Clinical specialist- Neuromod

Was recently contacted in regards to the clinical specialist position in the neuromod division. Can anyone provide any insight to this sort of position, what is the day to day like? Is moving up to a territory manager possible in starting out here? Thanks in advance for any serious responses, currently a TM for a different company outside of medical sales and wrestling with, if taking a step back is worth it. Thanks.

 

You know google can pull this up for you, so can YouTube.

I've never been a CS, before but I've working in this industry for a long time. It depends on who your territory manager is (not your boss FYI- the sales person for SCS) depends on how large the territory will be (example just Wichita Kansas, or NYC (anything really up in the north east)

I give you a day in the line of a CS and to keep it simple/ this one is in any smaller city comparable to Wichita.
First find out if you'll be the only CS or if there is or will be a second CS (all based off of the territory annually revenue)
Or if your have two TM and only one CS

Mornings start by reviewing the pre-day call/task list you made the night before or the weekend before.
Wake up
DONT start responding to email as soon as you get up
Get dressed and ready for the day, brew some coffee and have it in a to go cup, read your call plan (The Who, what, when, where, why- and most importantly what cases your covering that day)

Then check emails- only respond to high importance ones and flag the ones you'll need to follow up with layer in the day.

If your first SCS case starts at 7am- you need to be there 1 hour early, with programmer etc. you'll only need to also bring in truck stock in the facility the procedure is at doesn't have any on the shelves.
You check-in to reptrax, get a call from you TM with some question or from a patient currently doing the 10 day trail SCS. Answer those calls.
Go to pre-op ask for patient chart, get the patient labels you need, meet the patient and their loved one that's with them and talk with them about SCS. Input the patient data into your programmer
Then go to the OR Room (you'll find the correct OR room your patient will be in on something g called a schedule board.

Make sure your products are there, and all the correct model (device, lead, tunneler)
Oh I forgot one very important thing- don't ever step foot inside an OR without having on hospital scrubs, a hat, and shoe covers, also if the room is already open put a mask on before entering room.

Then do your thing. Everyone in the OR is your customer/ but obviously your surgeon is the #2 customer because obviously the #1 customers is always the patient. (However they will fe asleep the whole time) so know emotional intelligence and when is apparent to talk to your #2 the others are usually easier to talk with, but your job comes first.
Surgeon will implant device you'll check to see if it's placed correct and they might check again with imagining. Then they close the patient up. See the family afterwards -
(1-2 hours)
If any of the high importance emails from earlier have now responded back to you, take a few minutes and fix the situation
Next make an office "call " restock the marketing materials and DVD's at a couple PM offices.

Respond to all other emails now.

You could have another SCS case, maybe a lunch with some doctors your TM wants to take you on, or you might have some reprogramming sessions scheduled then you will do which ever that might be,

Again, any patient on a trial you and your team have to speak with them every single day during the trial to check on them see how their pain level is, efficacy working? And listen to them (while knowing that these sweet patients in chronic pain have so much going on in there live and all their family is affected by it too)
And then time management the call. Because you can't talk to 7 patients for 1+ hours a day every day. But give them what they need to hear, be authentic and take notes.

So who knows now.., you could be done with "field work for the day" or something else could pop up, patient with high lead impedance etc..

When you day is done depending on the time - you'll have an hour or so of admin (computer work)
to do ~(however that might just be for sales...)***

Then you lay down knowing you've just done something to increase a patients quality of life.

And you start back up again the next day, hardly any days are identical, which is in my eyes, (never been a CS, but have done sales for neuromodulation stimulators) is something I truly like about this industry.

 

Thanks! Just a few more questions...how many times per day does the typical CS poop? What type of coffee thermos? How many hours of sleep will I need?

 

ha so funny! I only went into so many details bc the OP said they were switching industries I think

 

I'm actually surprised that you didn't outline your bowel movement schedule for everyone.

 

Did you take the job? What were you're deciding factors for taking it or not taking it?

 

Thoughts on moving from pharma to this? Heard everyone starts out as a clinical specialist. Tough to leave a pharma salary but it sounds like this could be more fulfilling work. Any perspectives from other clinical specialists?

 

You will take call at nights and weekends. Call can be challenging if you have high maintenance customers.