Despite appearances, some physicians and hospitals are forced to rely on reps:

. . . the most urgent reason we need our reps is that hospitals are low on trained staff these days. With the myriad parts and pieces it takes to do a spine fusion, knee replacement or robotic prostatectomy, operating room staffs need help keeping the trays and trays of little parts organized and ready for action. In community hospitals especially, with no layer of surgical-resident help to keep things organized, OR staffs rely on product reps to set up and get them through procedures smoothly. And as more and more of our nurses are immigrants from countries that don’t have such amazing medical technology, the rep’s job in the hospital has become even more essential.