As medical device manufacturers plan for 2027, commercial and clinical education leaders face a familiar challenge: where can they invest to support growth while making better use of existing resources?
Training deserves a closer look. Medical devices and the environments in which they’re used have grown more complex, creating a need for training models that extend beyond product knowledge and content delivery.
Nitin Jain, long-time Medtech commercial operator and current Chief Commercial Officer, explained:
“Companies are understandably eager to get product information into the hands of their teams. PowerPoints and learning management systems can support that goal, but product proficiency also requires real-world context. The training strategy needs to account for different scenarios, decisions and stakeholders.”
Providing real-world context in an efficient way remains a challenge. Medtech companies need to prepare sales representatives, clinical specialists and healthcare providers to confidently sell and use their devices, even when access to physical systems, cadavers, mannequins, and in-person training is limited or costly.
When designed strategically, training can support broader commercial goals while making better use of resources. Here are three ways medtech manufacturers can make this strategic shift in 2027.
1. Apply AI responsibly
AI creates an opportunity to personalize training in an environment where people enter learning with different levels of experience and needs.
“Role-playing is a particularly exciting use case for AI-enabled training. Companies can offer the tailored, responsive learning that normally comes with quarterly sales meetings, but without the expense of frequent travel,” said Jain. “That same flexibility can also be applied to HCPs, where AI training can give them the opportunity to practice when it fits their tight schedules and specific needs.”
But using AI strategically also means accounting for risks around accuracy, hallucinations and the potential to leak proprietary information.
“AI in training is a conversation that makes marketers and professional education teams most excited. But it can also make the CIO and IT leader hesitant,” Jain said. “We are in a heavily regulated industry, and creating training using general-purpose LLMs can introduce risk that quickly outweighs the potential benefits.”
One approach is to create a protected, source-grounded environment for AI-enabled training, using trusted materials such as instructions for use (IFUs) and clinical literature.
That approach also requires cross-functional review of the source material, clearly defined use cases, and technology designed to maintain legal, regulatory, and compliance guardrails.
2. Discover opportunities to repurpose
A common misconception is that creating modern training means rebuilding everything from scratch. In truth, manufacturers likely already have much of the information they need to make improvements.
“The opportunity is to build on what you already own and add the context and practice that learners need,” Jain said. “That might mean drawing from existing product decks, clinical content, instructions for use and published evidence, then designing interactive scenarios so that every decision point traces back to a trusted source.”
But repurposing is more than transferring existing materials into a new format. Companies can spend significant time re-creating training that misses the mark or introduces new risks. That’s where a partner with medtech, software and training expertise can work alongside internal teams to identify how to bring refreshed training to life efficiently and strategically.
In one example, a medtech company came to Monarch Learning Labs with a five-year-old training PowerPoint for an upcoming product launch. A gap analysis found that the deck covered the product well, but was missing the broader commercial context, including market dynamics, users and their needs, procedures and use cases. The analysis also revealed that Monarch could use the existing material as the foundation for applied, interactive commercial training, allowing the company to move from existing content to a new digital training experience in six weeks.
3. Build confidence through real-world practice
“Product and clinical knowledge provide an essential foundation, but readiness is built when learners have opportunities to actively apply what they know,” said Jain. “Practicing in an environment that’s as close as possible to the real world is what makes simulation such a powerful tool.”
Consider a scenario involving complex cardiovascular capital equipment training. Typically, a learner has access to a product guide that explains what to check when alarms start sounding or something goes wrong. AI-enabled simulation can take that training further by giving the learner opportunities to practice making decisions. For example, they might be required to interpret what’s happening, acknowledge the alarms, check system components and determine what to do next.
A surgical planning digital product twin offers another example of what practice can look like. In one Monarch Learning Labs project, more than 2,000 surgeons trained through a browser-based digital product twin, allowing them to practice the product workflow without waiting for access to the physical device.
Together, the examples demonstrate two different benefits of interactive, practice-based training. The cardiovascular scenario shows the depth and breadth of decision-making learners can practice, while the surgical planning digital product twin demonstrates how training can expand access while making practice repeatable and scalable.
Make training part of the 2027 commercial strategy
“One thing that I believe is so important with training is not to see it as something that is a requirement for what you need to do, but actually a core part of your commercialization or go-to-market strategy,” said Jain.
That shift means treating product knowledge as the starting point and giving sales representatives, field teams and healthcare providers opportunities to apply what they know. By connecting approved evidence and existing training materials with interactive, real-world practice, manufacturers can build readiness while making better use of every training dollar and hour.
As you plan for 2027, consider bringing Monarch Learning Labs one training challenge to see where incorporating active practice could strengthen your results.
Learn more about modernizing your approach to medtech training with Monarch Learning Labs.
