Join us for a captivating conversation with Dr. Vishal Rekhala, a double board-certified interventional pain physician, as he unveils the cutting-edge advancements in pain management. Dr. Rekhala shares his expertise on innovative treatments like spinal cord stimulation, regenerative medicine injections, and ultrasound-guided injections, providing a thorough understanding of how these procedures are transforming patient care. We also tackle the pressing issue of chronic pain management in the wake of the opioid crisis and explore the potential of medical marijuana in offering new hope to patients in New York.
For our aspiring medical professionals, Dr. Rekhala offers invaluable insights into the financial and professional challenges faced by new doctors. He explains the industry dynamics that push many young physicians toward guaranteed contracts with large medical groups, rather than venturing into private practice. Discover a comprehensive support service designed to help doctors establish their own practices, covering everything from office setup to marketing and revenue management, ensuring they have the tools and confidence to succeed independently.
The episode takes an engaging turn as we highlight the pivotal role of medical representatives in healthcare. Dr. Rekhala discusses what makes a rep truly valuable, from keeping abreast of the latest technologies to integrating smoothly with healthcare teams. We also explore his personal life, including his favorite pastimes like reading “Harry Potter” with his daughter and dining at Manhattan’s Nobu 57. Finally, we wrap up with Dr. Rekhala’s reflections on his professional journey and his ongoing efforts to guide fellow physicians towards successful private practices. Don’t miss this episode packed with insights and inspiration!
Meet the guest:
Dr. Vishal Rekhala is a dedicated double board-certified physician in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Pain Management. He has a double fellowship training in interventional pain and palliative care, along with being certified in musculoskeletal ultrasound. He has over 15 years of experience in effectively treating patients with painful conditions, and he brings a wealth of expertise to every case. He is currently serving as a partner on the managing board at Orthopedic Associates of Dutchess County, specializing in pain management and sports medicine. Dr. Rekhala is deeply committed to providing comprehensive care and improving patient outcomes. Additionally, he proudly serves on the advisory board of Independent Practice Partners, where their mission is to empower physicians in reclaiming control of their professional careers by establishing their own private practices. He is passionate about delivering exceptional care, advancing healthcare and supporting fellow physicians.
Connect with him:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-p-rekhala-79a71069/
https://ipracticepartners.com/
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Episode Transcript
00:08 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Hello and welcome to the Medical Sales Podcast. I’m your host, Samuel, founder of a revolutionary medical sales training and mentorship program called the Medical Sales Career Builder, and I’m also host of the Medical Sales Podcast. In this podcast, I interview top medical sales reps and leading medical sales executives across the entire world. It doesn’t matter what medical sales industry from medical device to pharmaceutical, to genetic testing and diagnostic lab you name it. You will learn how to either break into the industry, be a top 10% performer within your role or climb the corporate ladder. Welcome to the Medical Sales Podcast and remember, I am a medical sales expert, sharing my own opinion about this amazing industry and how it can change your life. Hello and welcome to the Medical Sales Podcast. I’m your host, Samuel, and today we have with us another special guest, and he goes by the name of Dr Vishal Rekala.
01:09
Dr Vishal is in the pain management space and I am not going to tell you anything more because you’ve got to listen to the episode. He is doing amazing things. He’s an entrepreneur that’s created a service that can change the lives of physicians all over the world that have always wanted to change and start their own practices. But I am not going to explain you got to listen to the episode if you want to hear that information and he also goes into detail about what it means to be in pain management and what he expects for representatives that are considering getting into pain management and, of course, the ones that are already in pain management.
01:41
Again, if you are a medical sales professional that deals with a lot of physicians that want to start their own practice, or you’re someone that wants to get into medical sales and you know physicians that want to start their own practice, or you are a physician that wants to start your own practice, this is an episode you absolutely have to listen to. As always, we do our best to bring you innovations that are doing things differently in the medical cell space, innovations and innovators that are changing the entire medical cell space landscape, like this physician here. Thank you for listening and I really do hope you enjoy this interview.
02:23 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Hey doctor, how are we doing today? Excellent, excellent. Thanks for having me on.
02:27 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Absolutely so. Why don’t you tell everybody who you are and what you do?
02:31 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Sure, I’m Dr Vishal Rukala. I’m a double board certified interventional pain physician in New York.
02:38 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Okay, pain physician in New York, talk to us a little bit about what exactly that means. We have a lot of, as you know, doctor. We have people listening right now that are very well in the trenches of medical sales, people leading the way, providers like yourself and, of course, a population of people that have no idea what it means to be in pain management. So please break it down for us. What exactly is that field?
