Healthcare Job that Pays 100k/year and Does Not Require a Degree

You read that right. There is such thing as a healthcare job that pays extremely well (over $150,000) and does not even require a medical degree.

A medical salesperson caters equipment and supplies to hospitals for a hefty fee. Heavy equipment like X-Rays, MRI machines, and scanners are the obvious choices, but individuals and companies also sell things like hospital whiteboards for communication, screws, prosthetic limbs, and other implantable devices.  They will also sell to a surgeon directly, and oftentimes be present in surgeries to ensure the equipment is used properly and does not malfunction.

Don’t worry, if you are worried that some guy who has never been to medical school is overseeing your surgery, you can rest assured knowing that the training they receive is the most comprehensive of any sales job (as well it should be).

So, what exactly do they do?

At the most basic function of the job, sales reps sell to hospitals and surgeons respectively. Whichever one it ends up being, sales reps will often sit in on surgeries, meaning the job is not for the faint of heart or those who are squeamish. The purpose of this is to answer any questions a surgeon may have about a particular piece of equipment, whether it be in the operating room or in an office. This means the sales rep has to be very knowledgeable about every piece of equipment a company sells, which in some cases could be as much as 9,000 medical products. It is highly important that a rep is trained on every piece of equipment, as their responses could make a huge impact in the middle of an operation. Of course they will never have to go as far as actually getting hands on with a patient, but they stand feet away from the surgeon during the operation to give guidance whenever needed. As medical advances have progressed, the job has become more in demand, making it one of the fastest growing “unknown jobs” in the country.

The job role is further explained by this territory sales rep for Cardinal Health

Training and requirements

Trainees will typically attend seminars that involve their product line. In many cases, certain reps will specialize in certain areas. For example, one rep may specialize in trauma, but not in another area.

During the product training, reps will help surgeons learn how to use the equipment in live trials on cadavers. Needless to say, this helps weed out the squeamish right from the get go, ensuring only those who can stomach a surgery move forward.

In most cases, companies will only accept people with a degree and a strong skill/knowledge of anatomy, medical equipment, or sales. Once the candidate has passed everything above, they will go through a further 8 – 12 months of training in the field with a mentor and experience both the selling aspect of the job and the operating room.

Conclusion

If you are good at sales and have a knack for the medical field, this is a great way to make a very healthy living doing something you are not only passionate about, but that makes a difference.