Sample resume for a medical representative. Personal qualities of a medical representative and work skills. Experience as a medical representative
Today, qualitative changes are taking place in the modern Russian pharmaceutical market and its active growth is observed. Due to the introduction of new technologies for the production and promotion of drugs, domestic manufacturers increase their own competitiveness.
If we characterize the process that is taking place in the market, we can say that small companies are absorbed by larger ones, stronger ones are consolidated and integrated, and there is also increased interest from foreign organizations.
Simple pharmacy kiosks are being replaced by large chains of pharmacies, united by one structure, pricing and centralized management. Very often, pharmacy chains have strong wholesalers behind them.
Which specialists are most in demand?
Along with the ongoing changes, the demand for highly qualified professionals who work in the field of marketing and promotion of various medicines is also increasing: experts, managers in these areas, marketing and advertising specialists, and so on. Increasingly, there is a need for specialists to conduct clinical trials, as well as registration of medicines. The need for production workers has become greater: first of all, these are pharmacists who control quality and technology. In addition, the level of requirements for professionalism of personnel is becoming increasingly high. The requirements for promotion specialists mainly depend on the group of drugs, as well as their sales and promotion scheme.
Thus, if a product manager introduces a drug from a pharmacy range to the market, then he must be well aware of the specifics of marketing and advertising that will be aimed at the target audience, that is, end consumers. If we talk about promoting drugs from the hospital group, which are very expensive and rarely used, then the main attention will be paid to the peculiarities of working with opinion leaders.
Compared to other market sectors, this industry has extraordinary dynamics and high technologies, which require a professional to constantly improve the qualification level of his competence.
Drug promotion specialists must research opportunities for the distribution of new medicines, coordinate research on products, monitor their initial positioning in the market, and so on.
There is another profession - medical representative. Let's talk about it further.
How to become a medical representative?
The profession of “medical representative” is the most in demand in the labor market today. Unfortunately, it cannot be studied at any university. These specialists play a very important role in product promotion and are also the basis of marketing in the pharmaceutical industry. Because they are prohibited from selling products directly to their patients and doctors, and they do not have any rights to use the media, it becomes necessary to use networks of medical representatives in order to communicate with doctors and medical institutions.
What is good about the profession?
It is thanks to medical representatives that the policies of companies that promote drugs are implemented, all information is conveyed to doctors, questions are answered, and consultations are provided on the use of drugs and their characteristics. After the doctor communicates with the medical representative, he can prescribe the drug to the patient, who will definitely come to the pharmacy to purchase it, and she, in turn, will place an order from the distributor, who will contact the manufacturer. It is possible to understand how effective the work of medical representatives is only by studying the dynamics of demand over a certain time.
Medical representatives are the face of companies, and naturally they must have excellent persuasion skills and confidence in the use of active sales techniques. But the latter requirement is not very much taken into account today. This can be explained by the fact that the need for people with such a profession is constantly increasing, and a huge number of people, and even nowhere to appear, therefore any medical representative undergoes training directly in the company. Before applying for a job, a resume must be filled out in advance to show the employer your achievements or the fact that you don’t have them yet.
What are the chances of getting a job?
Today, specialists with diplomas from pharmaceutical universities have exactly the same chance of getting a position as a medical representative as do doctors. Of course, it is difficult not to notice the fact that it is much easier for an already trained specialist to delve into emerging problems among colleagues, but it is for this reason that employers pay so much attention to the choice and further training that representatives receive. Be sure to study the medical representative of other companies, make up your own, and then you can understand whether you are suitable for such a position.
What could be the undoubted advantages?
Of course, a large circle of acquaintances in the professional field is important, who can become your client base at the very beginning. You should take advantage of every opportunity to expand your own connections with colleagues in other pharmacies in the area or city.
Even the lack of your own car and driver’s license can be a negative point: some companies do not provide transportation. Keep in mind that the representative includes the following: get up as early as possible and with heavy bags containing a bunch of different brochures, booklets and samples, travel to about ten places in a day. When traveling by public transport, you simply waste time. Therefore, you should find an opportunity and undergo the necessary training. An excellent book is the Medical Representative's Manual (Spiders), so it should be read carefully before joining any organization.
