Disclosure:
This text represents my own views and not the ones from my former or current employer(s).
The Medical Science Liaison (MSL) profession requires a specific set of skills ranging from scientific background, personal engagement to perseverance and organizational skills. As the MSL interview process attempts to cover these aspects, it represents a challenging task and requires a lot of preparation. This article provides some insights that may help to ascertain whether the application and potential offer letter is worth the position.
The application step offers an initial opportunity to decode the requirements from the company. Job descriptions and the mentioned requirements may vary depending on the company (big pharma vs. start-up), life cycle of the compound(s) (pre-lunch, launch, or post-lunch) or a company’s current strategy (competitive intelligence). It is necessary to reflect on both the experiences that the applicant can apply in the new role and the expectations on the role and future career.
A subsequent screen call with a recruiter from the company’s talent acquisition team or third-party subcontractor can be used to decipher the infrastructure the applicant will work in (e.g. territory, group size, reporting line, underlying reason of available position etc.). During the call, the applicant should evaluate and communicate how these factors agree or disagree with their own interests and preferences to ensure potential (mis)alignment with the recruiter. It is also important to mention notice period and compensation as these factors are crucial for the company to fill the position and the applicant’s satisfaction.
Usually, a second call will take place with the hiring manager. The hiring manager is often the supervisor and might be a MSL lead or a director of the department. This may vary according to company size,as smaller companies tend to have shorter reporting lines and do not always have the financial flexibility for a MSL lead. This circumstance offers a chance to decipher the inner workings of the company and what the company expects from the open position. Therefore, it is important to ask how the MSL role is defined in the company and what specific tasks, which are usually not described in detail in the job description, need to be addressed. The tone, length, and depth of the response are good indicators of the dynamics between the applicant and the hiring manager.
As the MSL interview process is also utilized by the company to scrutinize the applicant’s scientific background, communication and interpersonal skills, the next step represents a third call during which the applicant will present a paper and discuss the data and implications with the hiring manager, and further colleagues (director and/or prospective colleague from the medical affairs department (e.g. medical advisor or further MSL), lead functions from sales and/or market access department). Although the applicant might experience a feeling of being in a spotlight, this interview setup offers an insight to cross-functional work and potential internal misalignments. The applicant should proactively emphasize how all participants benefit from the knowledge of the presented paper and the applicant’s capabilities. Such undertaking will ensure to consider all participants as a functional unit and imagine a future work environment.
Ultimately, the last step of the MSL interview process will include the negotiation of contract related topics such as compensation, vacations, car policies, pension plan etc. The communication with human resources (or as named in many companies “people and culture”) should be used to double-check all information gathered during the interview process. The applicant should evaluate how the company deals with open questions as a feeling of “rushing through” might induce a feeling of insecurity and doubt for the applicant.
Finally, each step of the MSL interview process enables the candidate to exit the application. The applicant should not necessarily wait for the company’s response and give the company the opportunity to find the best candidate if the role is not the right one.
About the author:
Alex Palumbo, PhD
I am a neuroscientist by training and I am currently a medical scientific liaison manager at Teva Pharmaceuticals. I am also part of the global medical affairs committee for the organization of internal events related to medical affairs and MSLs.
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