Surgical Device Industry Fundamentals
For people in their first year at a medical device company: sales reps, clinical specialists, associates and marketing hires who need to understand the OR and the hospital before they can be useful in either.
What you'll be able to do
- Walk through a surgical case day and know your place in it
- Follow sterile technique well enough to stay out of trouble
- Explain how a hospital decides to buy a new device, including value analysis
- Read the basics of an FDA clearance and talk about it accurately
- Build real working relationships with surgeons and OR staff
Syllabus
Six modules, self-paced. Each has short readings, a case example and a quick check at the end.
The procedure guides in our library double as background reading for the anatomy module.
- The case dayScheduling, pre-op, time-out, the procedure and handoff. (Free)
- Sterile technique for non-cliniciansThe field, scrubbed vs. unscrubbed roles, and common mistakes.
- Anatomy and procedure basicsJoints, spine and cranium at the level a rep needs, with the vocabulary surgeons use.
- How hospitals buyValue analysis committees, contracts, GPOs, and what a credentialing system is for.
- Regulation in plain English510(k), PMA and labeling: what you may say about a product and what you may not.
- Working with surgeonsEarning trust, handling a bad case, and staying useful over years.
Module 1, lesson 1: The case day, start to finish
Most new reps learn the OR by getting yelled at in it. This lesson gets you ahead of that by walking through one ordinary scheduled case, from the night before to the recovery room.
The day before. Confirm the case is still on the schedule, the implant sizes and instruments are where they need to be, and sterile processing has the trays in time to turn them. Most avoidable delays start here.
Pre-op. The patient is checked in, consented and marked. Anesthesia and nursing do their assessments. This is not your time; stay out of the bay unless you've been asked in.
Time-out. Before incision the whole team stops to confirm patient, procedure and site. Everyone stops talking. That includes you.
The procedure. Your job is to anticipate. Know the steps well enough to have the next size or instrument ready before anyone asks, and keep your voice low.
Close and handoff. Count, close, dressing, transfer. Record implant lot numbers correctly, because the hospital will need them later.
Quick check
During the surgical time-out, the rep should:
For individuals
Self-paced access to all six modules and a completion certificate.
Pricing announced at launch. Waitlist members hear first.
For teams
Seats for a hiring class or a regional team, a progress report for managers and an optional live Q&A session.
Quoted per team. Tell us your team size below.
Join the waitlist
We'll email you when the full course opens. No spam, and you can leave any time.
Instructor: the founder of Informed Surgery, who has worked in surgical medical devices across orthopaedics and reconstruction, covering cases, distributors and hospital value analysis. See About.