The Department of Marketing at the University of Southern Mississippi offers one of the few programs in the country that prepares undergraduate Marketing students for careers in healthcare marketing. The program provides a healthy blend of skill sets in marketing, sales, relationship building, communications, creativity and innovation, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology. Students are equipped with a thorough understanding of business basics, marketing and sales specifics. This combination allows students to successfully meet the challenging demands of the competitive healthcare marketing and sales environment.

Training and Professional Development
The healthcare marketing area requires comprehensive and continuous training and development. Initial training includes coverage of basic science concepts ranging from general biology, anatomy and physiology, and chemistry. The other significant components of training include marketing, sales, product knowledge, industry and competitive knowledge, sales planning, account and territory management, time management, communications, ethics, and company policies and procedures.

Marketplace dynamics and new product development demand that sales reps remain current in all aspects of their jobs. Thus, training and development are ongoing. Many firms require sales reps to continue technical training through self-study programs, computerized modules, or through continuing education opportunities of various types. Sustained sales effectiveness is often a function of the caliber of ongoing development received by sales reps. Resources expended on training and development is viewed as valuable investments with expectations of solid returns.

Advancement opportunities are numerous. Healthcare marketing professionals will likely begin their careers in a sales or sales-related position. However, there are many opportunities to grow one’s career through advanced sales positions, management positions, and corporate marketing opportunities.  Through careful coaching, mentoring, and astute career development planning, students who graduate with a degree in healthcare marketing have rich and diverse career options from which to select. In addition to domestic opportunities, given the global nature of many healthcare firms, attractive career alternatives exist around the world.

The Healthcare Marketing Professional
The healthcare marketing industry is one of the most vibrant and competitive of all businesses. It is viewed as one of the most attractive career fields globally. Even with the dynamic regulatory environment of health care, major firms are planning significant increases in their sales headcount.

A wide range of small and large healthcare firms nationwide employs healthcare marketing professionals. These marketing professionals are invaluable sources of product and research information for the medical community. They introduce new products and processes, communicate results of medical research, and provide clear and consistent messages regarding products.

Selling to health care professionals requires a depth and breadth of understanding regarding the marketing process and relationship management. The customer relationship often becomes one of the most critical elements for sustained sales success. The healthcare marketing job is complex. Thus, it requires a strong goal-orientation, analytical abilities, a penchant for creativity, leadership, commitment to ethics and integrity, and superb communications skills. The marketing professional makes extensive use of promotional materials, including samples, brochures, technical reports, and supporting documents. In addition, most firms expect reps to organize and promote seminars by experts in various medical specialties, conduct new product demonstrations, and otherwise support the marketing efforts of their organizations.

Education Requirements
Successful healthcare marketing professionals have proficiency in both marketing and science-related disciplines. Given the highly competitive nature of healthcare marketing positions, grade point average is a key selection criterion. To secure the most attractive positions, students should maintain a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, possess strong leadership skills, and demonstrate an interest in continuous learning.

Employment Opportunities
Given the current and anticipated growth in the healthcare industry, employment opportunities for qualified individuals are bright. A number of USM graduates have competed successfully and performed with distinction in nationally recognized companies. Progression through the ranks for graduates has been noteworthy. Much of the advancement is due to solid academic preparation, determination, and a strong work ethic.

Commensurate with progression up the corporate ladder has been increases in compensation and benefits. Many healthcare firms offer starting salaries ranging from $35,000 to $55,000, plus some variation of commission/bonus structure. Additionally, generous packages including company car, expense accounts, and computers are often part of the offering.

Selected Companies Employing Southern Miss Graduates

Abbott
AstraZeneca
Aventis
Baxter International
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Cypress Pharmaceuticals
Eli Lilly
Ethicon
GlaxoSmithKline
Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals
Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Johnson & Johnson
Merck
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Ortho-McNeil
Pfizer
Schering Plough
Wyeth

• Marketing Home Page
• Marketing (MRKTBSBA)

• Marketing