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TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
Cumby Consulting
171 episodes
1 day ago
TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast is for anyone who trains medical device reps, physicians and healthcare professionals. Discover how you can level up your training strategy creation, content development, facilitation, and assessments. We are focused on raising the training game away from a one-time meeting planning event to a career-long journey of learning. Join us for authentic conversations about med device training successes, failures and best practices.
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All content for TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast is the property of Cumby Consulting and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast is for anyone who trains medical device reps, physicians and healthcare professionals. Discover how you can level up your training strategy creation, content development, facilitation, and assessments. We are focused on raising the training game away from a one-time meeting planning event to a career-long journey of learning. Join us for authentic conversations about med device training successes, failures and best practices.
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Episodes (20/171)
TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
170 | Standard of Care: The Commercialization North Star with Becky Lai

Liz is joined on the podcast by Becky Lai, Chief Strategist and VP of Marketing, to talk about the true North Star of commercialization: standard of care. Their discussion reframes success as more than building a product—it’s about building a market where the product is trusted, adopted, and indispensable. Together, they explore how purposeful training, meaningful KOL engagement, and a clear strategic vision accelerate adoption and move technologies from launch to lasting impact.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.

Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.

Related Resources:

Rebecca Lai is the Chief Strategist and Marketing Executive at Rebecca Lai Consulting. She is a strategy and commercial executive with over 20 years of experience in medical and health technology companies, ranging from venture-backed startups to Fortune 200 corporations. As a dynamic strategic operator specializing in go-to-market, commercialization, and innovative business strategies, she has consistently driven double-digit growth and scaled new businesses with global impact. With a strong background in devices, diagnostics, and the digital transformation of healthcare, Rebecca has a proven track record of pioneering disruptive solutions across the continuum of care. Most recently, she was VP of Corporate Development and Strategy at iRhythm Technologies (NASDAQ:IRTC), a digital healthcare provider of cardiac monitoring services. She began her career at Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), where she held progressive global leadership roles in sales and marketing. Rebecca is recognized for her ability to navigate complexity and her data-driven, customer-centric approach to creating value and delivering cutting-edge products and services to patients worldwide. She holds a BSE and MSE in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and serves on the advisory board for Diversity by Doing Healthtech.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 


Connect with us on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Rebecca Lai

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

About Cumby Consulting:


Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


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1 week ago
28 minutes 22 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
169 | Your First Training Hire: Traits, Timing, and Pitfalls

As you grow and scale out of early start-up mode, there will come a time to hire an internal training department. But when? And who? This week, Liz and Rachel break down the interview with Heather Ramsey diving into what to look for in an internal training team. They cover key qualities to prioritize, the differences between hiring from MedDevice vs. L&D, and how consultants can help bridge the gap and get your internal team up and running.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:


Heather Ramsey Interview 


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

About Cumby Consulting:   


Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


Show more...
3 weeks ago
13 minutes 54 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
168 | Building a Training Team: When to Hire In-House with Heather Ramsey

When is it time to move from a training consultant to a full time hire? In this episode, Liz sits down with Heather Ramsey, Director of Client Learning and Development for OneDigital, to discuss just that. In their conversation, they explore when to hire, who to hire, and how to align that hire with the business strategy. Along the way, they define what makes a good trainer and some of the common mistakes they see in hiring for an in-house role.

In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:


Heather Ramsey is the Director of Client Learning and Development for OneDigital Company. She oversees the OneDigital Leadership Coaching Services, Client Learning Development and Strategic Offsite Facilitators.

She believes that empowered, engaged leaders and employees will help the organization reach its business objectives faster. She enjoys partnering with client leaders to build a learning and development culture with the client to support their business, increase retention and drive higher employee engagement. She and her team are seasoned professionals in the areas of training and development, leadership coaching, and facilitating leadership and company retreats.

With over 20 years of learning and development experience, Heather uses innovative techniques to deepen each learning development program designed, or training class delivered. Virtually or in-person, she is a high-energy facilitator who captures her audiences immediately and keeps them engaged and on target throughout the training or facilitation.

As a leadership and team building facilitator, she is an expert with working through difficult situations with ease and grace. As an Executive-level coach she connects with her clients and helps them to find new ways of working to help them be most successful. She infuses these same principles in her team as they work with clients.

