DBS Senior Clinical Specialist — Colleen O’Quinn

This week’s spotlight is on Colleen O’Quinn, OTR/L, a non-clinical occupational therapist who is now DBS Senior Clinical Specialist for Medtronic!

What is your full name, title, and company name for your current, primary role?

Colleen O’Quinn, OTR/L — DBS Senior Clinical Specialist for Medtronic

What additional roles do you currently have?

Per diem OT.

Where are you located?

Boston, MA.

Where did you go to OT school, and what year did you graduate?

University of New Hampshire, BS in 2016, MSOT in 2017.

What did you do when you first finished school, and for how long?

I worked for two years as a full-time OT at a skilled nursing facility. During the peak of the pandemic, I volunteered to redeploy to a long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital that was dedicated to treating patients with Covid-19. As Covid-19 cases dwindled, I agreed to help on the neuro unit as the hospital began to transition back to their normal operating units. I loved the challenge of working with this medically complex patient population, so I accepted a job there several months later.

In what setting(s) did you work, and what types of patients did you treat?

I worked for two years at a SNF, four years at an LTAC, and one year of hybrid work between outpatient and inpatient care. I worked on the neuro unit at the LTAC, treating a variety of conditions, including:

• Stroke
• Brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Parkinson’s disease
• Neurodegenerative diseases

My team and I also treated patients in the disorders of consciousness program, which involved neuro recovery for those who sustained a brain injury and were in a vegetative or minimally conscious state.

What did you enjoy about your early roles? What didn’t you enjoy?

I loved having a direct impact on my patients’ care and recovery. I’m highly results-oriented and took great satisfaction in seeing my patients make progress and regain their independence.

I also loved being part of a team. There’s something to be said for the bonds made between people who collaborate together to help patients recover from their most debilitated state. I developed some of my best friendships through my years as an OT. 

Growth opportunities can be limited in these types of roles, and productivity demands can often feel unrealistic and challenging to manage. Ultimately, I wanted more opportunities to gain leadership experience and skills beyond direct patient care.

What else have you done since then, prior to your current role?

I obtained my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification, thinking that it might help my OT career or lead me into personal training on the side. I never ended up working as a personal trainer, as most fitness centers wanted a commitment of 20 hours per week or more.

When and why did you decide to do something non-clinical?

I realized within the first two years of my OT career that there wasn’t much of a career ladder to climb. I knew of a handful of people that moved into rehab manager roles or case manager roles, but I wasn’t sure how much growth those roles offered either. I saw a couple colleagues make a career change into medical device sales, but I wasn’t interested at first because I was still determined to make the most of my OT career.

I decided to make the change a year ago once I started thinking about what I wanted my life to look like. The cost of living in Boston is so high, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to afford the lifestyle I wanted and live in the area I wanted on an OT salary. I don’t have any kids yet, but I knew that I didn’t want to be forced to stop working once I have a family because of the cost of childcare and living.

What are you doing these days?

I now work as a senior clinical specialist at Medtronic in the deep brain stimulation (DBS) division. DBS uses a small pacemaker-like device, placed under the skin of the chest, to send electrical signals through extensions and very thin wires (leads) to an area in the brain to manage symptoms of specific conditions. Medtronic DBS therapy is approved for five indications: Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and epilepsy.

Are you still treating patients, or are you solely non-clinical?

I treat on a per diem basis, usually one to two times per month. I love this frequency because I can resume doing such rewarding work without the burnout feeling.

How long have you been in your current role?

I started in this role in April 2024.

Did you get any special certifications or training along the way to help you get into your current role?

I completed the Evolve Your Success program, and this was instrumental for receiving my job offer so quickly. I learned so much from the curriculum and the mentors I met in this program. I got a job offer within the first two months of the program.

Sales can feel intimidating! But confidence comes from talking the talk and knowing you’re prepared to walk the walk. It’s much easier to sell yourself in interviews when you’ve gone through formal sales training. We highly recommend upskilling and working with the sales mentors at Evolve Your Success.

Their Medical Sales Career Builder program has a 100% satisfaction rating and 90% placement record! Mention that The Non-Clinical PT sent you to get $800 off!

How did you find your job? Did you apply or find it through a connection?

I networked with so many people in the medical device industry. I learned everything I possibly could about each company and role that I was interested in. I was interviewing for three different roles at the time when I got this job offer from Medtronic. One role was a direct referral from somebody I networked with. The other roles were from job postings I found on LinkedIn. Having connections with the team at Evolve Your Success (EYS), who all have experience working in medical sales, was helpful.