Wages
How much does a medical representative earn? Reviews about such work are twofold, but if we talk about wages, then today there is a gradual and steady increase in the labor market.
A mandatory requirement for working as medical representatives in a foreign company is knowledge of a foreign language, and it is also advisable to have knowledge of specialized vocabulary.
How to pass an interview?
Before you book an interview, you need to create a good resume and follow a few tips to help you get the job.
First of all, be sure to familiarize yourself with the products of the company where you want to get a job. Find out which drugs this particular company offers in pharmacies. In addition, you can use directories, which also indicate the entire range.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with the history and traditions of the company. It is always very pleasant to communicate with a person who has specific knowledge. Be sure to show that you are committed to future work, understand its meaning and are ready to constantly learn.
With such a wealth of knowledge, be sure to take with you a confident attitude, which will certainly be one of your main trump cards, and feel free to go for an interview with a medical representative.
In-company training
Very often, companies hire doctors who have recently graduated from universities and who do not yet have sales experience. The work of a medical representative is aimed primarily at selling products. For this reason, one of the components of working with personnel is training, especially since in the current economic situation more funds are allocated for this than before. The thing is that an organization that cares about the future of its staff very often prefers to educate them rather than bring them in from somewhere else.
You should carefully study the “Manual of Medical Representatives” (Spiders), as it describes in detail all the features of this profession.
The task facing the trainers is to strengthen successful communication skills among medical representatives (how to establish quick and favorable contact, gain the ability to listen to your interlocutor, explain benefits, analyze non-verbal signals, publicly present products, and so on).
The theoretical part is reduced to the bare minimum, since it very often causes a negative reaction among former doctors. There are several methods for conducting training: group training, psycho-gymnastics, various role-playing games. In principle, the whole technique boils down to minimizing the lecture part and giving preference to consolidating skills.
What should a medical representative do?
The main reason why this profession has become very popular is the establishment of an official ban on advertising of medications that are dispensed from pharmacies only with doctor’s prescriptions.
The most interesting thing is that doctors, teachers, builders, managers and even actors were previously hired as medical representatives. Only the largest and most successfully developing companies in Western countries adhered to strict requirements.
But business development in our country does not stand still, so today all medical representatives must have either a pharmaceutical or medical education. People with biological, economic or other education are simply not hired.
The most important responsibility that comes with being a medical representative is to establish relationships with various doctors and their superiors, as well as department and pharmacy managers.
The main goal of their work is to persuade the doctor to prescribe exactly the drug that is being promoted by the representative at the moment.
In addition, medical representatives must also inform doctors and pharmacies about the benefits of the drug being sold, that is, compare it with competitors’ drugs and provide real expert reviews.
A medical representative must expand his knowledge and take part in various symposiums, exhibitions, and so on. Employees who sell these over-the-counter drugs must also conduct various promotions and merchandising activities in pharmacies.
What education is required and what is the career path?
Most citizens do not know how worthy this profession is and whether it is necessary to study it specifically at a university.
As a rule, to work in most companies, specialized medical or pharmacological education is required. Medical workers, even those without work experience, have the opportunity to obtain the position of medical representative with a good salary.
Any medical representative must create a resume for himself that will interest the employer. If you are interested in career growth, be sure to indicate this.
What skills are needed to get a position?
Let's consider the basic requirements:
Ability to effectively promote a product;
Ability to build partnerships with different people;
Successful negotiations;
Knowledge of effective sales techniques;
Stress management, as well as the ability to plan your day;
Good PC skills;
Knowledge of the medical field.
Basically, preference is given to those candidates who have already received education at the main universities of the country. Almost every pharmaceutical company provides training before starting work, as well as the necessary training in order to develop certain qualities in employees.
What personal qualities should a medical representative have?
A very good indicator would be whether the candidate has experience in sales, as well as his own personal customer base.
If you have more than five years of experience, you can say about the candidate that he is reliable, responsible, and also interested in the general cause of the company for which he works.
Medical representatives must have a pleasant appearance, be confident, and also have excellent communication skills.
In addition, you must have an optimistic attitude towards work, as well as a desire for success and knowledge of all effective sales techniques.
