Training Programs

Preparing for a career in medical sales

How Impactful Can Training Be?

Why is training considered to be an expedited or accelerated path to success in medical sales? Just consider the statistics . . .

Under normal circumstances, an average job posting in medical device sales might garner 200 applications. That means you have a 1 in 200 chance of getting the job, or one half of one percent (.50%). All three of the training programs we recommend for you to consider have over a 90% placement rate. With training, that means 180 out of 200 will get the job. Which group would you rather be in?

If you’re serious about getting a job in medical device sales, you’ll want to spend some time getting familiar with the following three programs.

Medical Sales College


Medical Sales College (MSC) offers very comprehensive training programs to prepare students for careers in orthopedic sales, with an emphasis on total joint reconstruction, extremity orthopedics, spine, sports medicine and biologic products.

  • 6-week and 10-week training programs w/ various formats ranging from three weeks of at-home study followed by three weeks of in-house training, up to 10 weeks of in-house training near Denver, CO
  • Specializes in sales of implantable medical devices with programs in Orthopaedic Reconstruction & Trauma, Spine, Sports Medicine, Orthopaedic Extremities, Foot & Ankle and Biologics
  • $6,000 – $11,250 tuition plus cost of room, board and associated expenses
  • Classes begin several times a year (usually on a monthly basis, depending on the specialty); Over 100 classes graduated since inception in late 2010
  • 90% placement rate (up from 83.85% advertised November 2012); No information on geographic distribution for placement activity
  • A- Rating with the Better Business Bureau (click here)
  • Top players in this industry include Stryker, DePuy Synthes, Zimmer, Medtronic, Smith & Nephew, Biomet, Wright Medical, ConMed and others
  • PROS: Thorough training program and preparation; Relatively short duration for training; High placement rates; Licensed, approved and regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (click here to view license)
  • CONS: Relatively high cost of tuition

ATI


Arryhthmia Technologies Institute (ATI) offers the most comprehensive training program for Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) and Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) education, preparing students for sales and technical support roles of cardiac devices.

  • 8-month training program completed in Greenville, SC
  • Specializes in Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) and Cardiac Electrophysiology (EP) education
  • $22,850 tuition plus eight months of room, board and associated expenses
  • Classes begin only one time each year (in September); While the number of graduating classes since inception in 1987 is undisclosed, over 400 students have been trained in the “long” program
  • Placement rates are very high with more than a 99% placement rate over 25 years, and with 100% of students from 2013 receiving jobs in the field
  • A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau (click here)
  • Top players in this industry include Medtronic, Boston Scientific, St. Jude Medical, BIOTRONIK, Sorin Group, Abbott Laboratories, Edwards Lifesciences, Zoll Medical, Biosense Webster, and others
  • PROS: Intensive, comprehensive training program; Exceptional placement rates; Licensed by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education  (click here to view license)
  • CONS: High cost of tuition; Duration and frequency of classes can be a challenge

PrepMD


PrepMD offers another quality training program in Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) and Electrophysiology (EP) to prepare students for careers as medical device clinical specialists or sales reps, with an emphasis on pacemaker products.

  • 6-month training program w/ four weeks of online preparation and with onsite training completed near Boston, MA
  • Specializes in Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM) and Electrophysiology (EP) sales
  • $30,000 tuition plus six months of room, board and associated expenses
  • Classes begin three times per year (in February, May and September); Eight graduating classes since inception in 2009
  • Placement rates seem to be at about 92% as of June 2013 (up from 84% as of April 2012); Vast majority of placement activity (50-52%) is in the Northeast
  • A Rating with the Better Business Bureau (click here)
  • Top players in this industry include Medtronic, Boston Scientific, St. Jude Medical, BIOTRONIK, Sorin Group, Abbott Laboratories, Edwards Lifesciences, Zoll Medical, Cordis, Terumo, Thoratec, C.R. Bard and others
  • PROS: Thorough training program and preparation; High placement rates
  • CONS: High cost of tuition; Length of training program; Not a licensed, approved, state-regulated program