03:01 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Sure. So I’m on the interventional pain side so I do a lot of procedures for both spine pain, joint pain, pretty much anything with a needle that can help alleviate pain. So in the medical sales side I do a lot of work with spinal cord stimulators. So that’s probably my biggest avenue of help, probably my biggest, biggest avenue of of of of help and then other things we do. We do some regenerative medicine injections, prp, things like that. Also do a lot of just general ultrasound guided injections for shoulder pain, knee pain, but yeah, that’s that’s kind of kind of the avenue I do do a little bit of. You know medical management, but you know of kind of the avenue I do do a little bit of. You know medical management, but you know that’s gotten a lot of negativity lately. Um, but yeah, we try to help. You know all aspects of pain.
03:53 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So let’s you know. I want to catch that. So you said medical management has got some negativity. Speak to us about that. What are you? What are you talking about?
04:00 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Well, so, uh, obviously, as you know, in uh, in the 90s, there was a big, big push for pain as the sixth vital sign, Basically a lot of push for patients to be on medications. I’m not sure if you and your audience have heard of some of the lawsuits going on yeah, the lawsuits going on with the pharma oxycodone, oxycontin and all of that. So it kind of swung too far one way, where it was kind of everyone got pain medication, whether they really needed it or not.
04:33
Now it’s kind of gone the other direction where people who really need pain management you know, cancer patients, patients with chronic, really painful conditions have trouble finding it. So there’s kind of two avenues where there’s pain management. There’s some who do a lot more medical management. I was involved in that previously. I did a palliative care, hospice fellowship and then I switched from that to the more interventional side where I’m doing more procedures and things to try to help alleviate the pain without needing the medication so much.
05:05 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Got it. So you know I want to stay here, I want to hang out here a little bit. So you’re saying that now it’s quite the opposite, where cancer patients can’t get the medication they need.
05:18 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Well, not so much cancer patients, I mean, if they’re hooked up with you know oncology team and then they have palliative care, up with you know oncology team and then they have palliative care it’s usually it’s more people who have more chronic type painful conditions that are more managed on the outpatient setting, where traditional procedures and things aren’t helping enough. That’s where there’s a little gap, where it’s hard. But there’s some things that are happening that are actually kind of filling the void. Like I’m in New York, like I said, and recently medical marijuana became a legal. So there’s some avenues to get control that are different, besides involving procedures and things.
05:56 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
What an interesting segue, because I want to go this direction a little bit. So let’s talk about it. So you’re saying that, well, we all know that there was a big issue with pain management when it came to all these narcotics. Right, that’s a big issue. Everybody’s very aware. The movies, the TV shows, it goes on and on. Yeah, and then anybody in medical sales. I mean, we were there, we were literally there Right.
06:21
Now we go to patients that still need aggressive options in pain management and you’re saying that is it that doctors are reluctant to let them get access to anything? These patients that need outpatient care with drugs or something else is going on.
06:39 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
It’s just the pendulum has swung. I’m sure there’s doctors who are scared to prescribe because there’s a lot of oversight, and people who are regulating what you can prescribe, how much you can prescribe, so there’s some of that. There’s also a push, I mean, I think, for the better too, to look for alternative treatments as well. Again, like I said, medical marijuana it seems to be filling some of the void, and then a lot of the procedures that I do as well, such as the spinal cord stimulators. There’s also pain pumps that can kind of bridge the gap. So hopefully it’s coming back to where okay, you know medications are an option. There’s other things as well to get you know people’s painful conditions to a tolerable level. Now you know medical marijuana, painful conditions to a to a tolerable level.
07:26 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Now you know medical marijuana. I’m curious what did you anticipate and is whatever is happening now as far as it addressing the medical need for these patients when it comes to outpatient pain management? Is what’s happening now what you anticipated, or is it much worse or much better In terms of in terms of when it goes, when, when, when it can be used, the way it’s being utilized now and it’s widespread and it’s legal and it’s an option, a legitimate option, I’m assuming. As a physician, you kind of had your suspicions about what will or will not happen when we get to where we are.
08:04 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
I actually think it’s. I think it’s a great option. Um, it’s, I think it’s underutilized because there’s still a negative connotation and stigma, especially like with your older patients. I talk to them like oh, why did you consider medical marijuana? And then they think of like back in the 60s or something you know. They tell me stories of them going to like Woodstock or whatever. So you have that aspect.