Visits of medical representatives to the organization are accompanied by a competent presentation of drugs. Skills must be developed at such a level that it can easily interest any client.
This should be an intelligent and erudite person, whom from the first sentences you already want to trust and communicate with him on various topics, since the promotion of medical products requires a certain ethics, and not a spontaneous proposal.
Before you get a job, you should look at the resume (sample) of a medical representative and create your own. It's not that hard to do.
Disadvantages of the profession
The disadvantages of this profession are described in great detail in the book “Manual of a Medical Representative,” which Paukov wrote. When applying for a job, a medical representative will face the following disadvantages:
Difficulty moving up the career ladder. Representatives working in the region have great difficulty making their careers. This is due to the very structure of pharmaceutical companies. In large cities, each organization has several groups of representatives, led by two managers. Each group has about thirty ordinary representatives. If it’s medical or another city - it doesn’t matter) is going to make a career in the field in question, then he will face enormous competition.
Not always stable income.
It is necessary to master a new profession, even if you have a medical education.
You need to always be up to date with the latest news.
Very frequent business trips, working outside the office.
You need to communicate with different people, constantly persuade someone.
Advantages
You can regulate the intensity of the work yourself and determine in which direction to do it.
You can combine it with your main job and receive additional income.
New professional prospects.
For people who love to communicate, there is an opportunity to communicate with a wide range of specialists.
Good income. On average, the salary of any medical representative is about 30 thousand rubles. In addition, quarterly and monthly additional payments are made in the form of premiums and bonuses.
- 1. Moscow Okskaya street 2, apt. 10 Phone 111-22-33 Fax 111-22-34 E-mail [email protected] Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich Desired position Personal details Product manager - Date of birth: 01/1/80 - Marital status6: single Education 1997 – 2002. Moscow Medical Academy named after. THEM. Sechenov. Faculty of Pharmacy. Specialty "Pharmacy" Foreign languages English - - fluent; German – working level. Work experience 2001 – present. Company "Nizhpharm" Moscow Medical representative 1. Work with doctors of medical institutions and pharmacy employees to promote drugs. Pharmaceutical organization Circles and conferences. 2.Organization of procurement of pharmaceuticals for health care facilities. 2000 – 2001 Medpromresurs company Moscow Deputy warehouse manager of medicines 1. Registration of warehouse documentation. Reception of goods, shipment of goods. 2.Organization of procurement. Additional skills Computer knowledge (MS word, Excel, Power Point, Internet Explorer/ Outlook, Adobe Photoshop) Experience working with doctors and pharmacy staff; Experience in organizing medical conferences; Personal qualities Hardworking, responsible, trainable, efficient, sociable
- 2. Post your resume on the website in a special form, or send it by email: [email protected]
- 3. The most important beginning Dear colleagues, when looking for a job as a medical representative, either for the first time or searching for the best pharmaceutical company, we are ready to advise you on how to effectively pass an interview, help you write a resume correctly and send it correctly to the right people. Send applications and questions by email. mail: [email protected]
The work of a “medical representative” generates various types of publications in the press. Reviews about it are mixed. The usual area of work of this specialist, his circle of contacts, is the medical community.
However, it leaves traces that are visible to the uninitiated. Citizens who come to see a doctor often see medical brochures and stationery with the logo of a medical company in his office. Some observant clients, when receiving a prescription, notice that the packaging of the medicine they buy at the pharmacy bears the same company logo as on the doctor’s pen and on the prescription form itself.
The profession is generally recognized
Medical representatives work in pharmaceutical companies in all countries. This kind of work is recognized by the civilized world. In addition, it is in demand among us.
Certified medical specialists who have entered this profession report an improvement in their quality of life. After all, their wages in a new place are different from what they received when they got a job in distribution after medical college or school. The purpose of this article is to better acquaint the reader with the nuances and features of this profession.
The emergence of the profession
Drug manufacturers effectively sell their products through units staffed by medical representatives (MRs). They establish contacts between pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions and attending physicians. Thus, the MP contributes to the advertising and promotion of its employer’s products. He is an intermediary between his employer and the customers of his medicines (hospitals, pharmacies, sanatoriums and health resorts).
Medical representative resume
What basic requirements must be met when applying for this job at a pharmaceutical company?
