How to Prepare for a Medical Device Sales Interview

The Credentialing Nightmare

John landed his first job in Medical Sales. Fired up and ready to start, he imagined himself walking into hospitals, meeting with customers, and growing the business.

Then reality hit.

His manager sent him an email:

“𝐵𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑆𝑦𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑟. 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑠. 𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒.”

Easy enough, right?

Step 1: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤

John logged into the credentialing portal and was immediately overwhelmed.

⚠️ Drug screening

⚠️ Background checks

⚠️ Training certifications

⚠️ Pay annual fee (~$300 per year)

⚠️ Proof of immunizations (flu, TB, MMR)

Each requirement had a different form, a different submission process, and—of course—a different fee.

“No problem,” John thought. “I’ll knock this out in a day.”

Not so fast.

Step 2: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥

John submitted everything. Or so he thought.

Three days later, an email arrived:

“Your immunization records are incomplete. Please submit proof of your TB test and flu shot.”

Frustrated, John scrambled to get tested. But that wasn’t all.

Another email:

“Your background check is pending. This may take up to 14 business days.”

And another:

“The HIPPA training module incomplete. Please retake and pass the compliance test.”

At this point, John felt like he was running on a hamster wheel.

Step 3: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞

Two weeks passed.

John checked his Symplr portal. Still processing.

Meanwhile, his manager was waiting. His territory was waiting.

By week three, he was finally approved. 21 days lost.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧?

If John had started his credentialing process before getting hired, he would’ve been out selling after training.

Aspiring Med Reps: Don’t make the same mistake.

If you want to stand out in interviews, show hiring managers you’re proactive. Start your credentialing process NOW.

Ever had a nightmare experience with vendor credentialing?

Drop your story in the comments!

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