08:27
Also, you know it is somewhat overly regulated. The cost, I’m not sure, is because of the regulation. At least in New York, where you have to go through a government dispensary and the taxes and the fees associated with it, it can be rather costly. When I talk to patients who have homes in other states where it’s legal recreationally, they compare the two or they say about the two and they notice such a drastic difference. So I think with the decriminalization kind of push that’s happening, I think over time, as it becomes legal recreationally too, that I think will help on the cost end. So that’s where I see a little bit of it not being adopted as much because I think financially it can be a burden to some people.
09:18 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Gotcha, Gotcha, Okay. So this is what you do when you’re not doing other things, but you’re a bit of an entrepreneur. Is this correct? Yeah, sort of Okay. So please let us know. What is this? What are you doing that allows you to say you are sort of?
09:40 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
up with a group of some true entrepreneurs who started this, this consulting company that basically assists doctors who want to start their own private practice.
09:55
Go from you know the idea all the way to seeing patients, you know sending out your bills, being credentialed and actually getting back to making you know your overhead, out your bills being credentialed and actually getting back to making you know your overhead and then eventually actually being profitable.
10:11
There’s I looked in the space and there’s no one really doing it. So this group started. There are five ophthalmologists who started this, actually right in COVID, so it was like the worst time to possibly come out with this idea, but they’ve been extremely successful. They’ve opened over 20 practices so far in the first few years and recently they started expanding into the pain management and dermatology space where they want to help those specialties start to open their own private practices. And I thought it was a brilliant idea because myself, being a little bit of a younger physician, you know we don’t have the same opportunities that some of our older colleagues did. I know my father is a physician. He basically just hung a sign on the door and said you know, come on in, and that was the start of it, yeah exactly that was the extent of what he had to do to open up a private practice.
11:06
But nowadays, with all the regulations getting credentials on insurances, you know even you know marketing yourself, social media.
11:20 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Is it that the young, the fellow that’s coming out and becoming a physician these days, his or her mind is I need to go find a medical group or workforce, an entity like Kaiser. Or is it that the young fellow that comes out and about to ready to practice is still saying I want to open my own practice.
11:45 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
And if I can’t then maybe I’ll do these other things. I think it’s more. It’s more they’re looking for an opportunity to start to make some sort of income. When you take a position right like I came out. It’s been many years now, but when I came out you know you have quite an amount of debt and when you’re in training, as you guys know, you’re not making a lot of money. You’re just kind of treading water. So your student loans and things kick off once you’re out of training and then you’ve got to start paying that back. And plus, by the time you’re done with all your training, you’re in your late 20s, early 30s if you’ve gone straight through with all your training.
12:26
You’re, you know, in your late 20s, early 30s if you’ve gone straight through, and your friends from college are already bought houses and have nice cars and already and you’re kind of still living like in a certain lifestyle that you’re like, wow, this kind of sucks. So the it’s not really a risk of starting your own practice, but the guarantee or the return on investment is not as clear. You don’t know right. You don’t know when you’re going to be back to zero in terms of the money you’ve invested into. You know, building out your office space and hiring your people and paying contract, you’re like, ok, well, let me do this, maybe I’ll open a practice down the road. But a lot of times you just keep with that, being scared, like I don’t know if I want to take that chance and go this whole route by myself.
13:17 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So it’s not so much. The new way of thinking is I want to be in a medical group. It’s that. The new way of thinking is I need to go wherever I can make a dollar and, to an extent, yeah, to an extent, those are the opportunities.
13:29 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Yeah, I got very lucky. I joined a large private practice group and I had a great opportunity. But those opportunities don’t exist Even in the private practice setting. As you know, there’s so much consolidation with private equity and people just being bought out, even hospital groups buying, you know, buying practices and and it’s great for the older docs who are ready to retire, but the younger docs, you know they don’t have those same opportunities. They don’t get to invest, they don’t get the, you know, to real estate and other, uh, ancillary income that can come with owning your own practice.
13:59
So, you know, I felt that there was a definite need for this. It’s kind of against the grain, which could be, you know, the start, because it always, you know, cyclical with everything. So if everything’s going one way, if you go the other, eventually they’re going to lose you Exactly, exactly Right. And then it’s also kind of giving back to docs, right, like I have so many colleagues and friends and we’ve all worked extremely hard to get to this point, and you don’t want to see people feel like they’re burnt out. They don’t have a choice, their only choice is to retire or work part-time. You know that’s not benefiting us. That’s not, you know, benefiting the docs. It’s not benefiting society. You know. You want you know our docs to be empowered and feel. You know what this is. I love doing what I do and you know the business side. You don’t want always administrators and people telling you what you can do when you can do it you know so.
