July 19, 2023 – The plan was to become a veterinarian, says Cardinal Health cardio venous sales specialist Jessica Curry. She wanted to work in some type of medical field, she recalls, and growing up around farm animals and dogs made animal health a logical career choice. But her experience caring for family members when they required assistance and her awareness of the growing nursing shortage at the time led her to pursue a dual college degree in nursing and psychology.
“I helped finance college by working part-time in a home for children with special needs – a rewarding experience that further helped mold my path,” she says. That, and her experience as a nurse assistant, exposed her to various acute and post-acute opportunities in healthcare. “My first clinical rotation was in the psychiatric ward at the VA in Fayetteville, North Carolina,” she says. “It was a true test of whether I would be able to handle some of the more challenging clinical interactions with patients. And little did I know that working at the special needs group home would prepare me to be a parent to my own special needs child many years later.”
Curry’s first job out of college was in clinical research, with a bit of nursing on the side. A few years later, she completed her MBA, which prepared her to join the medical sales industry. “My first opportunity in medical sales was as a pharmaceutical rep,” she says. “Medical sales provided an opportunity to use my clinical knowledge and experience, as well as my business acumen. Given how much healthcare has evolved over the past two decades, having both a clinical and business background has been a huge benefit with regard to customer partnerships and relevance. For instance, my past exposure to different clinical specialties, together with my experience in clinical research, showed me that all products are not necessarily equal, nor are they all the right fit for every patient.” In fact, she recommends that patients research which medications and medical products best suit them – something she deals with daily as a parent of a special needs child. “I felt confident to advocate for my son’s needs, and I’m teaching him to be resilient and persistent, just as I must be in sales.
“I’m not the kind of person who can sell just any product,” she continues. “I will only sell the best products available in each category.” It’s been important to work for companies that reflect this value, she adds – companies with a clear vision, where she can continue to learn the best ways to support her customers. She began her career in medical sales in 2002 as a territory manager at Wyeth, then joined Kinetic Concepts Inc in 2007. In 2013 she joined Covidien, which was acquired by Medtronic three years later. Then, in 2018, her division was acquired by Cardinal Health. “This year marks 10 years in my current position and 24 years in the healthcare industry.”
Read more in the latest issue of Repertoire Magazine.