As practice shows, most companies consider candidates up to the age of 35 years. As an exception, older workers who have experience as a medical representative and positive characteristics can also be accepted.
The applicant must have a medical education. For example, a complete higher medical education (certified by a diploma of either a doctor or a pharmacist). However, in some cases, employers are satisfied with secondary education (a diploma from a medical school or college).
Traditionally, there is a part of applicants seeking to get a position as a medical representative while studying for an internship. In this case, there cannot be a complete guarantee. The question depends on the management of the pharmaceutical company, whether they agree to let the intern go to classes or not. As practice shows, in most such cases the candidate is refused. Therefore, such an adept should decide whether to suspend his further medical education because of a lucrative profession or, without applying for a job as a medical doctor, to continue it.
A candidate for a position should be prepared to communicate with representatives of medical institutions in his assigned area of the city. Therefore, having his own car, indicated on his resume, will be an obvious plus for him.
Since the nature of the work of a medical assistant is associated with the reception and processing of various information (medical, commercial, client), it is advisable for the applicant to indicate in his resume his skills in such work. Ideally, they should outline the ability to build sales tactics for lines of medical drugs and even an entire pharmaceutical line.
With a properly compiled objective resume, regional managers (future immediate superiors) invite candidates for an interview.
How to pass an interview?
Before going to a meeting, it is advisable for the candidate to update his knowledge. Regional managers strive to recruit employees who have a basic level of medical training and are versed in applied issues of physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, cytology, pediatrics, and pharmacology.
The knowledge of the adept must be real and consistent with professional communication with doctors. The position “medical representative” assumes that its representative can speak with employees of a medical institution in the business language familiar to them. Therefore, when meeting with the regional manager, the candidate will definitely be tested for factual knowledge and competent presentation of applied medical issues.
Regional managers are interested in selecting personnel with a certain psychotype: active, sociable, manageable, proactive, independent. Accordingly, during an interview they are interested in people who can not only answer the question, but also explain their position.
It is advisable for the candidate to clearly understand the features of his future work, its main directions and his future responsibilities. It is important to be able to make decisions, to be a positive and useful part of a team of colleagues, to have presentation skills, and developed sales skills.
The applicant’s existing professional intelligence is also valued, which consists in not panicking or becoming stunned when faced with a possible error, but quickly finding adequate ways to eliminate it. An MP must come out of difficult situations with new experience, becoming better and better professionally.
Regional managers hire medical representatives, usually from people seeking knowledge. Therefore, the presence of additional certificates of completion of courses will be a definite plus for the candidate.
If a candidate for the position of medical representative identifies these qualities in a conversation with the regional manager, then, most likely, he will be accepted for the position.
Divisions where MP operates
Having got the coveted job, he will directly encounter what is called production specifics. First, let’s talk in fragments about some organizational issues.
Medical representatives work in a pharmaceutical company, in marketing departments. Depending on the scale of sales, these departments may be more or less specialized in the sales segment:
- over-the-counter (OTC);
- prescription;
- hospital;
- budget.
Large companies may organize more specialized departments in areas of medicine. For example, the cardiology department or the ophthalmology department. An employee hired as a medical representative will have to (in addition to practical work) acquire new medical and commercial knowledge through successive group and individual classes.
Medical representative: who is he?
Having mastered the practical basics of the work (this will take 4-5 months), the former candidate will finally be able to comprehensively answer the conceptual question of who a medical representative is.
He is a specialist in the field of sales of medicines and medical products. Its main task is to promote the growth of pharmaceutical company profits from the sale of medicines, stimulating their prescription by doctors, as well as their purchase by pharmacies and medical institutions.
Description of the profession
The scope of tasks of a medical representative is clearly defined and well known to subjects of the pharmaceutical market. Each pharmaceutical company formulates job descriptions for these specialists that take into account its specifics. However, the classic job description of an MP contains little changing basic tasks, which we present to your attention:
- create a business sales plan for the company (in the sector of your competence) taking into account the forecasted sales of distributors;
- carry out a calendar plan of visits to target clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, as well as to doctors of the target specialization;
- present the company’s drugs in compliance with the principles of business ethics;
- actively participate in the company’s organization of meetings with healthcare workers and conferences to further enhance the promotion of medicines;
- together with distributors, achieve planned sales;
- inform your regional manager about the market situation, the actions of competitors, and consumer requests;
- study the range and properties of the company’s products, as well as familiarize yourself with the sales of competitors;
- develop personal contacts with regional doctors, pharmacists, and other health care workers.
