Keegan Coles - Medical Sales Institute

Keegan Coles

Pinnacle, Inc. (Arthrex)

Tell me a little about your background.

I studied Kinesiology with a pre-med focus at Michigan State University. I was on the path to attend medical school and become a physician. When that didn't pan out, I needed to reassess if I was on the correct path. During this time, I networked with various individuals who were in medical sales (e.g. cardiac devices, disposables, contacts) and was instantly intrigued by the industry.

Why were you interested in pursuing medical sales as a career?

I really enjoy playing/watching sports and I am interested in the associated anatomy, physiology and treatment for sports related injuries. I'm extroverted and like being surrounded by people. I decided to marry these two things by pursuing a career in medical device sales. I believe that this industry provides me the opportunity to provide an impact in patients lives while having a challenging and rewarding career.

How did you learn about Medical Sales College?

Google

What ultimately made you decide to attend?

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with Scott Holdsworth. He answered the questions I had about the program and was willing to work with me to ensure I attended in the city I preferred with the best dates. The webinar with Jim Rogers got me excited about the program as well.

Please describe your training experience at Medical Sales College.

I felt that the training was sufficient while going through and after finishing the program. It wasn’t until a ride-along during the interview process that I realized how much I knew. During my ride-along, I was able to ask insightful questions about the products, procedures, anatomy, and the facility that many companies must train their new hires. You don’t know what you don’t know; following MSC, you certainly know more about the medical device industry even if you have a background in science (science background would be helpful for understanding throughout the course).

Describe your experience with Dynamic Consultative Sales training.

The short/long product call and short relationship call role-play were beneficial. It provided an insight into what the sales process looks like in this industry. Sales and selling were sprinkled throughout the course.

Describe your Career Development training experience.

Week 12 consisted of resume workshopping and interview prep. The interview prep was beneficial and helped me in my actual interviews. It was great to receive immediate feedback on things to emphasize and questions to ask prospective employers. My resume had a strong foundation going into the program so I mostly worked on refining how it should look and what skills/experiences it should emphasize.

What made you choose to invest in more education by attending MSC after just recently graduating college?

To be able to combine my foundation of anatomy/scientific understanding with medical devices and the sales process.

What is the most valuable piece of information that you learned while attending MSC which ultimately helped you land your position?

Stephanie Paget (Sr. Career Development Director) brought MedInc, an Arthrex distributor, into the classroom. I gravitated toward the three regional managers from MedInc who highlighted the culture and values (teamwork, family, competitiveness, professionalism) of their company and emphasized their mission to help surgeons treat their patients better. This experience shaped what I looked for at the companies where I interviewed.

How did placement services help accelerate your entry into the medical device sales industry?

ZeroFee Recruiting connections helped identify jobs and create connections that are not from an online job board. Ultimately, it is on the graduate to connect with individuals in the field (in person, LinkedIn, own personal connections) and inquire about opportunities. Placement services will assist in navigating the process but most of the responsibility falls upon the graduate.

Why should someone attend Medical Sales College?

If you're serious about getting into medical device sales, MSC will accelerate the process to break into the industry. Most companies require 2 years of B2B sales and OR experience and MSC will help you bypass this requirement.

Please briefly explain your job interview process with your hiring company.

First, I networked with two employees on LinkedIn. Next, I connected on the phone with an employee to learn more about the company. Then I answered HireVue questions (video interview software where applicant records answers to common interview questions). Following that, I received an invitation to meet with multiple individuals in person at their office. After that, I took online behavioral and cognitive tests. Finally, I met in person on two separate occasions before receiving an offer. The entire interview process took about six weeks.