14:57 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So, so is it that your group is? Is your group more of you know wherever you are? If you want to have your own practice, we’re going to do it with you. Or is it more of we’re going to show you how to do it? Good luck, or is it we’re going to kind of do it with you and some of it for you? You know what’s, what’s the assist here with your service?
15:11 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
yeah, so we help completely from day one. Where you want to set up your practice. We’ll help you do the geographical research. We’ll help you do the research on the payer mix, the research on the competition, so that way we can kind of narrow down a location in the area you want to be. We also help with looking for office space whether it’s better to rent or get a, get your own building. We help with the finances in terms of we have banks assisting with getting the business loan to buy the building and do the the back office things. Then we also have credentialing help you get on all the insurance panels, get you in the hospitals. We also help with the marketing to start getting your media presence out there Help you get them patients 100% yeah, we’re with them all the way through.
16:02
We help them with the billing, we help them, we have contacts with the EHR so we’ll get you the electronic health record, all of that malpractice. It’s like a one-stop. We get everything going for you and then we actually stay with you for several years after. So if there’s something comes up with your revenue management that you need to get on a call, you know we can jump on a call with you and help you and kind of navigate you through up until the point you say, hey, I’ve got this, this is my baby, I’m ready, and then we’re out.
16:37 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
And then so so, so, wait, so you get them to where they are walking and then you guys leave. There’s no like.
16:47 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
We’re just no. No, I mean, if we have some other things, like if they want to stay on, we have like a billing department. So if they want to use our billing going, further you know there’s things that we can do for them, but typically our goal is to get you from hey. I want to open my practice to hey. I’m fully staffed. I have all the patients I need to see. I’m good.
17:08 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
How long is the average time?
17:11 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
It is. So on average I would say probably like till you’re fully matured practice, probably like three, four years. But our timeline even to breaking even could be drastically quicker. We can get a lot of practices to breaking even within six months. Profitability in a year that’s really unheard of, because if you think about all the decisions you have to make to get to that point, obviously people can do this on their own. But you’re going to make mistakes and that’s just time and that’s just money that you’re eating into your your own savings account to try to keep you afloat until you get there, you know.
17:46 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Yeah, yeah, I know I know a hundred percent. So I got a thousand questions. So number one what is the you know can you do? Is there a criteria? A doctor needs to have to say we’re a hundred percent confident we can do this for you. Or is it more like we’re 80% confident we can do this for you? Or is it more like we can work with anybody? It doesn’t really matter as long as they have an MD behind them? We got them. Talk to us a little bit about what’s the level of certainty that going with you guys and investing is going to make sense for me, the provider.
18:19 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Well, so, like I said, we have a proven track record in the ophthalmology space and we’re expanding into the pain and pain ortho sports kind of space along with dermatology. So those fields we know, based off of you know, just their type of practice, the procedures and things like that, they’ll be successful.
18:40 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
You know, even if you know, you do it by yourself, you’re going to be successful.
18:45 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
So I think anyone in those fields would be a perfect candidate. The thing is is do you have the time to do all that on your own, or do you want to truncate it and just get it up and running as fast as possible with the assistance of people who have done this before? And that’s the other thing that I actually didn’t mention. Yet this is all physician run, so everyone you talk to, everyone you deal with in this group, is all physicians. It’s called Independent Practice Partners, and that’s the nice thing too. So you’re not speaking to a suit or someone who hasn’t actually done this. You’ll talk to another doctor and on the doctor level, you know we can relate and yeah, so I think anyone who’s interested in those fields definitely.
19:31 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Wow, that’s amazing.
19:33 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
And so you’re?
19:34 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
are you almost like so? Did you say it was like a franchise and you’re a franchisor, or do you work as an employee within the organization myself?
19:44 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
yes, uh, I’m a consultant. I guess I’m a consultant in in the pain management ortho kind of world. Um, as far as the people coming on board no, that’s, they’re not coming under like independent practice partners where we like, own their practice or anything like that Nope, this is their practice, their name, they’re incorporated, whatever you know they want to set up, and this is a hundred percent their baby. We’re just guiding them to the point where they feel comfortable that they’ve got it.
20:15 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Man. So are you guys talking to students that are about to be? Because I feel like there’s an opportunity there, huge opportunity.
20:26 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Definitely so, students, I think, like fellows and things like I said, I think it’s the hardest probably to crack right, Because they’re coming out and they’re like well, do I want to delay, versus Kaiser’s offering me a nice signing bonus and starting?
