Welcome to another quarterly edition of The MSL Journal! This one is packed with a variety of stimulating and informative content! Medical Affairs is in the midst of evolution that is taking this role toward greater strategic focus, more specialization and enhanced use of digital technologies. Change is necessary for growth, and it is in these times that we stretch and find new … [Read more...]
NEW Medical Affairs Foundation Training Program: Opinions and Feedback From Numerous Medical Affairs Leaders
In the dynamic and complex landscape of healthcare delivery, Medical Affairs professionals play a vital role in bridging the gap between scientific innovation, regulatory compliance, KOL engagement, and patient care. As Medical Affairs continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly important for professionals to have a strong foundation of training that includes the necessary … [Read more...]
Global Survey Reveals How MSLs Are Maximizing KOL Engagement During Medical Conferences
Attending medical conferences is an important activity for Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs). The value of MSL and Key Opinion Leader (KOL) engagement during medical conferences is crucial to the success of a product and plays a critical role in advancing medical knowledge, fostering collaborations, driving innovation, and improving patient care. To better understand how MSLs … [Read more...]
Leveraging Web 3.0 Metaverse Capabilities for Medical Affairs Training
Syneos Health® worked to integrate certain aspects of the metaverse to create a new and immersive experience for the end-user, resulting in enhanced medical science liaison (MSL) training in an engaging environment. In the Spring 2023 issue of the Journal of the MSL Society we presented positive results of our initial pilot program that integrated a few aspects of the … [Read more...]
Optimizing Expert Identification and Engagement to Improve Rare Disease Outcomes
Orphan drug approvals by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) have increased steadily since 2010. For four of the past five years, they have comprised more than half of all drugs approved per year,. Yet, despite this, only 10 percent of the 7,000 recognized rare diseases have FDA-approved therapies. Consequently, there is relatively little research regarding some 90 … [Read more...]
Reflections From My First Year as an MSL
Leaving academia for a position in industry was an enormous culture shock for me and now having had time to reflect on my experience, I feel confident enough in my role to discuss my view of the yearlong acclimation process. Having two decades of clinical experience in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging did not prepare me for my first MSL job. Despite extensive experience … [Read more...]
Using Emotional Intelligence for Effective Corporate Communication and Field Visits
Yay! You got the job! Now it is time to meet the new team and strive out a map for yourself in this organization. Keys for effective team communication starts with Emotional Intelligence. What are the pillars of emotional intelligence? And how about soft-skills to enhance dealing with others? Self Awareness Emotional awareness, the ability to recognize the emotions you’re … [Read more...]
The Science and Art of Medicine: How MSLs Bridge the Gap to Improve Patient Access and Care
MSLs play a critical role in the Pharmaceutical Industry Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) are a vital link between the science and art of medicine. They work with healthcare providers (HCPs) to understand the needs of patients and then bring that knowledge back to pharmaceutical companies to help develop and market new drugs that are essential to advance patient care. MSLs are … [Read more...]
Coaching Never Sleeps
Great people are critical to business success and they never stop looking for ways to improve while organizations must aspire to greater heights in the fast-changing pharmaceutical sector. These twin drivers are fueling an expansion in staff coaching as an exercise in good business practice and progressive leadership that underscores a company’s values. Innovation and … [Read more...]
I am a Nurse/NP: Why I Chose Industry
I get a lot of connection requests on LinkedIn or just random questions asking, “how did I get into the industry, as a nurse?” or “what made me make the transition to industry from nursing?” For me, it was a transition that made sense. My career trajectory has been a little atypical. I am a former NICU nurse. While pursuing my MSN in nursing education, I was approached to … [Read more...]
Unlocking the Potential: Elevating the MSL Role for Effective KOL Omnichannel Engagement
Engaging with key opinion leaders (KOLs) is especially critical to the success of the life science industry. KOLs are experts in their respective fields and provide industry Healthcare Professionals with influential insights, recommendations, and guidance. In recent years, the emergence of digital channels has transformed KOL engagement, creating a more complex omnichannel … [Read more...]
From Insights to Outcomes: Leveraging Technology to Measure Medical Impact
One of the core pillars of Medical Affairs is improving patient care and outcomes. Also central to Medical Affairs are medical science liaisons (MSLs), who act as scientific experts and educators, serving as a bridge between the company and the medical community, including healthcare professionals (HCPs), researchers, and key opinion leaders (KOLs). But simply delivering … [Read more...]
Travel Tips
As the adage goes: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Having been a MSL of large territories for three years, I've admittedly learned many lessons... the hard way. Ideally, reading this mixture of advice and experiences will spare you some travel strife. Breaking this down into categories: Rental Cars Never assume that you will receive the type of rental … [Read more...]
How MSL and Commercial Teams Can Build More Meaningful Experiences for Healthcare Professionals
Medical MSLs and commercial teams play a critical role in educating healthcare professionals about the latest clinical research findings, disease management strategies, and treatment options. By collaborating and sharing insights, offering tailored solutions, providing education and training, building long-term relationships, and emphasizing patient outcomes, MSLs and … [Read more...]
The Role of the Medical Science Liaison and Their Knowledge Among Key Opinion Leaders in Venezuela. January-May 2023.
The healthcare crisis in Venezuela is a tangible element of a country where two completely opposite poles coexist. As indicated by The New York Times in its edition of March 21, 2023, while televisions are being sold for $115,000, healthcare workers receive a monthly salary of $20 to survive.1 Although the hyperinflation situation that occurred since 2017 has been overcome, … [Read more...]
Quality-Adjusted Life Years: Measuring the Value of Health Technologies
Does your health technology (e.g., drug, vaccine, diagnostic, device) provide additional health benefits compared to competing alternatives (e.g., standard of care)? How do you measure and quantify the “value” associated with the added benefits? Value can be measured in many ways (e.g., economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes). You could, for example, simply compare how … [Read more...]
A Field Medical Science Liaison’s (MSL) Perspective of Tech-Enablement Using the Metaverse
To many, the metaverse may be a nebulous term that is difficult to conceptualize. Adding to the obscurity is a lack of publications that share results from utilizing the technology in a regulated industry setting, such as the biopharmaceutical space. In this issue of The MSL Journal, Shim and colleagues report findings from utilizing the metaverse during a portion of clinical … [Read more...]
What Do You Want? The Value of Coaching in Career Development
This article is written from two perspectives: one is the experience of someone who is working with a coach (the client) and the other is the perspective of a coach. The Client Perspective A favorite quote of mine is from Warren Buffet: “The best investment you can make is in yourself”. As MSLs, we know the value of investing in ourselves and our careers. We invest our time … [Read more...]
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