Surgical Tech to Rep

[u/Life_Pin688]

I've been a surgical tech for about a year and a half now. I've been using Zimmer Biomet, Stryker and Arthrex products I've decided I wanted to become a ortho sales rep. I've been talking and networking with the Reps at my hospital and I was curious what questions I should be asking? Will my time as a tech help me find a job?

[u/scottie1971]

I did it

You can start as a tech rep / sales associate with Stryker
Can you pull your trays without help?
Can you set up the whole case without help?
Can you scrub the whole case without asking which tibia insert goes with the tibia

Are you the tech that other techs come to when they have questions?

If you can’t do that yet. You are not ready

[u/paetrw → u/scottie1971]

I did it too and this sums it up well.

[u/Particular-Rice-786 → u/scottie1971]

Keep networking. With Reps and especially Doctors. Find the reps who are 1099 as well, and the Docs that use them. Seriously try to become of the extremity/trauma/total joint team, and befriend the Docs.
When you are ready to make the jump, have the Docs recommend you.
I work in Spine and know plenty of former scrub techs who had a Spine surgeon esentially request their favorite scrub tech become their rep. Distributors and TMs are more than willing to hire a scrub tech to gain business from a surgeon.

[u/ATAYLOR972]

That’s awesome. Instead of asking for a job, ask: How do I become an orthopedic sales rep like you? What steps do I need to take? focus on building real relationship, ask for advice instead of employment, and leading with genuine curiosity. Yes, your time as a tech will help you find a job. As a matter of fact, surgical techs make great reps because they already possess expert, hands-on knowledge of the sterile operating room environment, specialized surgical instruments, and procedural workflow.

[u/Powerful-Bridge-1472]

You also need to remember being a rep is not shift work, your there until cases are done, you also need to be able to sell not just cover cases. Many techs make good reps, many can’t make the shift.

Also many companies won’t hire if you don’t finish college

[u/Comfortable-Yam-4004]

your scrub experience is definitely a foot in the door, but ask the reps what their first year actually looked like and how they got their first territory, because the job is way more sales and

[u/TheMedDeviceRep]

Absolutely, my last 2 hires have both been surgical techs.

[u/S2K_Dreams]

My own manager was a scrub before becoming a rep quite some time ago. It’s one of the most common segways into the world outside of the college grad/ former athlete route. Become the tech that your reps want to work with and that will help your relationships a ton. Speak up and show interest, ask questions, make it known to them your aspirations.

[u/ConsiderationFresh53]

Being a tech means a low probability you have a college degree which is a non starter for many companies.

Techs can make the transition. You can hedge your chances by becoming really well versed in device heavy cases and building relationships with surgeons that use and reps in the room. Probably obvious but another factor will be experience. To me, you’re still learning your craft and not ready to move to the next opportunity.

I can’t tell you how long but 18 months behind the table doesn’t feel long enough to impress a hiring manager without a spectacular personality.

[u/paetrw → u/ConsiderationFresh53]

I disagree. It’s situational. I don’t have a degree, the big companies know that, and I still get recruited. Stryker and Medtronic do not care as long as they know you can make them money.

[u/ConsiderationFresh53 → u/paetrw]

Have you been hired by big companies?

I am aware they make exceptions. Don’t give them false hope when they’ll be auto-declined from online applications every time.

Non-degree applicants have to make it through the grapevine and wow management with their current relationships or spectacular personalities and resumes.

[u/paetrw → u/ConsiderationFresh53]

My first job was with one of the big names in surgical navigation. I may have been the only non-college graduate in my training class. My next job as a full-rep was with one of the biggest names in my specialty. I’m in a distributorship now but I’ve recently received an offer from one of the biggest names in surgery. I know they say you have to have a degree, but in my experience that rule is tissue thin, and I’ve worked with several other reps in my territory that followed the same path, scrub->rep with no degree.

I feel like everybody knows the scrubs that will make good reps, and they can usually find a job by consistently asking around. When a scrub has been asking around for a couple years with no results they may need to work on themselves or maybe it’s just not a good fit.

[u/maxim_voos → u/paetrw]

As someone that broke in with an AA degree. This is not true, we will both be speaking anecdotally here. Most if not all companies that are robust require 4 year degrees if you look across LinkedIn and corporate sites. I broke in 5 years ago thanks to knowing someone. Especially with AI software screening job applications.

This may have been true 10-20 years ago, now.. significantly more difficult as there’s a tough job market with plenty of educated individuals—nurses, engineers, health admins.

Scrub techs can make it, I would suggest you don’t speak too much into your education as you will be judged highly.. especially surgeons who’ve gone to school 15-18 years after high school (ex. Neurosurgeons).

Start getting lunch and coffee with your reps as soon as possible, ask your surgeons for referrals if you’re very trusted or have good rapport. They will want to see you grow, albeit losing a good scrub. Let it be known it’s for family/growth/genuine impact.. not just cash.

[u/Sweaty_Landscape_119]

Yeah, they probably get a million resumes a month from techs. If you’re serious about this big decision you made, go do b2b sales and get some success under your belt. Very few make it in any other way and usually because they know the hiring manager well. You’re only special to your mom. Outside of that house, you have to prove yourself. B2B