Thus, working as a medical representative is a commercial activity, but using basic medical knowledge. This specialist performs his functions using the personal selling method, which includes:
- personal contact, individual approach to customers (persons stimulating demand);
- two-way exchange of information with customers. Feedback is mandatory;
- Possessing the skills to persuade and influence customers.
Salary
A description of the profession would be incomplete without mentioning one more point. The logic of the presentation of the material finally led us to one of the most essential working conditions. After all, basically (to be honest) people associate themselves with this profession taking into account the position on salary. After all, children dream of becoming politicians, lawyers, military officers, doctors, but not medical representatives.
A pharmaceutical company benefits from an effective medical representative. His salary, according to open statistics, is quite high. This is how it is in the world: people in this profession have above average income.
Thus, the average income of an entrepreneur is:
- in Russia - 21-28 thousand rubles. per month;
- in St. Petersburg - 33-39 thousand rubles;
- the capital's medical representative (Moscow) is predictably the best paid, he receives from 35 to 43 thousand rubles. per month.
Market
MPs work in the pharmaceutical market (FR). Being a professional, navigating it and finding ways to increase the company's profits is the alpha and omega of his work. Regional managers evaluate his performance based on his performance of these functions. Therefore, in an effort to more clearly describe the principles of work of a medical representative, we are forced to acquaint the reader with the concept of the pharmaceutical market.
For simplicity, let us present an extremely brief definition of this concept: FR refers to the entire set of entities interested in the manufacture, sale and consumption of medicines. We are talking about companies - drug manufacturers, distributors, doctors, pharmacists, pharmacies and, of course, patients.
The medical representative operates on a DF that has the property of duality, in accordance with the generally accepted ideology of the companies.
The duality of the pharmaceutical market is manifested in the presence of direct sales and indirect sales. Medical representatives cannot sell medications to patients themselves. But they competently contact their treating doctors, while bringing them the idea of promising treatment methods. If the doctor accepts the proposed method of treatment, then he begins to prescribe appropriate prescriptions for patients.
Features of the pharmaceutical market
A distinctive feature of the pharmaceutical market is its internal connections. Pharmaceutical companies manage MPs, medical representatives interact with distributors, and, of course, pharmaceutical companies also communicate with distributors. The complete scheme of the pharmaceutical market also involves communication between doctors and pharmacies, which influence patients.
Another feature of this market is that MPs play the main role in the promotion of medicines. In some of its segments, the role of the media is noticeable, but in the vast majority of situations, the effectiveness of sales depends on the competence, attitude, personal communications and organization of the medical representative.
Thus, it can be ironically noted that the medical representative is told that in a “dual world”, he, acting in accordance with commercial schemes, is authorized to increase the profits of the pharmaceutical corporation.
How to solve the problems of the pharmaceutical market?
However, switching to a more serious tone, one should ask the question: why do the press and media often publish critical materials concerning the specifics of the work of the MP?
In fact, in global legal practice there are no facts of direct prohibition by the state of the activities of medical representatives. By default, it is believed that their field of activity, located at the intersection of social, medical and commercial interests, should be subject to government control and regulation.
It is ineffective to carry out this kind of regulation in Russia by directly prohibiting contacts between a doctor and a medical representative. (We are talking about the practically inactive Article 69 of the Federal Law “On the Fundamentals of Protecting the Health of Citizens in the Russian Federation.”)
In this situation, it is reasonable to proceed from the position of a Russian doctor, often working in the provinces, who wants to maintain his professional level adequate to modern times, and is practically deprived (due to limited income) of the opportunity to attend professional courses, congresses, and promptly acquire medical literature.
Patients demand effective treatment from him. How can he master modern healing methods? How to obtain the necessary knowledge about diseases that have arisen recently? In this case, the state throws up its hands...
From this perspective, the educational activities of pharmaceutical companies (conferences, speeches by candidates and doctors of medical sciences) are a benefit for the medical community.
