Medical sales rep job offer just before entering pharmacy school

[Calid90]

Hey guys, I am about to start my P1 year this Fall. I met someone who overheard me talking about my Bachelor's in Biology and almost on the spot offered me a ortho medical sales job. He explained the job, basically a year training under a rep making 40k and then you get bonuses second year, and when you're ready you get your own territory. He has been doing it for 7 years and is making just under 200k.

The idea that I could stay in my field, not take on any more debt, and in 4 to 6 years be making the same amount of money as I would with a PharmD degree is tempting. Not sure it's worth the risk either. I live in rural Maine so I shouldn't have trouble getting a job as a pharmacist when I graduate. Hopefully. Plus I have been on the path to pharmacy for a long time and am worried I might not like the lifestyle of a sales rep.

Basically, I was wondering what this forum knows about the medical device sales field and see if you all could give me some opinions on what they would do in my situation. Should I postpone enrollment and try it? My parents and SO are very against the idea, but I have done sales before (inside retail sales) and am very good at it. By the way, I would graduate pharmacy school about 200k in debt.

Any advice or insight is appreciated. Thanks guys.

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[PharmtoCS]

Hopefully. Plus I have been on the path to pharmacy for a long time and am worried I might not like the lifestyle of a sales rep.

Have you considered whether you would enjoy the lifestyle of a retail pharmacist? That is where 70% of the jobs are.

I would definitely take the sales position. Your growth potential is even better than that of a pharmacist. You would not have to take out $200k+ in loans and spend an additional 4 years in school. Rural Maine might seem okay right now but it will most likely be saturated by the time you graduate with the sheer number of new grads. It is actually far risky than going to pharmacy school due to the 1) guaranteed job + experience + advancement potential without the astronomical loans and 4 years of schooling.

 

[Calid90]

Have you considered whether you would enjoy the lifestyle of a retail pharmacist? That is where 70% of the jobs are.

I have definitely considered this. I have been working retail sales and as a bartender for almost 8 years, and before that I worked fast food in highschool. I have always worked in fast-paced, stressful, customer service environments, and I am very good at it. I have managed bars and front of house staff and understand the frustrations of customer service. I know that it is likely I will end up in retail and my only qualm with that would be dealing with unfair corporate policies. I read a lot of CVS and Walgreens hate on here and it's hard to ignore. There really must be something wrong with these companies. With that said, I have also heard that other retail jobs, like in grocery chains, aren't so bad. I am kind of rare in that way that I actually like working with the public.

In fact, that's why I am so drawn to sales. I have the ability to quickly build rapport with people and get them on my side. But my concern is really the lifestyle of never really knowing how much money you're going to make. It's all based on other people's decisions... is there longevity in this field? How long can someone consistently show that much energy and drive to meet sales quotas? I am worried I might make money but end up burned out in 5-10 years and regret not pursuing pharmacy. And I do like the idea that the PharmD is a doctorate degree and I could do things outside of retail like being a professor or potentially opening my own independent pharmacy someday (in my dreams, haha).

 

[lord999]

(This is going to sound really sexist, but read the other posts on the matter.)

For someone who is female, the career lifespan is until about 40-45. You will certainly make more than a pharmacist during that time (usually something like 50-100% more after tax with consideration payments included), but there really isn't much of a midcareer or late career option for most (a select few can make it work, but I shudder about all the extra work that they have to do to keep their jobs). Sales requires quite a bit of political acumen to remain in the career options as well.

Being a pharmacist, you are not required to deal with anything outside of the job unless you really want to. In sales, it is almost always more work outside of the official hours, but it is much more rewarding. You also cannot have any loyalty to a company, most reps change jobs every four years or so.

Pharmacy is going to be there even at midcareer, but you are only young once. That said, pharmacy is still a career for a lifetime (despite what else is said on the board), but sales needs the passion of youth in order to work.

 

[rxdawg21]

I do not know anyone personally in sales. I do know people that know people and they all make around 200k. I would think the job security isn't as great and looks/personality are probably needed. I would do it in a heart beat. Let's say you only last 7 years and you make 150k (low estimate) 4 of those 7 years. You would have made 600k +150k (estimating averaging 50k first 3 years) equals 750k. Or you could go to pharmacy, take out say 150k in loans (no idea your situation) and in 4 years owe 150k in loans and be making 110-120k if you get full time 40 hours per week. After 7 years you have made 350k and would have about 150k of debt. (at current interest rates the interest alone on that debt in year one is 10-11K, so you have to pay plus more money to eat into principle). You can go back and get a different job at that point with a different company, or go back and do something else that doesn't require the debt. If you save your money and live a normal pharmacist lifestyle those years (after the first 3) you are going to have 300k saved. Compared to having 150k of debt and NEEDING your job just to pay your debt.

 

[Jbrl]

Take the job. Unless you have a vested interest in being a pharmacist, take the job.

Money aside, which other people covered, there are plenty of opportunities to lateral to Pharma/Biotech Marketing from Sales provided you find the right opportunities, which covers the ageism inherent in Sales.

 

[Charcoales]

Do not do pharmacy. It is a saturated and withering field.

