Former Forest Reps...

You sure don't know what the meaning of compensation is. HS received stock options and non qualified grants totally over $9 million per year near the end of his rule. His 'salary ' of whatever, like $600k " was only window dressing. The big boys do not want W2s with. $9 million as they will pay half of ot out in taxes. You are apparently totally ignorant of executive compensation plans that are designed for tax
AVOIDANCE. They pay their accountants big bucks to save on taxes. The DM pulling in $400k on the other hand is getting screwed because its a W2 income event and the margional tax rate is horrendous. I am an RD so I know what a high ranking DM can make. In fact $400 k is above my pay grade as I make $300k.
But $400k is in the ballpark if he has a productive team and some Pres. Clubbers who bring in big bonuses for their DM also.
Hope this helps you better understand the pay package for executives.

 

Former reps out there doing a range of things...doing the laundry while wife works, retired at 55! (great till you reach 65 and discover you didn't die but your 401K is looking a little thinner)..part time to Big Time..its all over the place where you end up..I'd guess 60-70% don't end up back in pharma though.

 

HS salary and perm's put him in the Fortune magazine list of highest paid CEOs several years back. As I recall it was more than 20 mil that year with stock options exercised.

I could not make that in ten years.

 

care to share the recruiter or firm???

 

In spare time I got a PHd in Civil Engineering at FAU, Boca Raton florida. Now work in Florida designing highways and bridges. Now that's as far from pharma as you can get !

 

So u 'r Doc Bridges? I heard about u . A legend in Forest in Florida.

 

I got mail order Masters in Clinical Psych cost $500. Then studied and passed entrance exam to med school in Columbia. Now Dr. Xxx. No more faking calls. No more kissing DMs ass. Make $475k with private practice in LA. I can thank Forest for getting me motivated to improve myself. Those in area know who I am as I have an imptessive list of clients.l

 

Columbia like the country or the University? Sounds like the setup for the pilot episode of Community...

And... even getting wasted at home and being a troll, what private doctor would still roll through here after 4 years of med school, 4 years of residency, and getting his board certification?

 

NEWSFLASH: You're ALL former Forest Reps! I've been part of plenty of mergers and the sooner you face it, the better off you'll be. Actavis sucks, but now even worse with all the shithead management they sucked off of Forest. Cary Renner and Jerry Lynch are the worst used car salesmen I've ever seen and that degrades car salesmen. You'll never see them in a circle of reps only, they'd get their asses kicked.

 

UNAL in Columbia SA. I could never get into med school in US with a mail order Masters. Once I got certified here I was on same pay grade as all MDs. And there are a lot of South American MDs in US. Also note tuition in SA very low compared to US. Total out of pocket about$15k a year. I make that in a week now. But it helps to be fluent in Spanish but not absolutely necessary.If you are in your early 30s or younger its worth considering as life is sweet as an MD.

 

thanks. so south America is where you got ur Md

 

Hey Dumba$$, the country is spelled COLOMBIA. The fact that you need to ask if it's the ivy league school or the country is proof how much of an idiot you truly are!

 

Hey dumba$$, it's spelled COLOMBIA.

 

Yes my friend thank you. I enjoy some of the humorous posts on the Forest site - who knows maybe my old boss is still posting. My office hours are ,finally ver for the week.

 

So you are quite a success story. There's more to life than a lowly pharma Rep.

 

Getting back to the original question... I moved on from Forest years ago, but still check this board occasionally (go ahead and blast me, newbies). The simple answer is yes. The grass really is greener, almost anywhere. Not going into my current base and commission because it doesn't really matter, but it's A LOT more than I could have ever made at Forest if I had stayed, even if I had gone into management. I still know people who stayed at Forest, and are now at Actavis or Allergan or whatever the new name is, and I also know people who left before and after I did. I don't know anyone who left who is sorry they did, and every single one of them makes more money now. Like a lot more. At other pharma companies it's a higher base and at med device companies it's higher commission, but either way it's more money than Forest. Can't speak to company cultures or work / life balance for anyone else (better for me, but can't speak for them) as the original poster asked, but money is definitely better for everyone I know who left Forest. But it also seems like the few I know who stayed are ok there too. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. If you're a self starter and want to make money, there's no question you should leave. If you're ok with your job as is and are more complacent (not saying that's a bad thing), you should stay there. Different strokes for different folks. But there's no question that if you stay your "loyalty" comes at the price of being underpaid compared to other companies. That's not even a question. It's just not for everybody, and that's OK too. Just trying to answer the question honestly as a former Forest rep who moved on. Good luck, no matter what you decide!

 

Well said...

 

Thank you! Interesting how nobody ever says "I left and now I make less" but people at Forest refuse to see what is so obvious to everyone else. Thanks for reminding me of that, and I hope one day I'll be on the other side too!

 

If you have a DM like we do, then you will realize that Vince LaRosa is "Happy to have a Job", and has not ever promoted any rep but will backstab anyone who works with him.

 

I second that. Watched him fire my friend Mike C and act like he had no idea. Vince will cut your throat and smile at your face.