Heather is a subject matter expert and certified Predictive Index Partner. She is an avid learner and reader of business and leadership books, articles, and seminars. She holds a bachelor’s degree from U.C. Davis in Managerial Economics, and a master’s degree from Cornell University in Executive Human Resource Management.


Here is a link to her website: https://launch.onedigital.com/learning-and-development


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 


Connect with us on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Heather Ramsey

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

About Cumby Consulting:


Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


Show more...
1 month ago
46 minutes 37 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
167 | Post-Launch Power: Staying Aligned & Agile in the Field

This week, Liz and Rachel discuss the interview with Marnie Hamp and the importance of staying relevant post-launch. In their conversation, they focus on the need for training, marketing, and sales to all have ears in the field and strong collaboration among departments so that the needs of the reps and the customers can be met. In addition, they discuss the need to cross-train clinical reps and sales reps while maintaining clear roles and responsibilities.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Marnie Hamp Interview


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   


Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


Show more...
1 month ago
11 minutes 10 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
166 | Beyond Launch: How to Keep Commercial Momentum with Marnie Hamp

Our guest this month is Marnie Hamp, a seasoned marketing executive who gets the importance of partnering closely with the training team, not only at launch, but in post-launch as well. She and Liz discuss best practices for continuing momentum, including knowing your targets, developing strong partnerships between clinical reps and sales reps, and listening in to what is actually happening in the field.



In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Marnie is an experienced Sonographer and dynamic leader with over two decades of experience in healthcare and medical device sales across three countries, specializing in ultrasound product development and market strategy. She has successfully led go-to-market teams delivering innovative solutions while training sales and clinical professionals to optimize product adoption and maximize impact. Her expertise bridges technology and patient care, ensuring medical advancements translate into meaningful outcomes. Beyond her professional expertise, Marnie is a passionate traveler who finds joy in exploring the world and sharing experiences with family and friends, whether at home or on the road. From immersing herself in different cultures to savoring local flavors, she embraces discovery with curiosity and adaptability, always seeking meaningful connections and enriching adventures.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 


Connect with us on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Marnie Hamp

⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:


Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


Show more...
2 months ago
31 minutes 17 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
165 | What We Got Wrong (and Right): Rethinking Commercial Training

This week Liz and Rachel break down the interview with Tony Recupero as they discuss commercial training and the meeting of technical and selling skills. They reflect on the power of informal mentors, the need for good questions, and how to reinforce marketing messages within clinical training. They end their conversation reflecting on how they've changed their minds over the course of their careers.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.

Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Tony Recupero Interview


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


Show more...
2 months ago
12 minutes 8 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
164 | The Excellence Equation: Training, Trust, and Execution with Tony Recupero

In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.

Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.

Related Resources:

Tony Recupero is President, Commercial Operations of SI-BONE. Tony leads SI-BONE’s commercial operations, including sales, market access, reimbursement, professional education and international. He is a proven commercial leader, responsible for the company’s go to market strategy that has led to exponential revenue growth. Prior to SI-BONE, Tony was formerly the President of Catalyst Performance Advisors where he advised several medical device companies on commercial strategy. Tony was previously President and CEO of Baxano, Inc. Tony was also the Vice President of Sales for Kyphon from startup in 1999 through the end of 2004. Kyphon was acquired by Medtronic for $4.2 billion dollars. Early in his career, Tony progressed to senior sales management roles at United States Surgical Corporation and Sulzer Spine-Tech, Inc. Tony earned a B.A. in Communications from State University of New York at Albany and attended The General Management program at Harvard Business School.

Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 

Connect with us on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tony Recupero

⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


Show more...
3 months ago
32 minutes 35 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
163 | Training Starts with Trust

In this episode, Liz and Rachel dive into the interview with Sarah Keenan about commercial training. They discuss their thoughts on a competency model, how and why to certify (or not), and the benefits of developing a learning culture. The episode ends with a reflection how training starts with trust: without it, your training just won't be effective.



In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.

Need help developing your commercial training? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Sarah Keenan Interview


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

About Cumby Consulting:   


Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


Show more...
4 months ago
14 minutes 7 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
162 | Creating a Learning Culture with Sarah Keenan

This week Liz is joined by Sarah Keenan, VP of Commercial Excellence, to discuss the importance of building physician and rep competency for commercial success. In their conversation they dive into how to create a learning funnel, assess competency, and partner with hospitals to track training. Listen in for how to create a culture of learning at your organization.

