Degrees You Need to Become a Medical Device Sales Rep

If you’re breaking into the industry, you may be asking yourself, “What degree do you need for medical device sales?” While there is no single bachelor program for medical device sales reps, there are some college degrees that may be more useful than others when you’re applying to medical device sales jobs. The most important thing to remember is you are what is selling products — not your degree. 

Keep reading to learn what college degrees are most helpful for becoming a medical sales rep and if you consider additional educational opportunities related to the medical sales field. 

Do you need a college degree to get into medical device sales? 

As with most careers, hiring managers for medical device jobs do seek candidates with a four-year degree. A recent MedReps’ study found 98% of sales reps have a four-year degree or higher. However, there are some careers in the healthcare field such as nursing assistants and medical assistants that may only require an associate’s degree to get started. 

Because medical device sales is a highly sought-after career, the best candidates will have at least a college degree. It’s a competitive industry and you may be going up against multiple qualified candidates, so you need to stand out. In addition to a four-year degree, things such as being on a sports team or holding leadership positions are also good to have on your resume.  

What degree do you need to become a medical device sales rep? 

The short answer: it doesn’t really matter.

Many people think a degree in pre-med or biology will help you get ahead in medical sales, but that’s not always the case. Don’t get us wrong, studying anatomy and medical terms can give you a headstart especially if you’d like to specialize in pharma or other bioscience, but it won’t make or break your career. It’s more important to be the right fit for the job. 

In fact, we have seen more pre-med students not make it in the medical device field because they aren’t “salespeople.” As Mark Cuban says, “Learn to sell…to be the best salesperson, put yourself in the shoes of the person to whom you’re selling.” Remember, as a medical sales rep, you aren’t performing the surgeries yourself  — you are there to support and train the medical staff to use your product in the best way possible. 

However, there are some college degrees that are more common for medical sales reps. A bachelor's degree in business gives you the soft skills needed, like economics and communication, to become successful in sales. If you want to pursue a medical sales career in clinical research, courses focused on biology may be helpful. 

Remember: while medical device reps are interested in helping patient outcomes, they are more focused on the business aspect of the procedure, selling the right products to their customers as much as possible in order to reach their quota. 

Should you go to a medical sales college? 

Historically, many medical sales reps have not attended Medical Sales College to start their career. Most people find jobs by networking and making connections, and, of course, through hard work and perseverance until they find the right job. 

However, over 2,800 Medical Sales College graduates have been placed in jobs for companies such as Stryker, Medtronic, Paragon, and more. Graduating from a program like this does provide a boost where you learn directly from doctors and experienced faculty members in courses such as sports medicine, spine reconstruction, and orthopedic extremities. But these programs may limit your knowledge to only trauma and orthopedic sales and not other specialties like robotics or biotechnology. 

The tuition for Medical Sales College ranges from $8,750 to $17,500 depending on part-time or full-time enrollment, and the college is looking for candidates without prior medical device experience to join their ranks. 

So, should you go to Medical Sales College to pursue a career in medical sales? If you have the time and the money to spare, and you’re dedicated to breaking in the field, why not? But it’s not necessary to be successful in this field — out of the almost 138,000 medical sales reps employed in the United States, about 98% of them did not attend a medical sales college.  

Conclusion: What degree do you need for medical device sales?  

As you can see, there are certain college degrees or programs that can be more helpful than others to help you start a career in medical device sales. However, one of the most important factors of success is if you’re the right fit for the company and have the drive to make more sales. It’s not uncommon to be required to take personality tests as you apply to jobs because companies want to make sure you’re the right fit for their culture and the role. Because medical device sales jobs can be demanding and require special communication skills, companies may favor your skills and personality over what college degree is on your resume. 

What degree do you have? Did you attend Medical Sales College and want to share your experience? Leave a comment below to get the conversation started.