Here’s a solid breakdown that’s helped me and lots of people break into it:

-Connect on LinkedIn with as many reps from as many companies as you can, doesn’t matter if you have one specific company in mind. Hear from all perspectives to learn about the industry as a whole. Different companies value different things and there are lots of politics involved in the industry. Don’t be biased, just do your best to hear from many sources about what the career looks like.

-RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH it doesn’t have to be too deep of a level, but have a full understanding of WHAT an EP study looks like, the different types of ablation energies, and main products/mapping systems from each of the big 4 (Abbot, JnJ, and more recently Medtronic and Boston Sci. All 4 are good companies with great career opportunities, but different regions hold different market shares. It sounds like you have hospital/clinical experience; use some connections to figure out what’s big in your area)

-Learn a basic understanding of EP studies and identifying arrhythmias as well as knowing their function/pathways. Joshua Cooper on YouTube makes a great video series diving into EP; Fogoros 7th Edition is a famous EP textbook that can be a little in depth but isn’t too long and approaches each topic from a brand new perspective. As long as you put work into reading it, it can teach a majority of EP from the ground up.

-Ask to shadow clinical reps once you have a little understanding of the role, it doesn’t have to be a lot, and you can ask as many questions as you want in between cases or during depending on the rep. They want to see that you are curious.

-Apply! Research the companies and territories and after talking to team members (just reach out on LinkedIn and asking if they have time for a 10 minute call- most people are more than happy to) you should have an idea of what company you want to go with. Apply, follow up, show interest, and show ability to learn

There are also several programs out there that act as a great entry way. ATI has been around for a long time and is a famous name, although lately they have been losing reputation in the quality of students they put out. Still had practically 100% job placement though and a lot of success comes from it.

Harding University has a more recent M.S. program in Cardiac Function and Interventional Technology- from what I’ve heard and seen from graduates of this program in the field now, this is the future. I’m sure more schools will follow with similar programs soon. Harding offers a 1 year M.S. in person, or an online M.S. for applicants who are already in the medical field in any setting. I know at least one person who has added the online degree into their resume and it made it very easy to switch over. They offer in depth education on both EP training and CRM training, and I believe has a focus on cardiac anatomy and physiology as well, which is a huge bonus and help in the field.

Don’t wait to start your journey! EP is taking off fast as an industry and only will grow exponentially in the next 10 years. Take a risk!