Medical Representative- The Fulcrum of any Company

I am a second-generation pharmaceutical employee because of my father. He worked in an Indian company that is now more than 150 years old for 42 years (Can anybody imagine now?). My father was a Medical Representative for 35 years, and the company could not terminate him (joking) because he was meeting the so-called "targets" month after month but would not go to the field. The doctors and the stockists used to come to our home those days. A doctor would ask for a course of antibiotic (Cephalexin), which was considered the ultimate in community-acquired infection, and he would give 2 strips of 2 capsules and ask the doctor to buy the rest from the medical shop. I do not know if it was his arrogance or the way the doctors respected him those days. The company promoted him as Sales Manager in its Kochi Depot, and he continued to work for another 7 years. He was handling the entire state of Kerala, the M.R's, managers, and even in the month-end, he was asked to call the stockists throughout Kerala to get extra orders. All respected him because of his knowledge, seniority, and wisdom.

I joined as a Medical Representative in a multinational company. I worked as an M.R for 12 years because those days there were very minimal promotions. In fact, I used to joke that to get promoted, you needed to pray to God that either your manager died in an accident (bad joke) or he had to be fired, which was neither happening. I am 57 years old now, and my experience is my age. My father is still rollicking and enjoying at 86 years (touch wood). I remember a time when he used to go to Baroda for the Annual meeting; he would draw the outline of our foot. We used to eagerly wait for his return, and we used to get the best "Quowadies" chappals, like the kings used to wear. The world is so small. I have joined a Baroda-based company as GM (Sales & Marketing), a company with high standards asserting to be a leader and innovator in formulation, production, and marketing of high-quality specialty injectables to hospitals and healthcare institutions across India through a qualified team of medical sales professionals.

I can touch my heart that even today, a Medical Representative can be the face of the company, but unfortunately, the standards are coming down, and the youngsters are taking this job by default and not by choice. In my initial training, an American who was the trainer asked the entire class to explain the role of a Medical Representative, and my answer was,

• A Med Rep talks like a parrot (because he is taught the detailing by marketing and he has to just replicate).

• A Med Rep acts like a clown (because he has to act and interact with the doctor with his gestures and gesticulations).

• And a Med Rep dresses like a model (because it was considered a white-collar job long back, and now the standards have come down).

But still, I bow down to the job of a Medical Representative and give the M.R a big red salute.