Senior Clinical Specialist — Juan Buenrostro

This week’s spotlight is on Juan Buenrostro, Jr., OTR, a non-clinical occupational therapist who is now a Senior Clinical Specialist for Motus Nova!

We’re excited to share that Motus Nova is a hiring partner of Go Non-Clinical, our community for clinicians exploring non-clinical careers!

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

Juan Buenrostro, Jr., OTR — Senior Clinical Specialist for Motus Nova, covering the Greater Central Texas region.

Where are you located?

Austin, TX

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

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, MOT ’16.

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

After graduating OT school, I accepted my first position as a Pediatric OT in a mixed Outpatient and Home Health setting.

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

I’ve worked in Outpatient, Home Health, and Acute Care settings, treating clients across the lifespan and various conditions, which include neurological, general medical, oncological, medical-surgical, and orthopedic.

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

Early in my career, I enjoyed working with children and helping improve their daily function and independence, as challenging as it is with the age group. However, changes in Texas insurance reimbursement for OT services negatively impacted both patient access and overall compensation.

As I transitioned into adult settings, I really appreciated the variety of diagnoses and functional deficits I was exposed to. It challenged me to continuously expand my clinical knowledge while staying focused on the core goal of improving patients’ functional independence.

In an acute hospital setting, I truly appreciate being on the ground level of what is probably one of the patient’s worst days, so that I can reassure them that there is a way forward and I’m there to help them get started on their recovery journey.

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

I decided to pursue a non-clinical path when I realized there was a ceiling within the traditional rehab setting, both in terms of leadership opportunities and long-term financial growth. I knew I had more to contribute beyond direct patient care and wanted to expand my impact without leaving the rehab world entirely.

I was motivated to find a role where I could combine my clinical background with broader opportunities in leadership, education, strategy, and innovation.

What are you doing these days?

I’m currently a Senior Clinical Specialist with Motus Nova while also working alternating weekends PRN in acute care, which allows me to stay connected to my OT roots through direct patient care. It feels like the best of both worlds.

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

I still treat patients in my PRN acute care role, which keeps me connected to direct patient care. At the same time, through Motus Nova, I’m able to make a broader impact through education and improving access to rehabilitation technology.

It’s rewarding because I can help support far more patients than I ever could in a traditional one-on-one care setting alone.

How long have you been in your current role?

I joined Motus Nova in January 2024.

What do you wish you would’ve known before going into this role?

This type of role takes initiative, grit, and an entrepreneurial mindset. In a traditional clinical setting, patients/clients are already coming to us for care. In this role, it’s our responsibility to build clinical relationships, provide education, and identify the clients who could truly benefit from our technology and services.

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

No, I didn’t obtain any special certifications for this role. Instead, I leaned on my personal network in medical and software sales to learn the industry (what to look for, what to avoid), while also spending time studying med-tech trends, sales strategy, persuasive communication, objection handling, and resilience through rejection.

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

I’d seen Motus Nova’s Clinical Specialist posts on Indeed and The Non-Clinical PT’s job board, so I applied.

Editor’s note: Motus Nova is a hiring partner of The Non-Clinical PT! If you’re interested in clinical specialist roles, you can browse their current openings on Motus Nova’s careers page.

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

I revised my resume to highlight both my OT experience and my prior leadership experience as an Optical Shop Sales Manager (before I became an OT), while also including extracurricular and community involvement that demonstrated initiative and interpersonal strengths.

What was the interview like for the Senior Clinical Specialist role?

After my application was accepted to move forward, I completed a screening assessment of approximately 10-15 recorded answers to questions focused on neuroplasticity and therapy. Once that was approved, I was invited to a two-part virtual interview with the COO and CEO to discuss the role and assess mutual fit.

What are some of the things you did to stand out, take initiative, and advance in your career?

I took the initiative to support colleagues who were new to this type of role, as many of our candidates come in without prior experience in this space. With my earlier sales background before OT school, my transition was smoother, and I was able to perform well in my territory while also focusing on helping others succeed.

For me, success isn’t just about individual performance. It’s about being a team player, problem-solving, and supporting the broader team as challenges arise. Over time, I’ve become a resource for newer reps, helping them learn quickly and avoid some of the mistakes I made early on.

How have people reacted to you leaving patient care?

They’ve been supportive.

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

A typical week is comprised of territory management: following up with local clinicians and referred clients; check-ins with our reps around the country to assist them as needed; ongoing training/onboarding development; and assisting with internal customer support and operations initiatives.

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

Rewards: This role offers autonomy and flexibility, where individual effort directly drives outcomes. It allows for remote work with self-managed schedules and greater income potential beyond traditional OT/PT salary ceilings.

Challenges: Success requires strong discipline to stay focused while working independently, as well as resilience in handling rejection while maintaining momentum toward goals.

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

My clinical background prepared me for a sales role by strengthening my ability to educate, influence, and build trust with both patients and healthcare professionals. As a clinician, I’m constantly translating complex information into clear, actionable recommendations and guiding patients toward treatment decisions they may initially be uncertain about. That same skill directly applies to sales by understanding needs, simplifying solutions, and helping others feel confident with a recommendation.

In practice, I’ve also had to “sell” treatment plans not only to patients, but at times to colleagues and interdisciplinary teams, which requires credibility, adaptability, and confidence in clinical reasoning. Not every patient or provider is immediately receptive, so I’ve developed resilience, persistence, and the ability to tailor my communication style based on the audience.

Key transferable skills include clinical communication, relationship building, objection handling, adaptability, and rapport development.

My clinical experience also gives me added credibility when discussing outcomes and recommending solutions, especially in environments where evidence-based decision-making is critical.

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

The compensation and work-life balance in this role is a very welcome upgrade compared to traditional one-on-one patient care.

What type of person do you think would do well in your role?

Success in this role requires strong attention to detail, the ability to operate independently in a remote environment, and a high degree of self-direction without constant supervision. Candidates must be resilient and be able to navigate rejection, adapting quickly while continuing to engage proactively.

While an extroverted personality is helpful, it is not required; however, candidates must be comfortable building relationships and positioning themselves as a trusted local resource within their community.

Do you work remotely or onsite?

Remotely.

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

At this time, we are solely recruiting from PT/PTA/OT/OTA backgrounds. However, if you believe you have a strong clinical background and can speak to biomechanical neurorehabilitation applications, you are welcome to apply for consideration.

Editor’s note: You can also find all open positions at Motus Nova on the private job board inside our Go Non-Clinical community, where members can contact hiring managers directly and get a head start on the application process.

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

Various online articles and videos. If I could recommend a general motivating force, read Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way.

What is a typical career path for someone in your role?

Entry-level sales/clinical specialist → senior rep → management.

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

I intend to learn as much as I can to further develop into a national director/VP-level role. We’ll see which challenges come next and which opportunities arise.

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?

If you’re ready to make the career switch, be ready to jump without the safety net of your clinical license. Yes, we did the work to earn our degree and credentials, but if you truly want to succeed in a non-clinical role, you should not want to go back. You should commit to succeeding the same way you pushed yourself through school.

You’ve already done it once.

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

Be steadfast in developing your clinical expertise before turning to other ventures.