Business major experiences classroom parallels with medical sales internship

With career aspirations in medical device sales, Lexi Urbassik had her eyes set on an internship offering healthcare sales experience. She got that and much, much more with ParetoHealth in Philadelphia.

The senior Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg professional sales and marketing major spent the summer interning at one of the nation’s top health benefits captives that manages over $3 billion in healthcare benefits and $800 million in stop-loss premium.

“The culture of Pareto is what initially drew me in,” Urbassik said. “As a relatively newer company, Pareto has seen enormous growth the past 12 years and is always looking for the best talent to keep up with these trends.”

She added, “Coming into college, I always knew I wanted to get into some sort of pharmaceutical or medical sales. Getting the opportunity to do a health insurance sales internship strengthened my knowledge and desire to pursue the healthcare sales route.”

As a sales and account management intern, Urbassik dove into the complexities of group captive insurance and learned how innovative solutions can reshape the way employers manage risk and healthcare costs.

“My time at ParetoHealth reinforced that the foundation we build in the (professional sales) program really does set us up to succeed in real-world sales situations,” Urbassik said. “In my sales courses I’ve practiced mock pitches covering objections and need identification, which mirrored what I experienced (this summer) on calls with consultants and employers.”

Additionally, Urbassik was responsible for “scrubbing” client information provided by consultants. She was also tasked with ensuring all provided information was done so correctly.

“I was placed on multiple projects where I completed missing information from PBM worksheets and worked collaboratively with the sales team on efforts to digitize our event registrations,” Urbassik said. “For my final presentation, I presented solutions to bridge the gap of education with our members and consultants.”

Urbassik saw several instances of her ParetoHealth experience directly connect back to what she’s learned in the classroom through the Zeigler College of Business professional sales program. For example, sitting in on Employer Education (E101) and Consultant Education (C101) calls.

“During these, I identified the steps of a sale we learned about in my principles of selling course,” Urbassik said. “It was beneficial getting to see how my superiors handled common objections that are seen throughout the sales process.”

She added, “It was interesting seeing textbook information being carried out in the work world. Sales competitions, mock pitches, and everything we do in class is very beneficial, but there’s nothing that compares to seeing it happen in real life.”

Urbassik said it was eye-opening to see how the sales skills practiced in class — like handling objections, building rapport, and delivering value propositions — translated directly into client conversations and strategy sessions.

“The biggest parallel I noticed was the importance of preparation and adaptability,” Urbassik said. “Just like in sales roleplays or competitions, you never know exactly how a prospect will respond, so being able to pivot and think on your feet is critical.”

It was a summer experience Urbassik says she'll forever be grateful for.

“The biggest highlight was the incredible employees I was fortunate enough to work with,” Urbassik said. “The culture at Pareto is truly unmatched, and being welcomed in with open arms made all the difference. My mentor and managers all did a fantastic job ensuring all the interns felt involved throughout the summer. I couldn’t have asked for a better summer internship experience!”