 

[jblil]

OP - I worked for some time in Technical Sales for a large and well-known computer company. In that role, I teamed up with "pure" sales staff to visit our prospects. Those guys (the sales folks) have a monthly/quarterly/yearly quota to meet. Miss your quota twice in a row, and you are fired. It's a very binary world.

Pros: you can make a lot of $.
Cons: you may not have much say in determining your quota. In many cases, my colleagues got a piece of paper, with a figure on it. Meet it, or find another job. And scope out the competition: if you're selling a Ford T and your competitors offer a Ford GT40, there ain't no way you'll be successful.

 

[Seriously Serious]

Pharmacy school will be there later if you end up not liking sales, but your opportunity may not be. I would at least try it out for a year. Some students take a year off after undergrad anyways.

 

[MrBonita]

A lesson to be learned is that I went to a meeting and there were 50 pharmacist from all departments(inpatient, outpatient, amcare, etc,etc) . We were asked what we look for when looking for a job and 100 percent of us replied pay. We were told that this is common among pharmacist but not common among other professions like engineering, artist, computer programmers etc. So you should be asking yourself if you belong in this group of peers that only looks to find a job based on money and not other choices like growth in a company, satisfaction of work done, helping the environment, helping the community, etc etc.

 

[Dr Wario]

A lesson to be learned is that I went to a meeting and there were 50 pharmacist from all departments(inpatient, outpatient, amcare, etc,etc) . We were asked what we look for when looking for a job and 100 percent of us replied pay. We were told that this is common among pharmacist but not common among other professions like engineering, artist, computer programmers etc. So you should be asking yourself if you belong in this group of peers that only looks to find a job based on money and not other choices like growth in a company, satisfaction of work done, helping the environment, helping the community, etc etc.

At the end of the day we are all just drug dealers.

 

[hick2672]

Take the sales position! By the time you graduate jobs will be very scarce and retail will kill you. CVS and Walgreen's are horrible employers and you will be looking for an alternate career soon after graduation. Take it from years of retail experience!


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[sakigt]

A lesson to be learned is that I went to a meeting and there were 50 pharmacist from all departments(inpatient, outpatient, amcare, etc,etc) . We were asked what we look for when looking for a job and 100 percent of us replied pay. We were told that this is common among pharmacist but not common among other professions like engineering, artist, computer programmers etc. So you should be asking yourself if you belong in this group of peers that only looks to find a job based on money and not other choices like growth in a company, satisfaction of work done, helping the environment, helping the community, etc etc.

I could make more elsewhere. A lot more. Not all of us are in it for the green.

 

[UGAZ]

Take the job. Pharmacy isn't a good choice anymore. Heck, you will be considered very lucky by the time you grad to actually get a job....

 

[Calid90]

Hey guys! Just wanted to thank everyone for replying with their insight and advice. I am still waiting to hear more about the Sales Rep job as they are waiting for the person whose position I would take to officially leave (she is pregnant and going on leave soon and they are confident that she will not be returning to the job after she gives birth--long story). I am currently finishing my last pre-reqs for school, Orgo 2 and A&P 2. I've already paid for the classes so I am going to finish them regardless. I think I need more information about the sales job before I commit to it. I have spent the entire last year prepping for and taking the PCAT, applying to schools, deciding on school, and finishing up any remaining pre-reqs. All that on top of my Bachelor's degree. It's a lot of time and energy invested to just walk away.

There are considerable arguments on both sides and I am definitely still on the fence. I guess this is just because I live in rural Maine and I can't imagine the saturation getting so bad that so many people from out of state are willing to move to Maine for work. I can barely get my friends to visit me here let alone imagine people graduating in California, Florida, or New York moving across the country to live in a town of less than 1000 people. I'm not saying it won't happen. I am just saying that it's hard to believe.

 

[nonizondi]

Hey guys! Just wanted to thank everyone for replying with their insight and advice. I am still waiting to hear more about the Sales Rep job as they are waiting for the person whose position I would take to officially leave (she is pregnant and going on leave soon and they are confident that she will not be returning to the job after she gives birth--long story). I am currently finishing my last pre-reqs for school, Orgo 2 and A&P 2. I've already paid for the classes so I am going to finish them regardless. I think I need more information about the sales job before I commit to it. I have spent the entire last year prepping for and taking the PCAT, applying to schools, deciding on school, and finishing up any remaining pre-reqs. All that on top of my Bachelor's degree. It's a lot of time and energy invested to just walk away.

There are considerable arguments on both sides and I am definitely still on the fence. I guess this is just because I live in rural Maine and I can't imagine the saturation getting so bad that so many people from out of state are willing to move to Maine for work. I can barely get my friends to visit me here let alone imagine people graduating in California, Florida, or New York moving across the country to live in a town of less than 1000 people. I'm not saying it won't happen. I am just saying that it's hard to believe.

no matter how bad pharmacy is today a lot things could change in the future. It is still a profession and your degree wouldn't be a waste. I have worked menial jobs with a lot people who didn't feel the need to go to school in the 1980's and 1990's because the economy was good back them and now in their old age they are working 3 jobs to survive. If you are truly interested in pharmacy I suggest you try getting into a cheaper state to reduce the cost. Sales jobs are not guaranteed and you might be limiting your opportunities.