• Cardiac positions focus on the heart.
• Orthopedic positions focus on bones.
• Biologics focus on regeneration. Etc.

Product Training:

• Extremely hands-on training.
• A lot of time spent with the product(s).
• Must be able to effectively present products.
• Must be able to effectively teach people with no understanding of the product how to utilize the product.
• Mock presentations in front of training partners.
• Mock in-services in front of training programs.
• Must learn how to communicate clinical value of product using learned information throughout the program.
• Spend time with competing products to understand differences.

Products are specialty-specific.

• Orthopedics = plates, screws, nails.
• Pharma = medications.
• Cardiac = monitors, catheters, pacemakers, etc.

Sales Training:

• Role-playing possible customer scenarios.
• Problem-solving possible scenarios.
• Mock product presentations for hospital executives and physicians.
• Volunteer surgeon Q&As.
• Team-building exercises in small groups.
• Exams are usually conversations and scenario-based.p

Takeaway

I have been through various medical device training programs, and each one had vast differences. Although the differences are apparent, the overall foundation of each is the same. When I made the transition to medical devices, it was difficult because with entrepreneurship, there is no structure, so there was a learning curve for adjustment.

The reason I write these articles is because this information would have accelerated my process, so the least I can do is share what I have gained and hope those who will benefit find their way to these words. The key to success in the rigorous training courses is to approach them like a college semester. There will be much stress, anxiety, and sleepless nights.

Companies' goals are to make the programs hard but not so hard that everyone fails. In theory, completion of the programs prepares you for product and customer engagement. The only individuals who don’t make it through the training are those who don’t put in adequate effort. As long as you understand discipline and execution, this breakdown will serve as a great guide for any role in medical sales that you land.