Did you do anything special to your resume and cover letter to land the job?

I had my resume professionally reviewed, which was a service offered through EYS, and I tailored it specifically to clinical specialist roles within neuromodulation.

What was the interview like for the DBS senior clinical specialist role?

There were four rounds of interviews:

• A virtual interview with my current district manager (DM)
• An in-person interview with my current DM
• A casual in-person interview with the sales rep I now work for
• A phone interview with my current DM’s counterpart in a different district

This process moved very quickly compared to some other companies. The time from my first interview to my offer was just under three weeks.

How have people reacted to you leaving patient care?

Almost everybody reacted very positively. Some of my family questioned whether I was following my true passion, and I think if I were to have chosen a sales job in something other than DBS, they may have had a fair argument. I loved doing OT, but I’m also so passionate about DBS, and I think that’s clear to all of my friends and family now.

What’s a typical day or week in the life like for you? What types of tasks and responsibilities fill your time?

My job involves:

• Being in the OR for surgical cases
• Attending programming sessions with the patient and neurologist
• Educating patients on the use of our technology once they have an implanted device
• Collaborating with colleagues on market development strategies and implementation
• Presenting our technology to support groups and medical/therapy clinics

I love the variety in this role—every day looks different, and my work-life balance has improved tremendously.

What are some of the rewards of your role? What are the biggest challenges?

Watching a patient’s symptoms diminish as a result of DBS has been immensely fulfilling.

These procedures are sometimes done with the patient awake, and I’ve watched several patients tear up mid-surgery as their tremor goes away for the first time in years when we turn the stimulation on.

The biggest challenge has to be adapting to the OR culture and the feeling of being an outsider. Each account has its own unique workflow, policies, and procedures, and it takes time to understand and adapt to the nuances of each.

How did your clinical background prepare you for this role? Which skills transferred?

My OT background has so many transferrable skills. Most importantly: interpersonal skills, social awareness, listening, time management, educating patients, working with medical providers, organization, and problem solving.

Roughly speaking, how are the hours and pay compared to patient care?

The hours are much more flexible than working full time in a hospital as an OT. OR cases and programming sessions are inflexible, but once those are completed I have autonomy over how I spend the remainder of my workday. On occasion, I will be in cases until 6pm or later, and other days I could be done by noon.

My pay has increased, and I feel as though I’m compensated fairly for the value I add. There is also great growth opportunity within Medtronic.

What type of person do you think would do well in your DBS senior clinical specialist role?

Somebody who is hungry for learning, quick to take initiative, friendly, competitive, and organized.

Do you work remotely or onsite?

I work mostly onsite in the OR or in programming sessions. When I’m not onsite, I am working remote, never in an office.

Does your organization hire PT, OT, or SLP professionals into non-clinical roles? If so, what type of roles?

Yes. Within sales, OTs/PTs/SLPs would transition well into a clinical specialist role. There is potential for moving into a sales rep role from a clinical specialist role, but it wouldn’t be possible or advised to go into a sales rep role from PT/OT/SLP without prior sales experience.

Did you read any books, take any courses, or do anything special overall to get you where you are today?

I read The Go-Giver as I was making the decision to transition into sales. Then I took the Evolve Your Success course.

What is a typical career path for someone in your DBS senior clinical specialist role?

It depends on desired lifestyle and life demands. A clinical specialist who demonstrates strong performance can eventually transition into a sales rep position, and these roles offer significant opportunities for growth. For those who don’t want the stress of being held to a quota and/or require a more consistent work schedule, there are other great avenues to consider, such as training/education or marketing.

What is next for you? What are your high-level career aspirations?

I would love to move into a sales rep role in a few years once I’ve gained enough experience. I can see myself doing DBS for a long time. The technology continues to advance, and I’m excited to see what innovations are next.

What would you recommend to someone who is considering going into a role like yours? Do you have any special words of wisdom for the readers?

Don’t be afraid to make the jump. It feels scary to leave something you love and invested so much time and money into, but you’ll never know how much you’re missing if you don’t try it.

What career advice would you give yourself that you wish you had during school?

I wouldn’t say that I’d do anything differently. I have no regrets with my career choices thus far. I don’t think I’d be as good of a clinical specialist if I didn’t have my OT background as a foundation. Most importantly, follow your passions, and don’t continue doing something if your whole heart isn’t in it.

Do you have any special advice for others who want to follow in your footsteps?

I’m happy to answer any questions and be a resource for people trying to make the same transition.