Used to work for a major implant company, we had a cadaver lab at company headquarters and flew in doctors for training. The rep in the OR is mostly just for support. They carry in a bunch of hardware in case the doctor needs to pivot midway through, they may need different sized screws or something. They can show doctors how the device is meant to connect together without bone/tissue but they often have little to no medical training, they are sales representatives.

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stevepotter 2 days ago | parent [-]

Hey there, thanks for writing. For those who don't know, the sales reps have to carry in racks and racks of parts. Most go unused but the last thing you want is something to go wrong and not have the piece you need readily available.

I've been in many different ORs and I've found that the rep's knowledge and level of participation varies a lot. Some of these reps have been working with the same products for years, the doc fully trusts them, and could probably perform the procedure themselves. Others not so much.

	▲	conductr 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		This sounds about right. My time in the industry, I always remember our top selling rep was basically royalty at the company he drove so much volume - but, he was only about 22 and never finished college or had any actual medical training. He just grew up with a surgeon Dad, country club, etc. and had deep connections with a lot of surgeons by virtue of this. He was also very charismatic and a good salesman, just not the guy you'd want training your surgeon before they fused your spine.