20:40
salary day one. So that still, obviously we want to get that out to them and I think as time changes, especially with the consolidation going and the kind of negativity around these larger groups, maybe it’ll switch. Maybe the more we’ll be like, yeah, definitely, instead of starting somewhere, I’m going to do that. But typically the classic person we get is someone kind of like myself, you know, who’s been in practice for like 10, 15 years and their practice got bought out or their hospital merged with another hospital hospital, and then they’re kind of like OK, I’m not satisfied in my current position. I know I’m not getting the the revenue that I should be getting and I’m working way harder than I should be to get whatever I am getting. So that’s really when you start to see people like you know what this doesn’t need to be. This way I can do this myself. I can, you know, manage my overhead much better than a giant hospital system.
21:42 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Right.
21:43 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Yeah, you can. You can work less and make more.
21:46 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So the benefits just sound obvious. What are some of the what are the cons of going this route?
21:54 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
The con is the uncertainty, and that’s what we’re trying to eliminate right.
21:58
Again I said like you, anyone can start their own practice and eventually they’ll be successful. It’s just the time. One of my good friends from medical school just started his private practice cardiology practice and I was talking to him about this and he was like, wow, this is amazing Because it took him almost five years to get his practice really to the point where he felt comfortable. And that’s a scary, scary thing, especially if you have a wife or husband and kids and a mortgage and all kinds of stuff.
22:26 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So that’s where we can get you to that point where you know what I’m actually even or I’m in the positive and this is really going in the right direction and that’s that’s huge I hope you’re enjoying today’s episode and I want to let you know our programs cover the entire career of a medical sales professional, from getting into the medical sales industry to training on how to be a top performer in the medical sales industry to masterfully navigate your career to executive level leadership. These programs are personalized and customized for your specific career and background and trained by over 50 experts, including surgeons. Our results speak for ourselves and we’re landing positions for our candidates in less than 120 days in top medical technology companies like Stryker, medtronic, merck, abbott you name it.
23:16
Would you run an Ironman race without training and a strategy? You wouldn’t, so why are you trying to do the same with the medical sales position? You need training, you need a strategy and you need to visit evolveyoursuccesscom, fill out the application schedule some time with one of our account executives and let’s get you into the position that you’ve always dreamed of. Okay, doctor, you know what I want to switch gears a little bit. I want to talk about your experience with representatives. You know you’ve been seeing reps for a little while now. What would you say are your top three things that you want to see from your representatives?
23:51 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
So the main thing that really distinguishes some reps from others is making my life easier. So, whether it’s helping set up authorizations, whether it’s educating the staff, whether it’s community outreach, whether it’s patient education there’s so many things that I don’t have as much time as I would like to dedicate to, and the best reps really nail that. They make my life easier, they make me look good with, you know, getting the staff up to speed, really filling in the gaps with patient education on the products that we’re using. So that would be like the number one biggest thing. The best ones really take care of that and make my job so much easier and make it seamless.
24:42
Some of the other things, I think, are the reps who kind of fit in with the team. We all have a team, whether it’s in the OR with the nurses and the techs, or even the office with the medical assistants and the authorization team. So the reps who really kind of introduce themselves and take the time to get to know the team, you know, usually are the ones who are like my go-to for most things. And then, probably last, is just helping me stay up to date on the new technology, new devices, things that are in the pipeline things that they’re working on. I love knowing about what’s coming before it comes and kind of finding out the future Okay.
25:29 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So, making your life easier, fitting in with the team, taking the time to understand the team and bringing you the latest information those are the things that you look for in your representatives, definitely. So let’s now indulge me here. Let’s talk about a new rep that wants to get your time. Are you the type of doctor that, when you hear of a new rep, you always want the introduction, or you’re very particular on what they’re bringing and if you have an absolute need for it, then you’re going to give them some time? Where do you normally, how do you normally do it?
26:04 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
No, I like to give everyone time. So I’ll definitely give time for either introduction, a stop in the office, you know, whatever, just to kind of hear what kind of differentiates them, their company, their product from what we’re already using or if we are currently using, what they can do to optimize that. So, no, I always like to, whether it’s, you know, quick five minutes at launch, or, you know, at the end of the day, or stopping by. A lot of times reps will stop by the OR and in between cases I’ll talk to them and kind of hear about what’s going on. So that way I like to make informed decisions, as you know what I’m using, why I should be using it. So, yeah, no, I like to hear from the reps, even the new ones who are coming into the territory.
26:52 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Well, bless your heart, doctor, because not every of your colleagues shares that perspective.
26:57 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
I understand that. I understand that too. I’m sure it also depends on if you’re working for a big hospital system or a big conglomerate. You know they have different rules about who can even come into the building and whatnot. So I’m luckily in a private practice so I have a little bit more leeway. I get to say you know who comes in and who doesn’t, and I don’t really get too much slack from anybody.