In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.

Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Sarah Keenan is a senior commercial executive with over 18 years of experience driving growth, optimizing resources, and building high-performing teams within the medtech space. She specializes in scaling commercial organizations—from early-stage startups to mid-sized multinational companies—by aligning strategy, infrastructure, and talent for sustainable success.

Sarah currently serves as Vice President of Commercial Excellence at Route 92, a company pioneering revolutionary procedural advancements to address unmet needs in neurovascular care. In this role, she leads initiatives that equip the commercial team with the tools, insights, and structure needed to thrive in a dynamic and evolving market.

Prior to Route 92, Sarah was Vice President of Operations at Magnus Medical, where she established core operational functions to support the launch of the SAINT neuromodulation system for treating major depressive disorder—including manufacturing, installation, and HCP training.

Before that, she was Vice President of Commercial Enablement at iRhythm Technologies, where she built the enablement function from the ground up. Her efforts were instrumental in equipping U.S. and international commercial teams with the knowledge and resources needed to scale the organization from a startup into a mid-sized leader in the cardiac monitoring space.

Earlier in her career, Sarah held roles at CardioDx, where she launched Corus CAD and scaled sales training capabilities; as well as commercial and sales positions at ThermoFisher Scientific (Phadia AB), Merz Pharmaceuticals, Schering-Plough, and Altria Group.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe! 


Connect with us on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Sarah Keenan

⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.


Show more...
4 months ago
30 minutes 59 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
161 | Strategic Targeting: Identifying the Right Physicians for Your Product

In this episode, Liz and Rachel discuss Liz's interview with Sandy Waugh Ruggles on the importance of developing a go-to market strategy with specific physician targets. They share best practices for getting specific on who to target first, and how that information impacts the training process.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.

Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Sandy's interview


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

Show more...
4 months ago
7 minutes 55 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
160 | Go-To Market Strategy: An Interview with Sandy Waugh Ruggles

Are you ready to launch? This week, Liz is joined by Sandy Waugh Ruggles to discuss go-to market strategy. In their conversation, they discuss the importance of identifying targets early and training commercial reps on those targets so that they can best sell the product. Sandy shares why she recommends utilizing psychographic descriptors for targeting and the importance of gaining alignment on these targets prior to launch.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Sandra is the President of Summit Rock Strategy Consulting, where she specializes in leading medtech development teams through strategic decisions, assessing opportunities, defining product and portfolio plans, and preparing for commercial launch. She also serves as director for policy research in the Stanford Biodesign Policy Program. Sandra is both an inventor and an innovator. She holds over 20 patents in various domains, from consumer medical devices to therapeutic proteins, and has led multiple US product launches. Sandra co-founded Catalyst Biosciences and was named a Top Innovator Under 35 by MIT Technology Review. Sandra earned a PhD from the University of California, San Francisco in biophysics and was a Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellow.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sandy Waugh Ruggles

Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

Show more...
5 months ago
33 minutes 36 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
159 | Building Best Practices

This week Liz and Rachel dive into the interview with Liana Mari-Gordon on building best practices during the clinical trial. They share what stood out to them and how they've seen Liana's comments play out at other organizations.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Liana's interview


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

Show more...
5 months ago
9 minutes 24 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
158 | From Protocol to Practice: An Interview with Liana Mari-Gordon

In this episode, Liz Cumby is joined by Liana Mari-Gordon, an expert in mechanical engineering and surgical training, to discuss best practices throughout the clinical trial phase of medical devices. Liana shares her experiences of learning how what "looks good on paper" may need to be updated when the device is in the hands of a physician. They delve into the importance of standardizing training, capturing and sharing field data, and maintaining honest conversations about challenges and successes. The episode also highlights methods to implement continuous improvements and ensure best practices are disseminated across users.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Liana Mari-Gordon is the owner of Liana Mari Gordon Consulting LLC, providing project management, training operations, and device development services to help set teams up for successful execution of training programs. She has spent her career in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries ranging from small startups to Fortune 500 companies. As a mechanical engineer designing spinal implants and surgical instruments at Globus Medical, her experience conducting hands-on training, supporting surgical cases, and evaluating product complaints from the field formed her passion for informed use of product and positive user experience. She joined Orbit Biomedical, an ophthalmic medical device startup, and became a surgical technical expert responsible for clinical trial device and procedure training. Liana’s responsibilities expanded to managing the logistics and execution of training programs and surgery support for a global team and multiple clinical trials as the startup merged with Gyroscope Therapeutics. As training operations lead, Liana led communication between cross functional teams to ensure readiness of and consistency across internal team members and trial sites. When acquired by Novartis, Liana was a key member in integrating existing practices within the larger organization and facilitating process improvements when needed. Liana earned a BS and MEng in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Liana Mari-Gordon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

