Advice about gap year

[Meredith92]

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I was considering taking a job offer at a medical tech company for my year off, but read on SDN that it may look bad during interviews (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-891834.html) My job would consist of both sales and product development. I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn about business, since I've had no previous experience with it. After reading that thread, I think working for a medical tech company may be a bad thing... it seems like doctors may have something against it, and I wouldnt want to have to constantly defend my decision to work there in my interviews. If anything, I want something to really boost my application, and it seems like this would only drag me down.

Do you think I'm right to not take this job?
Also, does anyone have any suggestions for a gap year activity? I want to have good medical exposure (perhaps something other than research since I already have a lot of experience in research), but also something that allows me to pay for my living expenses.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Narmerguy]

I was considering taking a job offer at a medical tech company for my year off, but read on SDN that it may look bad during interviews (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-891834.html) My job would consist of both sales and product development. I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn about business, since I've had no previous experience with it. After reading that thread, I think working for a medical tech company may be a bad thing... it seems like doctors may have something against it, and I wouldnt want to have to constantly defend my decision to work there in my interviews. If anything, I want something to really boost my application, and it seems like this would only drag me down.

Do you think I'm right to not take this job?
Also, does anyone have any suggestions for a gap year activity? I want to have good medical exposure (perhaps something other than research since I already have a lot of experience in research), but also something that allows me to pay for my living expenses.

Thanks for your help!

I'm confused, the previous thread says that you are working for a pharmaceutical company as a drug rep vs a medical tech company. These could be two incredibly different things.

 

[Praefectus]

You could say that you needed a way to pay the bills...

 

[Meredith92]

I wasnt sure if doctors would view this as the same thing. Since I'll be working a bit in sales, I'm worried that people interviewing me may interpret that as a sales rep job. Do you think there is a big difference?

My main worry is that I want the people interviewing me to see that I'm not someone who cares about making money- the reason I want to become a doctor is to help people. I want to do something during my year off that shows this, and represents who I am. I'm not sure that working in this tech company will really help me become a better doctor.

 

[Narmerguy]

I wasnt sure if doctors would view this as the same thing. Since I'll be working a bit in sales, I'm worried that people interviewing me may interpret that as a sales rep job. Do you think there is a big difference?

My main worry is that I want the people interviewing me to see that I'm not someone who cares about making money- the reason I want to become a doctor is to help people. I want to do something during my year off that shows this, and represents who I am. I'm not sure that working in this tech company will really help me become a better doctor.

There's nothing wrong with having to make money during your gap year. Of course there is the expectation that you will do so in a manner that is consistent with your ethics and values, and some doctors see being a drug company sales rep as too far estranged from those values.

If you are not saying that you will be working in sales for a medical device company, this does not have the same stigma as drug reps but many healthcare folks still look warily/angrily at the medical devices industry. You can't try to choose your job in a manner that will not offend anyone, there are people that will find an excuse to hate anything that you do. If you find after doing your job that the reality of the job is against your values or what you think is in the best interest of the health of others, you can speak out against it with greater credibility and first-hand experience. That said, I find it unlikely that any job of this sort will be a "boost" to your application, it will likely be seen for what it is: something to pay the bills.

 

[Planes2Doc]

If you have serious concerns about this job, then leave it OFF of your application and resume. Unless there is evidence that can be found on Google of your employment (company website, Facebook, or any other source), the job otherwise didn't exist. You can even be a stripper and as long as there is no trace of it on Google, it doesn't exist.

So as long as you continue with the activities that make ADCOMs happy, like volunteering, shadowing, etc, you should be fine.

 

[Meredith92]

Thanks for your help! I agree with what youre saying. I was really hoping that my year off WOULD boost my application, so therefore I think I'm gonna keep searching to find a job that both boosts my application and can hopefully help me pay the rent. I welcome any suggestions!

Thanks again!

 

[235009]

hold on ....are you working for a medical device company? If so then I see no problem with that at all. With medical devices the reps are welcomed into the hospital with open arms and help instruct physicians on how to properly use their devices. Those reps usually aren't sales reps but device companies usually don't get the bad rap that pharma companies do. i think we need a bit more information to give you good advice but from what you've said so far this sounds like a good job and you should take it.

if you do take it you shouldn't present it in an apologetic fashion ("i needed to pay the bills") nor should you leave it off your app. You should always be proud of your accomplishments and speak about them positively. If there are some less savory aspects of your job (like the sales aspect) it's not hard to just leave that part out and focus on the parts that are more impressive or less controversial.

 

[Meredith92]

Its a medical device company- and I actually really believe in the product and I think it will help many people. My title is "business development" and only part of my job will be sales. I was excited because I thought this was both a job that would help me pay the rent AND a job that is related to the medical world/ helping people.

I just would never want to take a risk and have this negatively affect my application.

Thats very helpful that you say that device companies are different than pharma companies... I'm confused about this prejudice against these companies... if the device go to help people, why do doctors look at them so badly?

 

[235009]

Its a medical device company- and I actually really believe in the product and I think it will help many people. My title is "business development" and only part of my job will be sales. I was excited because I thought this was both a job that would help me pay the rent AND a job that is related to the medical world/ helping people.

I just would never want to take a risk and have this negatively affect my application.

Thats very helpful that you say that device companies are different than pharma companies... I'm confused about this prejudice against these companies... if the device go to help people, why do doctors look at them so badly?

i think you should absolutely take this job. how it affects your application will depend entirely on how you present it. as i mentioned before if you think the sales portion of it will sound unsavory then leave it out of the description.