27:17 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So one question then do you have colleagues that they just don’t want to see reps or they’re reluctant to see reps?
27:26 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Yeah, definitely For sure. Throughout my training, throughout you know my job currently. You know my job currently there’s definitely some of my partners who are more open to hearing what’s going on and different techniques, different equipment, versus some who are just kind of set in their ways. This is what I’ve been using since fellowship and that’s what I’m using, and that’s that. So I’m going to ask you one question then.
27:50 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So in the rep world. So I’m going to ask you a question then. So you know, in the rep world, you know there’s there’s, of course, seeing your customers, seeing making your job easier. I mean to your point that is, a representative’s job is to make your job easier and really the entire account so the office, the staff, nurse, whoever’s involved with getting that service or that drug or that device to the patient, that is the rep’s job.
28:15
With that being said, a big reality for reps is access right, and you have different types of access. You have the wonderful physicians like yourself that say, hey, you know what, if you got some information that I don’t know about it, I’m happy to give you at least an opportunity to let me know what you have and if it can be useful to my practice. And then you have physicians that they have no choice because they work for, for example, kaiser and they have restrictions they can only go so far and very, very specific guidelines on reps. And then you have your colleagues that just don’t want to be bothered. I want to hang out there for a moment. What are some of the most innovative ways that you’ve seen be really effective for representatives to get access to the providers that because they already don’t want to see reps, they don’t see the reps, but if they got that information they’d actually want to do business. What are some of the ways that you’ve seen be really effective for a rep getting access to that type of physician?
29:13 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
That’s a great question. I think the best way I’ve seen is we have our own surgical center. So a lot of times different device manufacturers will actually set up like an in-service for the staff. At the end of the day, have them come in, whether it’s cadavers or whatnot, and teach the staff about that, and so you’ll usually get one doctor who’s you know gonna be interested in that, doing like the kind of in service at the surgical center.
29:45
But just hearing about the new you know joint technique, or the new you know X, y, z product in the, the staff’s talking about it. So then the other partner who comes in and is the same you know subspecialty and hears, oh, dr So-and-so is using this or trying this out. We had it in service, you know, it seems like X, y and Z the best thing you know, since sliced bread or whatever gets the word kind of going along to the staff. So then you know the partner’s like, oh yeah, maybe I should check that out next time. So I thought that was really kind of like an interesting way, just kind of like almost like getting the word out through the staff by doing it in service and education. So I thought that was really really well done, because most of my partners and myself too, if I hear, oh, my partner, who does the same stuff as me, is trying this new thing and the staff thinks it’s great and the reps are really knowledgeable on it they’re like, oh yeah, maybe I should hear about that Okay.
30:40 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Okay, fantastic. And then for those new reps that are listening to this right now, or even those people that are about to be reps in the pain management space, what are some of the things that you would advise them to really look out for? You know one way I’d say it is you know, we do sales training with our organization as well, and in sales training we talk about how there’s bad habits you can develop early on that just get worse and truly get in the way of what you’re trying to do to be a better listener, to be a better partner with your physician multiple reasons For you, especially in your space. What are some of the things maybe the top three that representatives that are starting should absolutely look out for and make sure they don’t fall into the trap of doing?
31:25 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
I think one would be just to kind of drop off information and just kind of leave it with the staff and not really explain it to them, or even set up time to talk to the doc about said information. There’s a lot of times I’ll get pamphlets of stuff and I’m like, okay, who is this from? Why is this here, what is this, why is it on my desk, kind of thing. So I think that’s one thing. I think the communication channel is key. The best reps are always texting me or stopping by, even if it’s for like a minute or two, or just giving me an update. So like communication, at least for myself. I don’t know if all doctors are this way. Maybe some are saying like don’t bother me, but I prefer to have like constant communication, even if it’s just like oh hey, I stopped by this primary care physician’s office and we mentioned you know you’re doing X, y and Z procedures and they’re probably going to be sending you know, just little updates of things that they’re doing in the background.
32:21
Anyways, I find that very beneficial. So if you kind of lose that communication, then you kind of lose that relationship a bit. What else are things that I would say you know and then obviously, like we said, just try to make my life easier with the staff and you know kind of bridge. That I haven’t really had that, but I’m guessing it’s a big no-no if for some reason one of the reps wouldn’t get along with, like the staff members or the team or make it difficult. I don’t see how that would ever happen, but I’m sure at some point in some place in America that’s happened and that’s definitely obviously a big no-no.