On the other hand, unscrupulous, socially harmful “lobbying by a medical representative of the interests of a pharmaceutical company” and “the emergence of a doctor’s personal interest” must be suppressed. Those responsible should bear administrative, and in cases with serious consequences, criminal liability. The work of a medical representative must be legally transparent.
Article 75 of the Federal Law “On the Fundamentals of Protecting the Health of Citizens in the Russian Federation” clearly defines a conflict of interest that a medical representative cannot initiate.
Conclusion
The cooperation of pharmaceutical factories with doctors, carried out through medical representatives, has both pros and cons. There is a real risk of aggressive and poorly motivated promotion of inferior drugs to the detriment of manufacturers of better ones.
On the other hand, in the healthcare system there is currently no alternative to conferences and classes organized for doctors by pharmaceutical companies. Thanks to them, doctors have the opportunity to hear about certain diseases and get acquainted with new trends in the treatment of these diseases.
However, drug consumers have hope that the state will update control of the pharmaceutical market by entrusting public organizations with a mechanism for identifying facts of discrimination against medicines in demand by society, as well as facts of promotion of unclaimed ones.
Medical representative is a new generation profession. Its main functions are the presentation and promotion of medicines, medical products or medical equipment by establishing communications with medical institutions, pharmacies, and doctors. This employee is the face of the company.
For such a position, employers have special requirements related to the specifics of the activity, so it is important to create a representative and competitive resume. The main thing here will be the skills and education block. As a rule, the education must be higher medical or pharmaceutical, sometimes technical, it all depends on the characteristics of the product. It is useful to have additional education in reserve - courses, seminars, conferences, everything related to product promotion, building communications, knowledge in the field of pharmaceuticals. Describe in detail your work experience and responsibilities. Professional skills: knowledge of languages, computer knowledge, negotiation skills, active sales and much more that you can use to distinguish yourself from others; having a driver’s license will also be a big plus. And most importantly, indicate the qualities needed for such a position (activity, communication skills, stress resistance, learning ability, discipline, diligence, focus on results, leadership).
See also other resume examples:
Download a sample resume for a medical representative:
Ivanov Anton Mikhailovich
(Anton M. Ivanov)
Target: Filling the position of medical representative.
Education:
September 2000 – May 2006 – Moscow State Medical University named after. Mendeleev, Faculty of General Medicine, specialty “Therapist”
August 2006 – April 2008 – internship, Military Hospital No. 4, Moscow, Diagnostic Department.
Experience:
Pharmacist
January 2004 – April 2006 Pharmacy “Your Health”, Moscow
Functional responsibilities:
— work with incoming and outgoing documentation;
— quality control and storage line of drugs;
— cooperation with medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies;
— receipt and distribution of goods.
Medical representative
May 2008 – March 2014, Pharmaceutical company “Solo”, Moscow.
Functional responsibilities:
— carrying out working visits to pharmacies and hospitals according to plan;
— visits to doctors of various specialties;
— conducting product presentations, organizing round tables;
— support for the company’s cooperation with health departments;
— participation in tenders.
Achievements: best sales result of 2012; Cooperation agreements concluded: 192.
Medical representative
March 2014 – present, Pharmaceutical Corporation “Imperium”, Moscow.
Functional responsibilities:
— preparation of tender documentation;
— organization of conferences and seminars;
— participation in drug testing;
— support for cooperation with scientific institutes;
— presentation of products in hospitals (oncology area).
Achievements: best employee of 2015.
Professional skills:
— Confident PC user;
— Knowledge of office programs, 1C, Internet;
— Knowledge of regulations and laws in the field of healthcare;
— Experience in active sales;
— Experience in organizing and conducting conferences and seminars;
— Business negotiation skills;
— Having good connections;
- Language skills: Russian - fluent; English, German – basic level.
Personal qualities:
Activity, organization, self-criticism.
Patience, persistence, communication skills.
Result-oriented, leadership, ability to work in a team.
Additional information:
Marital status: married.
Children: yes.
Possibility of business trips: yes.
Having a driver's license: yes.
We hope that the example resume we compiled for the position of a medical representative helped you in creating your resume for work. Return to section..