Show more...
6 months ago
16 minutes 59 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
157 | Learning Lessons Along the FDA Approval Pathway

This week, Rachel and Liz discuss Liz's conversation with Nada Hanafi on the FDA approval pathway and how training can be used to mitigate risk. They share what they learned from Nada about the process and their insights for developing curriculum that has high standards to ensure patient safety.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Nada's interview 


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

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7 months ago
11 minutes 13 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
156 | Using Training to Mitigate Risk: An Interview with Nada Hanafi

Liz is joined by Nada Hanafi to talk all things clinical trials. They start by defining the clinical trial pathways and all the acronyms used. Then, they discuss how training can be used as a mitigation measure for avoiding risk, exploring the benefits and drawbacks for this approach and how the strategy can be modified along the process. Learn more about the process and how the answer is often "it depends."


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Related Resources:

Nada Hanafi is a thought leader within the Life Sciences and MedTech industry with over 22 years of experience across the public and private sectors. She is a Founder of MedTech Strategy Advisors, LLC where she advises life science companies on regulatory strategy, product development, and clinical research to accomplish regulatory, compliance, and business goals.


Nada spent over 12.5 years working for the FDA, serving in increasing roles of responsibility and ultimately as a Senior Science Health Advisor in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), where she led cross - Center and Agency programs for the advancement of FDA's mission to promote and protect public health, including as Co-Founder of the Health of Women (HoW) program, the Network of Experts program and the Patient Preference Initiative. She served as CDRH Liaison and Subject Matter Expert to FDs’s Office of Women’s Health (OWH) and the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE). She collaborated with the Center for Tobacco (CTP) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where she served as Senior Management Advisor to the Director at the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), to improve regulatory efficiency and to strengthen data collection. 


Nada’s drive and passion to address health inequities with a focus on women and minorities led her to Co-Found MedTech Color, a non-profit focused on advancing the representation of people of color within MedTech. Nada also serves on the Steering Committee and as Co-Lead on the Regulatory and Science Policy subcommittee for the Innovation Equity Forum (IEF) led by the NIH’s ORWH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.


Nada holds an MSc in Biomaterials and a BEng in Biomedical Materials Science & Engineering from Queen Mary College, University of London. She earned her MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Nada is a Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA) and a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) from the American Society for Quality (ASQ).


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nada Hanafi

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

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7 months ago
35 minutes 16 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
155 | Create the Assessments Before the Curriculum

Liz and Rachel dive into Liz's interview this week as they discuss competency exams for clinical support reps. As they do so, they share their insights into how creating assessments first can drive curriculum development and contribute toward a successful trial.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us at training@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Listen to the interview with Varun here.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

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7 months ago
13 minutes 9 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
154 | Using Assessments to Prepare Reps with Dr. Varun Malhotra

Liz is joined by Dr. Varun Malhotra on the podcast this month to discuss clinical competency exams for clinical support reps. As both a practicing physician and an industry leader, he shares invaluable perspective on both how a rep should act in the OR and how companies should prepare reps to do so.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Related Resources:

Dr. Varun Malhotra is an ophthalmologist with specialized training in glaucoma who has successfully bridged the worlds of clinical practice and biotechnology innovation.

Dr. Malhotra completed his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College before earning his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. He continued at NYU for his ophthalmology residency, gaining comprehensive training in diagnosing and treating various eye conditions. His education was further enhanced with a specialized fellowship in glaucoma at the prestigious Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he developed expertise in managing this complex eye disease.