32:58 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Gotcha Gotcha. Well, doctor, it was awesome spending time with you today. Is there anything else you’d like to share with the audience?
33:06 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
No, I mean I think it’s great what you’re doing. I think reps play a huge role in the healthcare field, definitely, like I was saying, kind of filling in the gaps between the doctor and the patient in terms of education the doctor and the staff. In terms of education the doctor and getting the authorizations, all these types of things. The rep can really kind of be the middleman and really make the whole machine run so much smoother and I think they play a valuable role. And yeah, no, that’s about it on that.
33:42 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Awesome. Well, dr, we have one more thing to do. It’s called the lightning round. Are you ready? I’m ready, he’s ready, all right, you got less than 10 seconds to answer four questions. First question is what is the best book you’ve read in the last six months?
34:00 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
In the last six months. Oh boy, I’m eating Harry Potter with my daughter.
34:11 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
If it’s the best in six months, it’s the best in six months.
34:13 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
That’s all I got. I’m sorry, I just said something like education.
34:19 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Harry Potter is a winner. I mean, look how well they’ve done what’s the best TV show or movie you’ve seen in the last six months?
34:28 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
TV show. Right now I’m watching Billions, which is very good Movie. I would have to say. I’m watching billions, which is very good um movie. I would have to say I’m watching aladdin and all the disney classics. So it’s a. It’s a. It’s a rerun of aladdin. I have little kids, if you can’t tell how old are you, little one? I have a three-year-old and a seven-year-old.
34:51 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Oh that’s, oh that’s yeah, oh yeah, you’re in the thick of it. That’s, that’s the fun. Yeah, yeah, um, okay, best restaurant. Uh, I’m sorry, best meal. We want the restaurant, the location and the item in the last six months.
35:06 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Uh, so I like um Nobu 57 in Manhattan and, uh, that’s the miso cod. Wow, that’s my’s my go-to spot for my wife’s anniversary. I usually take her there. Oh, that’s happening. My wife’s anniversary, Not my wife’s anniversary, Our anniversary.
35:24 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Last question Best experience you’ve had in the last six months?
35:31 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Well, I hope it’s going to be my future experience. So in two weeks I’m going to Pebble Beach to play golf. So I’m going to say that because I haven’t really done much in the past six months. I’ve been working and waiting for this trip, so I think it’s going to be amazing.
35:45 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
So are you the next Tiger Woods, or this is a hobby I wish I was Tiger Woods, but no, no, this is just a hobby.
35:56 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
Hopefully my son or my daughter is the next Tiger Woods, but we’ll see about that Well, dr, it was a pleasure to spend this time with you.
36:02 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
Where can people find you?
36:04 – Dr. Vishal Rekhala (Guest)
So I’m on LinkedIn, Vishal Rukala. We have our website, for our company is iPracticePartnerscom, so if you’re more interested in maybe starting your own private practice, please check that out, yeah.
36:22 – Samuel Adeyinka (Host)
All right. Well, thanks for the time, doctor, we’ll be catching up. Thanks for having me. Sounds good, and that was Dr Vishal Rekala. Fascinating stuff, you know. It’s exciting to see that in a world that’s, in my opinion, has been very monopolized, corporations have grown to the nth level and seem to be taking over everything, and of course, that’s happening in medicine and finding the ways to be their own person and be their own entities in this monopoly, corporated world. It’s a beautiful thing to see and that’s exactly what Dr Vishal Rekhaal is doing. I mean, he’s been able to do it for himself and he’s doing it through an organization, and they’re literally changing the lives and the definition of what it means to be a physician, so that you can be your own private practice physician and actually be successful. It’s fascinating stuff and we’re so happy we’re able to be here to share the story.
37:19
You know some of you are listening to this and you’re thinking to yourselves I want this life. I listen to this podcast. Every week, I’m out here trying to get myself into a medical sales position and, heck, maybe you want to be in pain management and I get it. There’s nothing better than being a self-starter. But one thing I know is that when the time comes and there’s something that you want and you’re close but it’s just not there, it’s still not in your hands. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help.
37:57
And, let’s be honest, getting into a medical sales organization it can be brutal. Type it up online how to get into a medical sales company, read a review on just anyone’s pursuit. Or just go on LinkedIn. Spend some time looking at the endless applications and the endless frustrations and all the things people had to do to get into medical sales. Why not give yourself the opportunity to make it happen sooner and to make it happen better?
