Medical Device Rep vs Pharma Rep: What It’s REALLY Like

In this episode of The Device Girls, we sit down with Ashley Duncan — a medical sales veteran with nearly 15 years of experience across medical device, pharma, and aesthetics.Ashley shares how she accidentally fell into medical sales after college, what it’s really like inside the operating room, and the wild stories that only people in healthcare ever see. From shark bite reconstructions and scalping injuries to the emotional realities of patient care, Ashley opens up about the moments that have shaped her career.But this conversation goes deeper than surgery stories.Ashley also talks about the ethical challenges in healthcare, the realities of insurance-driven decisions, and the mental toll medical professionals carry behind the scenes. She shares a heartbreaking case from early in her career that still impacts her today — and why she believes mental health support should be mandatory in the industry.Then the conversation shifts to something many women in healthcare struggle with: balancing career ambition with motherhood. Ashley gets brutally honest about mom guilt, identity shifts after having a child, and why the idea that women can “have it all” may not be the full truth.Raw. Honest. Unfiltered.🎧 Episode highlights:• How Ashley accidentally fell into medical device sales• The real difference between pharma vs. medical device• The craziest things Ashley has seen in the operating room• Shark bites, scalp injuries, and unbelievable surgical cases• The emotional toll healthcare professionals carry• Ethical dilemmas in medicine and insurance-driven care• Why mental health support should exist for medical reps• The reality of motherhood in a high-performance career• Mom guilt, ambition, and redefining success as a working mom👩‍⚕️ Guest:Ashley DuncanMedical Sales Professional (Device, Pharma & Aesthetics)🎤 Hosts:Sarah Kruse — @sarahekruseHaley Gibson — @haleyygibssonfit📲 Follow The Device Girls:Instagram: @thedevicegirlsTikTok: @thedevicegirls👍 If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend in healthcare or medical sales.💬 Question:What has been the hardest part of balancing career and personal life in healthcare?#MedicalSales #WomenInHealthcare #MedicalDeviceSales #HealthcareStories #WorkingMomLife #MedicalPodcast #TheDeviceGirls