With additional credentials including an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Dr. Malhotra cultivated a multifaceted career spanning both academic and private practice settings before making a strategic transition to the biotechnology sector with a role at Genentech, where he was the clinical lead for the Port Delivery System Diabetic Macular Edema program. He also served as the global surgical lead for the entire Port Delivery System, where he oversaw the expansion and surgical training for all internal and external stakeholders of ophthalmic clinical trials from the United States to encompass countries in Europe, South America, and Asia.

Dr. Malhotra is currently the Vice President of Clinical Development for Ollin Bioscience, an ophthalmic biotech company. He still practices ophthalmology and trains resident physicians in clinical and surgical skills on a weekly basis.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Varun Malhotra

Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality."

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8 months ago
26 minutes 43 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
153 | Learn Today, Improve for the Future

This week, Rachel and Liz discuss their key thoughts and learnings from Liz's interview with Shienal Patel. They dive into how learning about the procedure in the clinical trial phase can impact the trial itself and the product for years to come. They also discuss the need for a strong clinical trial training strategy, especially as the FDA is requiring different investigators for different phases of the trial, and turn their conversation toward the use of video recordings in clinical trials and the many ways your training strategy can incorporate them.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Need help developing your clinical trial training strategies? Contact us attraining@cumbyconsulting.com.


Related Resources:

Listen to the interview with Shienal here.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care!Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

Show more...
8 months ago
10 minutes 23 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
152 | Regulatory Strategy's Impact - Clinically and Commercially with Shienal Patel

Shienal Patel joins Liz in this episode to discuss how having strong investigator and clinical rep training strategies can impact the success of your product in the trial and into commercialization.


In their discussion they explore why it's important to invest in training during the clinical trial, considerations for the level of training that needs to be offered, and the possible consequences for not providing great training. Shienal shares her own experiences and the key learnings she has had over her career.


In 2025, we're embarking on a MedDevice Training Journey: From clinical trials to standard of care. Join us all year long as we explore training at each stage of the product life cycle.


Related Resources:

Shienal Patel is a highly accomplished clinical affairs leader with over two decades of experience in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries, specializing in ophthalmology. Currently serving as Vice President and Head of Clinical Affairs at Myra Vision, she oversees the development of the Calibreye TGT System for glaucoma treatment.


Previously, at Genentech, as Senior Clinical Scientist and Operations Program Leader, Shienal was instrumental in advancing the Port Delivery System (PDS) for Susvimo and other pipeline programs in ophthalmology. Her leadership spanned from clinical trial design and execution to regulatory strategy, including critical collaborations with cross-functional teams and regulatory bodies.


Shienal has also contributed significantly to early-stage device development at NESOS, focusing on vagus nerve stimulation therapies, and led global clinical operations for pivotal ophthalmology and respiratory programs at Genentech. Her efforts have earned her multiple Roche Product Development Breakthrough Awards and industry recognition for innovation and excellence.


Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! ⁠Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shienal Patel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality.

Show more...
9 months ago
34 minutes 59 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
151 | The IFU: The Foundation of the MedTech Training Journey

In this episode, Liz and Rachel discuss Liz's conversation with Kelly Carty about developing procedural consistency during the clinical trials. They'll share the best practices they've learned for training with the Instructions for Use (IFU) and procedure guide and share their own opinions about FDA-mandated training.


Tune in and learn why this procedural consistency is the base of the mountain and an important stop on the journey.


Related Resources:

Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about the journey from clinical trials to standard of care! Click here to subscribe!


Connect with us on LinkedIn:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cumby Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rachel Medeiros⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Liz Cumby⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


About Cumby Consulting:   

Cumby Consulting’s team of professionals deliver innovative MedTech training services for physicians, sales representatives, teaching faculty, key opinion leaders and clinical development teams. Whether you need a complete training system developed to deliver revenue sooner or a discrete training program for a specific meeting, Cumby Consulting will deliver highly strategic, efficient programs with uncompromising standards of quality."

Show more...
9 months ago
15 minutes 26 seconds

TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast
TrainSmart: The Medical Device Educators’ Podcast is for anyone who trains medical device reps, physicians and healthcare professionals. Discover how you can level up your training strategy creation, content development, facilitation, and assessments. We are focused on raising the training game away from a one-time meeting planning event to a career-long journey of learning. Join us for authentic conversations about med device training successes, failures and best practices.