38:24
Again, one thing we just don’t talk enough about is there’s one thing about just getting in, but there’s a whole other thing about getting into the right place in a position that’s right for you, in a company that’s right for you, and then, of course, doing what it takes to be amazing in that position, have an amazing first year, second year and go on to have an amazing career. From our vantage point, we consistently see people that get in at the wrong field or get in at the wrong time for where they are as a career professional, or get in and then because they have no idea what they’re doing or really even clear on how they even got there. They stop and they quit. There, they stop and they quit. And there’s nothing more frustrating than being a hiring manager in medical sales, going through the lengths and the trouble, hiring someone, believing you have the person, and they quit five or six months later. And this is very real.
39:20
This happens all the time. One of the reasons why we do what we do is because we want to eradicate that. We want to take people that are serious about being in the industry. We want to put them in, align them with the right field, get them into the right company and then give them the tools and support to ultimately be successful as early as their first year. This is the promise we make here at Evarva Success. This is what we’re doing with our program, the Medical Sales Career Builder.
39:56
So if you’re someone out there that’s listening to this right now and you’re thinking, oh man, maybe I should take the leap. I’m going to ask you, do this. At the very least, go to.
40:06
EvarvaSuccesscom, select the application and simply have a conversation with one of our account executives and let’s see how we can get you into the position you were meant to be. As always, we do our best to bring you guests that are doing things differently in the medical sales space, so make sure you tune in next week for another episode of the Medical Sales Podcast. I hope you enjoyed today’s episode and remember I have a customized and personalized program that gets you into the medical technology industry as a sales professional or any type of role for that matter. Become a top performer in your position and masterfully navigate your career to executive level leadership. Check out these programs and learn more at Evolvesuccesscom by visiting our site, dealing on an application schedule some time with one of our account executives and allowing us to get you where you need to be. Stay tuned for more awesome content with amazing interviews on the Medical Sales Podcast.
Medical Territory Manager!
I was a Regional Sales Representative for Long-Term Care pharmacy services. I had dreamed of getting into the med sales industry when I went into my career as a nurse, but the pharmacy sales job came to me, and I had just settled. Fortunately, I had a job shakeup that allowed me to determine that now was the time to pursue my original vision.
I absolutely would not have this position without Samuel and the Evolve Your Success community. A lot of people my age would just stop trying, but EYS believed in me.
EYS allowed me to break into the industry in 90-Days after I had been trying on my own for over two years! I had lots of recruiter screenings, and a few interviews with hiring managers, but I was never offered a position.
Before EYS, I didn’t realize I was doing the bare minimum to get hired. I was applying everywhere, hoping to get noticed and waiting. It just wasn’t working! I didn’t know that that was not enough to compete in an industry this sought after, and against people who knew what I didn’t know about the process.
Of course, I had to think hard before making a financial investment that’s reasonably substantial. But when I read the testimonials of real med sales reps on the site and learned that I wasn’t the only one taking a chance on my success, that EYS was sharing that risk also, I knew I had to do it. Though you might be able to cobble together some of the steps of getting a role in med sales from online research on your own, you just can’t know what you don’t know!
The process of going through EYS presents this insider knowledge to the student, as well as giving you a progression of difficulty as you obtain the information, and you begin to master it. Not only that, but they give you access to amazing mentors and instructors, allow you to practice your interview skills, and teach you how to market yourself through social media and your own website! I cannot stress enough that EYS was the factor that made the difference in my successfully landing my dream job! The support, structure, and knowledge gained was invaluable!
I would recommend this course to ANYONE looking to break into medical sales
Thank you so much, EYS! This journey has been life changing and has resulted in the successful culmination of my 18-Year ambition! 
Sports Medicine in Phoenix! I extend so much gratitude to the Evolve Your Success group as I land this role and get ready to pursue my dream job. I am a Physical Therapist who became a little stuck in the profession due to issues with reimbursement and the difficulty for continued growth upwards. I turned to EYS to assist me in learning about the medical sales industry and gain knowledgable mentors who were able to help coach me in this process. I am a strong believer in surrounding yourself with the best and good things will happen. I did work hard, but with the support of my mentors and other colleagues going through a career change, I felt a sense of community and it confirmed my drive to get into this industry. I have already learned so much through the interview process, and feel very blessed to have had the resources this group provided. I have made lifelong friends and I cannot wait to continue to follow others’ journeys to pursue this incredible field. I urge you to give Evolve Your Success a try to gain mentorship, guidance, and support through any career transition.
and am excited to make a difference in patients’ lives as a Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist.
! Though I truly enjoyed working as a physical therapist, I can’t wait to start my career in the sales world as a Clinical Account Executive.
. I owe this opportunity to Samuel, the program, and the incredible mentors at EYS.
