Miami students learn healthcare sales lessons in site visits
Students visit a pair of healthcare businesses in Cincinnati to get information and experience
Miami students learn healthcare sales lessons in site visits
More than a dozen Miami University students took part in a daylong trip to Cincinnati to gain deeper insight into the growing field of healthcare sales.
The students from the Healthcare Sales student organization traveled with professor Greg Fisher and FSB Director of Industry Partnerships Michelle Chevalier to the TriHealth corporate offices, where they met and heard from Harold Dillow, VP of Supply Chain, and Andy Preising, Value Analysis Administrator. Dillow and Preising walked the students through the Value Analysis process and lifecycle when a doctor or surgeon requests to purchase a device or new technology, from request to actual procurement.
“They emphasized the importance of establishing a partnership between hospital systems and sales representatives, rather than merely a transactional relationship. Additionally, they shared that value analysis isn’t just about cost; it’s about finding ways to improve their patient care,” senior Kinesiology and Healthcare Sales major James Jauch said.
The students then went to the Johnson & Johnson Institute, where they met with Anthony Wiltshire, Director of Academic Health and Resident Education. Wiltshire gave the students a tour of the institute, including the onsite operating room and lab facilities.
“We were shown rooms where new health care professionals take tests to become fully certified in their respective profession,” senior Marketing and Healthcare Sales student Drake Viola said. “It was really interesting to see their portfolio of wound closing equipment, and it made me very excited to pursue the industry of medical device sales.”
“We were able to get hands-on experience with the guidance of their Sales Training Representatives using their Ethicon products, including adjunctive hemostats, energy sealing & dissecting devices, and surgical staplers,” Jauch said. “We learned about how they utilize lab simulations to train physicians on their products to help improve surgical outcomes without any risk to real patients.”
Started in 2022, the Healthcare Sales certificate program is open to all Miami University students and is designed to prepare students for careers in healthcare sales through classwork and both curricular and co-curricular experiences.
“The main takeaway I left with was how organized and intricate the systems I will soon be selling truly are. I learned the importance of deeply understanding the equipment I will be selling, and I was able to gain a fresh perspective as I prepare to transition into the industry,” Viola said.
“This trip showed us how hospital systems and medical device companies work together to improve patient care,” Jauch said. “Seeing the business decision-making at TriHealth and the innovation at J&J gave us an understanding of the importance of collaboration, education, and technology in advancing healthcare."
